John Rae's Arctic Correspondence, 1844-1855 by Rae John; McGoogan Ken;

Author:Rae, John; McGoogan, Ken;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 5107182
Publisher: TouchWood Editions
Published: 2014-10-13T16:00:00+00:00

Provision Station, Kendall River 10th June 1851.290

Sir George Simpson

Governor-in-chief, Hudson’s Bay Cos. Territories

Sir

I have the honour to acquaint you that I with my two men arrived at this place today a few minutes after noon from the arctic coast having been absent 42 days during which the shore of Wollaston Land was examined to the eastward of Longitude 110° and westward as far as Longde. 117° 17, without finding any strait or passage leading to the north or without seeing any traces of Sir John Franklins party or obtaining any tidings of them from the Esquimaux we met.

I left Fort Confidence on the 25th April accompanied by four men, with three sledges drawn by dogs and a small sledge drawn by the men alternately on which our provisions and baggage were stowed. We reached this station on the 27th and were detained two days by stormy weather. This time was profitably employed in arranging our baggage and stores, repairing and strengthening our sledges, and in recruiting the dogs.

On the 30th everything being in readiness and the weather fine I started for the coast with two men (Beads and Linklater) and two sledges drawn by five dogs. A fatigue party of 3 men and two dogs accompanying us to within half a days march of the coast. In consequence of a great thaw that had occurred the previous week which cleared much of the ground of snow the travelling was extremely bad and although long detours were made to find a good road for the sledges they got much injured by the stones.

On the 1st May, we put en cache for our return journey a little pemican and Flour, and next day when 10 miles from the coast the fatigue party was sent back. After having much difficulty in crossing some deep ravines we reached the shore of Richardson Bay about 5 miles west of the mouth of the Coppermine near midday when I was most happy to find that as far as visible the ice to seaward was not unfavorable for travelling.

Being desirous of walking during the night to prevent the glare of of the sun on the snow inflaming the eyes we commenced our journey at 10 p.m. on the 2nd. The weather was unpleasant with a strong breeze of cold north wind as we directed our course as straight as possible for Point Lockyer. The ice being smooth and the snow hard we advanced rapidly until 8 A.M on the 3rd when we stopped for the day in Latitude by observation 68° 8′ 44″ N. The building of an excellent snowhouse occupied us 1¾ hour, during which our simple cooking was going on so that no time might be lost.

On the 4th we encamped on the beach five miles north of Point Lockyer where we found some wood for cooking, and as the weather was fine, no snow hut was required; the wind was however still sharp and a temperature of +10° made a shelter in the form of a semicircular wall of snow agreeable.

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