George Back

Sir George Back ( born November 6, 1796 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, † June 23, 1878 in London ) was a British naval officer and Arctic explorer.

Early days and first expeditions

Back joined the Royal Navy on 15 September 1808. On board the frigate HMS Arethusa, he took part in battles during the Napoleonic Wars, off Cherbourg and the northern coast of Spain. In 1809 he got into French prisoner of war, from which he was released five years later. During the detention period, he developed a talent for painting, which was an important ability for expeditions before the invention of photography.

Due to its baking received in 1818 a post in David Buchan's expedition to Spitsbergen. He served aboard the HMS Trent, under the command of John Franklin, who was aware of the young midshipman. Franklin then took him with on his expedition to explore the North American Arctic coast from 1819 and 1822. The expedition nearly ended in total disaster when the group was stuck with inadequate food and other supplies in the Canadian tundra and part of the team in front was about to mutiny. The fact that Franklin himself escaped on the expedition with his life, he owed back who brought a grueling march to a friendly Indian tribe behind him, and there was able to organize help.

In his second expedition 1825-1827 to the Mackenzie River Franklin baking did not consider yet first. Back was so advised during the first expedition with another participant, Robert Hood, about the affection for an Indian girl named Greenstockings in dispute that a duel between the two was only narrowly avoided. Only when the participants actually favored by Franklin died, he decided to take back. This expedition was finally completed successfully.

The expedition to the Back River

1829 John Ross was broken on board the steamer Victory on an expedition to the North American Arctic. After three years arrived no news about his whereabouts, presented the British Admiralty to reprint Ross brother George together a rescue expedition. The leadership of the organized by the Hudson 's Bay Company expedition should take back.

It has been suggested that the Victory was included in Prince Regent Inlet in ice and Ross had saved on Somerset Iceland. There were still enough supplies in the ship wreck of the HMS Fury, the Edward Parry had to leave there in 1825. Backs plan was (now Back River ) to follow along from the Great Slave Lake from the " Great Fish River" to the Canadian Arctic coast, and then to get to Somerset Iceland. For " Great Fish River" but no Europeans had advanced so far, its course was known only from reports of Indians.

Accompanied by three sailors and a physician, Dr. Richard King, back in February 1833 sailed to New York. About fur trade routes that he had known of Franklin's second expedition, he reached on August 8 Fort Resolution ' on Great Slave Lake. With the help of an Indian guide, he found the outflow of the Great Fish Lake on August 29. However, he wintered first in Fort Resolution. On April 30, 1832, he received the news that Ross was now safely returned to England. Back now could concentrate on exploring the river and lying at the mouth of coast. He planned to penetrate turnaround on the Kent Peninsula to Point, there had to turn back on his first expedition Franklin.

On June 7, broke back with eleven men and a boat which they had built during the year, on towards the Great Fish River. On June 28 they reached the drain. For the journey over the approximately 850 km long river they needed 25 days and had 38 bypassing rapids and waterfalls. Once at the coast but it was found that the Arctic Ocean was frozen to the west already through dense pack ice. After two weeks buried back the hope that the ice would not break up, and he returned to Fort Reliance. The following spring he returned in March via New York to England. There he received several honors and promotion to post- captain. He published a book about the trip, which sold successfully.

Second expedition under the leadership Backs

To complete the mapping of the North American Arctic coast further, hit the Royal Geographic Society of the British government, a further expedition, was appointed as its head back. The expedition was first to cross the Hudson Strait towards the Wager Bay and Repulse Bay, from where boat the west coast of the Melville Peninsula should be mapped. At this task was in 1824 already failed an expedition under George Francis Lyon, where his ship was badly damaged and the crew escaped with only happiness with life. For the trip back from the HMS Terror was provided. On 14 June 1836 he stabbed 60 -man crew from London to sea.

Back was announced that Lyon had tried to Southampton to sail around south Iceland in the direction of Repulse Bay, after his ship in Roes Welcome Sound ran aground in a storm on an iceberg. Therefore, back, chose instead to traverse on a northerly course to Foxe Channel, which Parry had mastered successfully in 1821. However, the ice was much closer this year, and in September the terror was confined. Over the next ten months, the ship drifted slowly towards the South East and was heavily damaged by storms and the pressure of the ice. The team is also spread during the winter of scurvy, a continuation of the expedition was, therefore, not to think. It was only in June 1837, the team was able to free the ship. However, by not adhering to the keel ice the ship was immediately flip side and capsized almost. Back finally succeeded in makeshift repair the ship for the return trip. After the ship during the crossing of the Atlantic still ran into a storm and again narrowly escaped a disaster, the team reached in Ireland on September 3, Lough Swilly.

Retirement

Back never fully recovered from the rigors of travel, and his request for retirement was granted. In March 1839 he was knighted ( Knight Bachelor). Seven years he was vice- president of the Royal Geographic Society. As a member of the Arctic Council, he advised the British Admiralty during the rescue of the Franklin expedition. In 1859 he was promoted to Rear Admiral of the reserve, 1863 as Vice Admiral and finally in 1876 to Admiral. He died in 1878 at the age of 81 years in London.

Images ( selection)

Cape Barrow ( 1821)

Fort Enterprise ( 1823)

HMS Terror trapped in ice (1836 /37)

Works

  • Narrative of the arctic country expedition to the mouth of the Great Fish River, and along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, in the years 1833, 1834 and 1835, Murray and others, London 1836, (in German language. Journey through North America to the mouth of the Great fish River and on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. During the years 1833, 1834 and 1835. Translated from English by Karl Andrée. Weber, Leipzig, 1836).
  • Narrative of the expedition in HMS Terror, under taken with a view to geographical discovery on the Arctic shores, in the years 1836-7. Murray, London 1838.

Sources and links

  • William J. Mills: Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC - Clio, Santa Barbara, 2003, pp. 47ff. ISBN 978-1576074220
  • Commons: George Back - collection of images, videos and audio files
  • George Back. In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Toronto 1979 et seq, ISBN 0-8020-3142-0 ( English, French)
  • Briton
  • Discoverer (19th Century )
  • Polar explorer (Arctic)
  • Member of the Royal Navy
  • Born in 1796
  • Died in 1878
  • Man
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