The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-26
OBITUARY.

SIR GEORGE BACK, AIcTIC EXPLORER.
cable despatch from London announces the death
Of Sir George Back, the distinguished Arctic nayi-
gator. He born at Stockport, Cheshire. in 1896.
and entered the Royal Navy a midshipman in 1908,
on board tho Arethusa- He was taken prisoner
by tho French in 1900 and sent 70
France, where no remained Eve years ON
the first downfall of Napoleon, in 1914, be
was released and Joined tho British fleet
at Flushing. He next served for time on the Hail.
lax station and IN 1917 transferred to tho Bull
wark. In 1918 no volunteered on board the Trent
under Sir John Franklin, who encouraged him to de-
vote himself to voyages OF discovery In company
with W. Beechy no started the same year his FIRST
Arctic voyage board the Dorothea, under the
mand oil Captain David Buchan. Captain Buchan's
Instructions were to advance toward the North Pole
directly from Spitzbcrgen as far MS the route should
be found practicable but the ice cfcctually barred
his passage further north than the cIghteth degree
OF north latitude In 1919 he selected by Sir John
FraGkin TO accompany him In hts expedition from
Hudson's Bay TO the Coppernne River and along tho
cout eastward. In this pcrilous expedition The
plorers PERFORMED journey from Fort Enterprise
70 Fort Chippewysn ana BACK, partly on ioot
thermometer being 81 degrees below zero. aud
intrepidity onspcuous, aud Sir John Franklin
attributed tho ultimate safety OF Tue expedition
NOTED to lhe rank oil lieutenant ana served Tor iims
In tho West Indies on the superb 10
1873 he again Sc. o.. FOR E the Arch, s regions
ton Tor the purpose Of cooperating with
Captains Becchy and Parry, In an attomp 10 discover
northwest passage. Ths voyage lasted three years,
and the dreadful hardshps enourod related by Sf
John Franklin ia hts "Narrative of a Second Expc-
ditivn To tho Polar sea IN 1881" Lieutenant Back
extended his researches 10 latitude 10 deg. "a min.
rouh, longitude li9 deg. ~ miu., ana was instru-
81 @
out In advance with 1ve OF the party
the return OF Tho expedition Back was ieL al Fors
Franklin In charge OF tho remaining officers and men,
the boats, cocctonsof natural history, rough notes
aud astronomical ana meteorological observaton&
York Factory ana thence 20 England, which he
reached IN 1921 Be remained unem pIoysd Tor SOME
John Ross. who had loft England Tor The Polar
giops In 1929 and had not been heard
expedition, bat before he had reached the Arctic
regions no heard Of The safe return Of SIR John Ross
lie proceeded on his way, however, AMI determined
TO make the voyage useful u possible. from sclen.
tinc point Of view. Alter passing terrible winter
the Great Slave Lake no discovered In 1884 the
Wellesley aud Artillery lakes and asocnded
the THEW Schocb, or Great Fish River, to
which his name mas been since givon. In spite
o, obstacles which would have deferred most
men no succeeded, after a perilous navigation OF
ABOUT four hundred ana nfy miles, in entering the
Polar sea, thus demonstrating ITS connection with
the great lakes. He then carefully explored coast
| between Bathurst STRAIT ana Hudson's Bay, and re-
turned TO England in 1888 On bis return he
was uppo'htou post captain Nv an ''ofuer In
council" and published an account Of his voy-
age, entitled Narrative OF tho Arctic Land
Fish or Back River and along the shores OF the
| Arctic Ocean IN 1885," French Translation Of
which was published In Paris the same year. In 1880
he was given the command OF another Arctic expoat-
ton with the object oil settling the geography OF tho
coast between Regent STRAIT and Cape Tumsguin Ho
| set out from Papa-Westray, one OF the orkney
Islands, In tho Terror. built specially for Attic voy-
| aging and provided with every appliance thas
seemed likely 10 insure succosa Ho was
after having been long time locked in the
leo nnd enduring many hardships he brought the
pedition back TO England IA pitabs condition. lie
published an account or this voyage, and from that
time, with the exception oil temporary appointment
under the Treasury, he remained on hall pay. The
Geographical Societies OF London anu P.,ris pre-
sented MIN with their gold medals, and In 1889 he
ccivcd the honor oil kniphthood. liz promoted
10 the raDk OF admiral 1861 and lived in ro-
tirement TO the timo Of his death.