This scarce polar chart shows the explorations of British Captain John Franklin on his third Arctic expedition. In 1825, Franklin and his crew departed Great Bear Lake and traveled 1000 miles down the Mackenzie River. On August 16, Franklin reached the mouth of the Mackenzie, being only the second European to reach this point. After wintering at Fort Franklin back at Great Bear Lake, Franklin again made the trek to the mouth of the Mackenzie, only to find the sea still frozen. He then ventured west with plans to meet Frederick William Beechey at Point Barrow, who had sailed northeast from the Bering Strait. Franklin reached Return Reef by August, 150 miles shy of his meeting point, and decided to return to Fort Franklin before winter arrived.

This chart shows great detail of Great Bear Lake, the Mackenzie River, and the coastline to the west of the Mackenzie. The coast to the east of the Mackenzie, which had still not been fully explored, remains only partially delineated. There are numerous notations throughout, including the location of Indian tribes. The map extends east to the mouth of the Coppermine River, with a notation of Samuel Hearne's Bloody Falls, where his Indian guides massacred a group of Eskimo. The map was compiled by Lt. E.N. Kendall, assistant surveyor, engraved by J. & C. Walker and published by John Murray. Finely printed on two sheets, joined.

References:

Condition: B+

Clean and bright with minor toning along the joint. Issued folding and now pressed and professionally mounted on archival linen. The margins appear to have been trimmed with loss of the imprints of the publisher and engraver at bottom.