Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-28
Dr. RAGS Letter 10 Sir GEORGE Simpson.


Hudson's Bay. eyxEt tGfffpH
Dr. Rass Letter TO Sir George Simpson
York Factory, AUGUST A. 1854.
MY DEAR SIR GEORGE Your several letters, public
and private of dates 18th June and LIST December 1853
and 18th and 10th June, 1854 handed me on the
2sth ultimo on my reaching Churchill, and rejOced to
learn that your health had benefited SO much by your
visit to the North.
Let me now aude to the expedition affairs arrived
here on the 3lst umo with my small party in excellent
health but am sorry to say without having effected
our object At the time information has been OBJ
tanned and articles purchased from the natives which
places the fate of portion if ALL the then survivors
Of Sir John Franklns miserable party beyond doubt
fate the most deplorabledeath from starvation after
having had recourse to cannbasm as means Of pro-
longing life.
reached my old quarters at Repulse Bay the 18th
of August, and preparations Immediately commence
ed for winterng. On the lst of September explained
to the position the stock Of provisions had
hand, (not than three months rations and the
prospects had Of getting more, &c., pointing all
the danger and difficulty of position. All readily
volunteered to remain and our enerons to collect food
and fuel went with undated energy By the end Of
September 100 DEER musk OK, 81 braces of ptarmgan
and seal had been shot, and the nets produced 100
salmon.
the musk shot by myself p deer by Mistegan
1.-THE deer hunter IA by Of the men, by Ougbuck
and 16 by the other four The migration Of the
deer terminated about the middle of October and %
animals were added to our stock.
On the 18th Of October, the snow being sufficiently
hard for building were happy to exchange our cold
tents for the comfortable shelter OF the snowhouse.
The winter very severe but the Temperature in
snow huts 80 low in my winter quarters Of
1867 Up to the 18th Of January had set nets
der the ice in the lakes the nets taken up that
date as they produced nothing.
On the 31st of March my spring journey commenced,
but in consequence Of gales of wind deep and soft snow
and foggy weather. made but very little progress We
did enter Pey Bay until the 18th. At this place
white people, replied in the negative, but said
that large party lat least 40 persons had persisted
from want of food ten twelve days journey to
the westward. The substance Of the information, OBJ
tanned at various times and from various sources
follows:
In the spring, four winters past, (spring, 1862
party Of white men, amounting to about forty
travelling southwark the ice, and dragging boat
with them, by some Esquimaux who killing sealson
the north shore of King Williams Land, which is large
island named Kei-ik-tak by the Esqumaux. None Of
the party could speak the native language inteigiby,
but by signs the natives made to understand that
their ships ship had been crushed by ce and that the
whites were going to where they expected to find
deer to shoot From the appearance Of the men, oil Of
whom except officer, chef) looked thin, they
then supposed be getting short of provisions they
purchased small seal from the natives.
At later date the season. but previous to the
disruption of the ice, the bodies of about thirty white
persons discovered the continent and five
island it, about long days journey say 35 or 40
mles to the northwest of large stream which can be
other than Backs Great Fish River (named by the
Esqumaux Out-koo- hi-ca-lik) its description and
that of the low shore in the neghborhood of Point Oge
and Montreal Island agree exactly with that of Sir Geo.
Back Some Of the bodies had been buried, probably
those Of the first victims Of famine,) some were in
tent TENTS others undor boat that had been turned
to form shelter and several lay scattered about in
different directions. or those found the island one
was supposed to have been an officer he had tee-
scope strapped his shoulder and his double barreed
gun lay underneath him.
From the mulated state OF many Of the corpses and
the Of the kettles it is evident that mser
BILE countrymen had been driven to the last resource
cannibalism-as means Of prolongng life.
There appears to have been abundant stock of am
munitou the powder was emptied in heap on the
ground by the natives out of the kegs cases contain
ing it. and quantity of ball and shot found below
high mark having been LEFT the ice close to the
beach. There must have been number of watches,
telescopes, compasses guns several double barreed
&c., all of which appear have been broken up, saw
pieces Of these different articles with the Esquimaux and
together with silver spoons and forks purchased
many could obtain list Of the most important Of
these enclose with rough pen and ink sketch Of the
events and initials the forks and spoons The articles
themselves shall be handed the Secretary Of the
Hon. h. B. Co. on my arrival in London.
None Of the Esquimaux with whom converscd had
seen the whites had they ever been at the place
where the dead were found but had their information
from those who had been there and those who had
the party when alive.
From the head of Pely Bay-whioh is bay, spite Of
Sir H. Beauforts opinion to the contrary crossed sixty
miles Of land in westerly direction, traced the west
shore from Castor and Poux River Cape Horter Of St.
James Ross, and could have got within thirty forty
miles Of Beot Strait but thought it useless proceeding
further, as could not complete the whole.
Never in my former Arctic journeys had met with
such accumulation Of obstacles Fogs storms, rough
ice, and deep had to fight against. On oc
casion four and half days unable to get o
glimpse Of the sun, to make out his position in
the heavens This level coast, where the compass
Of little use, was perpexng In the extreme.
The weather much finer return journey thar
wi n de ound and. Our lOadS
days marches were nearly double the distance; and we
arrived at Repuse Bay the 26th May, without acct
dent except in instance in which one Of the party
lost toe from frost bite. I'll
The commencement Of spring was very fine, but june
and July colder We unable to get out Of the
bay until the 9Th Of August.
Our progress along the coast far Cape Fullerton
was much impeded by ice but getting to the south,
ward Of the cape had clear water and saw no ict
afterwards.
The conduct of the men, am happy to say gene
rally speaking, good and we had not single case o.
sickness all the time of our absence.
Being anxious to send this to Red river by the FRS
boats write in haste and briefly, but shall have TIP
pleasure of sending more detailed account by sonb
further opportunity.
With the utmost respect have the honor to be, your
very obedient servant JOHN RAE.
List enclosed in Dr. Raes letter. Of articles purchased
from the Esquimaux said have been found to the west
rather northwest of Backs river the where the parry
Of men starved to death in the spring of 1850
silver table FORK Vrcst NO.
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