Point Griffin, West of the McKenzie River

After serving as mate under Buchan and Franklin in the Trent in 1818, Back accompanied Franklin on his first sea and land expedition of 1819-22, exploring the northern coast of America in search of a Northwest Passage, and the then midshipman's sketches were used to illustrate Franklin's Narrative published in London, 1823-8. The present watercolour dates to Sir John Franklin's second overland expedition to map the Arctic coastlines of northern Canada. The expedition mapped 374 miles of Arctic coast, from the mouth of the Mackenzie River west to Return Reef, and Back's watercolours were again used by Franklin to illustrate the official Narrative published in 1828.