CHAPTER XVI. Mr. Rae's Expedition in the Summer of 1849.-Instructions.-He crosses to the Coppermine.-Descends that River.-Sea covered with Ice.-Surveys Rae River. Eskimos.-Cape Kendall.-Cape Hearne.-Basil Hall Bay.-Cape Krusenstern.-Douglass Island.-Detention.-Dangerous Situation.-August 23, return.-Author and Mr. Bell leave Fort Confidence.-Cross Great Bear Lake.-Descend Bear Lake River.-David Brodie lost in the Woods.-His Adventures.-Fort Simpson.-Methy Portage.-Receive English Letters.-Norway House.-Part from the Seamen and Sappers and Miners.-Continue the Voyage to Canada.-Boston.-Land at Liverpool.-Summary of the present State of the Search for Sir John Franklin. HAVING in the preceding chapter mentioned such occurrences during our winter's residence at Fort Confidence as seemed most worthy of notice, this is the most appropriate place for introducing an account of Mr. Rae's endeavors, in the summer, to reach Wollaston Land, and complete the search in that quarter. Had we succeeded in taking our boats up the Coppermine, beyond the reach of the Eskimos, according to our expectations when the plan of search was formed, the voyage might have been resumed in the summer of 1849 with two or three boats; and, in that case, both Mr. Rae and I would have gone, that we might aid each other among the ice. But, having been compelled to leave. our craft in September, without the smallest hope of their being found again in a seaworthy condition, and having only one boat remaining that could be employed on the service, it became necessary to determine which of us should take charge of that vessel and of the small party it could contain. Setting all personal considerations aside, and looking solely to the means of providing for the examination of as large a portion of the Arctic Sea as could be accomplished, I had no hesitation in deciding in favor of Mr. Rae. His ability and zeal were unquestionable; he was in the prime of life, and his personal activity and his skill as a hunter fitted him peculiarly for such an enterprise. The arrangement I made for withdrawing the European party, and employing volunteers from the men engaged in the country, was a consider able pecuniary saving, which I was bound to consider, as far as I could, without cramping the means of search. MR. RAE'S EXPEDITION. 307 It has been already mentioned that Mr. Rae explored the country between Fort Confidence and the Coppermine River in winter, to select the best route for dragging the boat over in spring. In April he conveyed provisions, boat stores, and other necessaries across to the Kendall on dog-sledges, and left two men at Flett's station in charge of them, together with two Indian hunters. Before the end of the month we learnt that they had obtained both musk-ox and reindeer meat, and were drying part of it for summer use. The subsequent proceedings are told in the following official documents, which I quote entire, premising that the names of the men composing his party were— "Fort Confidence, Great Bear Lake, May 1, 1849. "As in the prosecution of the search for traces of the Discovery Ships under command of Sir John Franklin, the continental coast line between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers has been carefully examined, the only part of my instructions not complied with, is the examination of the adjoining shores of Wollaston and Victoria Lands, which the state of the ice in Dolphin and Union Straits rendered inaccessible last autumn. That these two islands are separated from each other by a strait lying between the 111th and 113th meridians, is rendered almost certain by a consideration of the direction of the flood tide, which, on the west side of these parallels, sets to the westward through Dolphin and Union Straits, and to the eastward of them, sets to the eastward toward Cape Alexander; coming, we must conclude, from the northward between the lands in question; for the survey by Messrs. Dease and Simpson has shown that the coast of Victoria Land is continuous up to the 111th parallel; and the latter gentleman records his opinion, that much of the heavy drift ice that encumbers Coronation Gulf descends between these lands from the north. "The exploration of the shores of this strait is of much importance in the search for the Discovery Ships, for the following reasons: Sir John Franklin having been directed to steer to the southwest after he had passed Barrow's Straits, would be led directly into it, and he would be deterred from attempting a more westerly course by the circumstance of Sir Edward Parry having found that route impracticable for two successive sea sons. Should there be several islands between Wollaston and Banks's Lands, and the channels between them be intricate, it is not unlikely that the ships may have been shut up therein by ice. It was the intention of Sir James Ross, in the event of his reaching Winter Harbor last year, to send a party across the ice this spring to pass between Victoria and Wollaston Lands toward Cape Krusenstern and the Coppermine River. To co-operate with that party and to aid it with provisions, or to supply its place, should circumstances have prevented its being sent, it is expedient that a party should go from hence, and as you and a sufficient number of men have volunteered for this service, I hereby, in virtue of the clause of my instructions which authorizes me to detach you and a party of volunteers under your command, appoint you to this duty. You are therefore to descend the Coppermine River; and as soon as the sea opens in July, are to proceed to explore the strait in question, endeavoring to communicate with any parties of Eskimos you may meet with on Wollaston or the neighboring islands. Should you reach the northern coast of Bank's Land, you are there to erect a pile of stones, and deposit a memorandum of your object and proceedings at the distance of 10 feet from its base, marking that side of the pile with a broad arrow in red or white paint. You are also to erect similar piles, and deposit in the same manner on conspicuous headlands, memoranda for the guidance of the party detached by Sir James Ross, when you can do so without materially delaying your progress. Should you discover any signal posts erected by that party, and learn from the memoranda deposited near them that the strait has been sufficiently explored down to that place, you are to proceed no further in that direction; and you are at liberty to use your own judgment in deviating from this route, if, from information given by the Eskimos, or obtained from other sources, you are of opinion that the ships, or part of their crews, may be found in another quarter. Having the fullest confidence in your judgment, experience, and prudence, I shall not name a period to your advance, further than by requesting you not to hazard the safety of the party intrusted to your care, by delaying your return too long. The last season furnishes a strong instance of the early date at which the winter occasionally commences in these seas. * Having performed this service, or prosecuted it as far as practicable, with a due regard to the safety of your party, you are to return with all speed to Fort Confidence, and, embarking without delay the instruments and stores remaining at that post, to proceed forthwith to Fort Simpson. Such of the stores as are useful to the Company are to be valued and handed over to them, and the instruments are to be forwarded to England, addressed to the Secretary of the Admiralty. The men are to be sent to winter at some fishing station sufficiently to the southward to insure their early arrival at Norway House next spring; and you are to direct them to be furnished with nets, that they may provide for their own sustenance during the winter, with as little expense to the Government as possible. แ Immediately on your return from the coast, you are to communicate an account of your proceedings to the Secretary of the Admiralty, for the *The 25th of August was the date at which I considered it prudent that Mr. Rae should endeavor to be on the south side of Dolphin and Union Straits, and I expressed this opinion in a private note to him. MR. RAE ASCENDS THE DEASE. 309 Information of their Lordships; and you are also to transmit him a chart of any hitherto unexplored coasts or straits you may discover, as soon as you have had leisure to construct it. "Given under my hand, at Fort Confidence, 1st May, 1849. แ John Rae, Esq." (Signed) "JOHN RICHARDSON, Commanding Arctic Searching Expedition. Copy of a Dispatch from Mr. Rae to the Secretary of the Admiralty, narrating the Proceedings of the Expedition under his Command to the shores of the Arctic Sea, in the Summer of 1849. "Fort Confidence, Great Bear Lake, Sept. 1, 1849. 66 SIR-I have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commisioners of the Admiralty, that the expedition under my command, which descended the Coppermine this summer to the Arctic Sea, for the purpose of examining the shores of Wollaston and Victoria Lands, in search of Sir John Franklin and party, returned to this place to-day, having been quite unsuccessful in its object, and with the loss of Albert, the Eskimo interpreter, who was drowned at the Bloody Fall, the particulars of which unfortunate accident I shall mention hereafter. 66 Having made every requisite arrangement at Fort Confidence for facilitating our progress across land to the Coppermine, I waited impatiently for the disruption of the ice on Dease River, to which our boat was hauled on the 7th of June. Next day we learned that the upper parts of the river were clear of ice; and on the following morning I started in company with four men and two Indians, and a couple of sledges on which our baggage and provisions were stowed. The Dease was still covered with strong and solid ice for two miles up its course, over which we hauled the boat before getting to open water. "Our ascent of the stream was extremely slow, owing to the many barriers of ice (some of them six or eight miles long) over which we had to launch the boat, and it was the 15th before arrived at the forks of the river, where it was my intention to diverge from the route of Dease and Simpson. They followed the north branch, while we ascended the southeast one. This stream was also much obstructed by ice, and so very shallow, consequent on the coldness of the weather, which prevented the snow on the high grounds from thawing, that the whole party were almost continually up to their knees among water and snow engaged in launching the boat. In ordinary seasons it was evident, by marks along the banks, that there is sufficient water for a boat drawing some inches more than ours throughout its whole length, which is little more than 15 miles, including its various curves. On the 17th we passed over the ice on the lake from which the stream flows. It contains many islands, and its breadth, where we crossed it in a nearly south direction, is 31⁄2 miles. "Indian report had led me to believe that there was a creek, having sufficient depth of water for the boat, flowing from this lake into the south branch of the Kendall, which we were to descend to the Dismal Lakes; but in this we were disappointed, and consequently had a portage of six geographical miles to make overland nearly due east. I had examined this place in the winter, but the ground being then covered with snow and ice, I could not form a correct opinion on the subject. The west end of the portage is situated in latitude 67° 10' 48" N.; longitude by account* 117° 18′ W.; and the variation of the compass 50° 49′ E. "Crossing the portage occupied us two days; the ice had not yet broken up in many places on the river on its east side, and the water was ten inches lower than when Sir John Richardson and party forded it last autumn; we consequently found some difficulty in descending it. Its general course is northeast by east, and the length from where we entered it, to its influx at the west end of the most easterly of the Dismal Lakes, 171 miles. On the 21st we arrived at the station on the banks of the Kendall River, to which provisions for the sea voyage had been hauled on dog sleds in April, and found the two men who had been left in charge quite well. We descended the Kendall next day to the Coppermine, which was still covered with ice, so firm and solid that a person might have crossed the river without being more than ankle deep in water. During five days that we were detained here, we were occupied repairing the injuries received by the boat, shooting deer to saye our pemican, and making observations when the weather would permit. The result of three meridian observations of the sun gave mean latitude 67° 07′ 20′′ N., and the mean variation from five sets of azimuths on different days (the extremes being 49° 38', and 51° 55') was 50° 37′ 48′′ E. On the 28th the dwarf birch was observed to be in leaf, and the leaf-buds of the willows began to develop. In the afternoon of the same day the river was thought sufficiently open to permit us to descend it for some distance among the driving ice; but after proceeding six miles, we found the stream again blocked up. We were so often and so long detained by interruptions of this kind, that it was the 11th of July before we arrived at the Bloody Fall, having been fourteen days in doing the work of one. Notwithstandstanding the inefficiency of our steersman James Hope (one of Dease and Simpson's men), we ran all the rapids, including the Escape, without shipping much water, and with all the cargo in the boat. "Hitherto deer had been so numerous that we could easily have shot enough for the maintenance of a party double or treble our numbers. Here they had become more scarce and shy, which could be only accounted for by the proximity of the Eskimos, no recent traces of whom could, however, be seen. From the fall to the sea the ice remained fixed until the 13th, when it cleared away, a circumstance that was very soon indicated by the numbers of fish which appeared below the fall. With the aid of Halkett's air-boat, which had been brought from a hill some miles distant, where it had been left last season, a net was set in one of the eddies, and before the men had finished arranging it, seven fine salmon and two white fish were caught, and we afterward obtained a supply for several days' consumption. "On the 14th we entered the sea, and found a narrow and very shallow channel along the saore of Richardson Bay, until we came to its north side, where the ice lay against the rocks. Here the latitude 67° 51′ 19′′ N. was observed; and two azimuths of the sun, the one on the meridian and the other when on the prime vertical, gave variation 57° 04′ and 56° 25′ E. While encamped at this place, we were visited by seven Eskimos, one of whom I at once recognized as the active, intelligent man who had afforded Sir John Richardson's party such efficient assistance last season, * The rates of the chronometers had become so irregular, or had altered so much, that they were of no use until rated anew. |