From Barrow to Boothia

by Dease, Peter Warren; Barr, William

• ISBN13: 9780773522534
• ISBN10: 0773522530
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-03-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ

Summary

Over a three-year period from 1837 to 1939, operating from a base-camp at Fort Confidence on Great Bear Lake, the expedition achieved its goal. Despite serious problems with sea ice, Dease and Simpson, in some of the longest small-boat voyages in the history of the Arctic, mapped the remaining gaps in a model operation of efficient, economical, and safe exploration. Thomas Simpson's narrative, the standard source on the expedition, claimed the expedition's success for himself, stating "Dease is a worthy, indolent, illiterate soul, and moves just as I give the impulse." In From Barrow to Boothia William Barr shows that Dease's contribution was absolutely crucial to the expedition's success and makes Dease's sober, sensible, and modest account of the expedition available. Dease's journal, reproduced in full, is supplemented by a brief introduction to each section and detailed annotations that clarify and elaborate the text. By including relevant correspondence to and from expedition members, Barr captures the original words of the participants, offering insights into the character of both Dease and Simpson and making clear what really happened on this successful expedition.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	vii
Preface	ix
Illustrations and Maps	xiii
The Men and Their Task	3	(25)
Norway House To Fort Chipewyan	28	(13)
The Winter At Fort Chipewyan	41	(20)
Down The Slave and The Mackenzie	61	(9)
West to Point Barrow And Back	70	(43)
The First Wintering At Fort Confidence	113	(54)
Eastwards, 1838	167	(33)
The Second Wintering at Fort Confidence	200	(29)
Eastwards Again, 1839	229	(33)
Back South To Fort Simpson	262	(11)
Aftermath	273	(21)
Assessment	294	(5)
Appendix: Biographical Sketches	299	(11)
Published Sources	310	(5)
Index	315