The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-11-01
From the Montreal Herald.
DR.. Rae s Letter to Sir Geo. Simpson.
YORK FACTORy. AUG. d. 1874

York FACTORY, Aug. 4, 1854.
My Dear George:-Y Your several letters.
public and private, Of dates 18th June.
and 1st of December, 1853, and 18th and
18th OF June, 1854, were handed me on
the 28th ultimo, on my reaching Church.
hill, and rejoiced to learn that your
health had been benefited so much by
your visit to the North.
On the 51st OF March. my spring jour.
ney commenced, but in consequence of
gales of winds, deep and soft snow, and
foggy weather, we made but very little pro-
gress. We did not enter Pelly Bay until
the 18th. AT this place we met with Es,
quimsux, one Of whom, OH being asked il
he ever saw white people, replied in the
negative, but said that a large party, Cat
least 40 persons) had perlshed from wan,
Of food, 10 or l2 days journey to the west.
ward. The substance Of the information,
obtained atvarious times and from various
sources, was as follows:
In the spring, four winters past. (spring,
1885, party of white men, amounting to
about forty. were seen travelling southwark
over thu ice. and dragging boat with
them, by some Esquimaux who were kill
ing seals on the north shore Of King Will.
lianl's Land, which is large island
named Kei-ik-tak by the Esquimaux. Not
one of the party could speak the native
language intelligibly, but by signs. the ma.
tives were made to understand that their
ships or ship had been crushed by ice,
and that the ..whites" were now going 10
where they expected to find deer to shoot
From the appearance of the men. all of
whom, except the officer, (chief.) looked
thin, they were then supposed 10 be getting
short of provisions, and they purchased a
small seal from the natives.
At a la:er date, the same season. but
previous to :he disruption of the ice, the
bodies of about thirty white persons were
discovered on the continent, and FIVE on
an island near it. ab bout long days jour.
ney (say thirty.6ve or forty miles. to the
north west OF a large sire an, which can
be no other than Backs Great Fish River,
(named by the Esquimaux Out ZOO -hi-ca-
lik,) as its descriptions and that of the low
shore in the neighborhood Of Point O.le
and Montreal Island agree exactly with
that of Sir George Back Some Of the
bodies had been buried, (probably those
OF the first victims of famine,) some were
in tent or tents, others under boat that
had been turned over to form shelter,
and several lay scattered about in differ
ent directions. OF those found on the
island. orc was supposed to have been an
officer. as he had telescope strapped
over his shoulder. and his double barreled
gun lay underneath him.
From the mutilated state Of many Of the
corpses, and the contents of the kettles, ii
is evident that our miserable countrymen
had been driven to the last resource, can.
nibalism, as means of prolonging life.
There appears to have been an abun-
dant stock of ammunition, as the powder
was emptied in heap on the ground by
the natives, out OF the kegs or cases con-
tanning it, and a quantity of ball and shot
was found below high water mark, having
been left on the ice close to the beach,
There must have been number Of watch.
es, telescopes, compasses, guns, (seyeral
double barreled, &C., all Of which appear
TO have been broken up, as | saw pieces
of these different articles with tho Esqui
maux, and together with some silver spoons
and forks, purchased as many of them as
| could obtain. A list of the most impor.
tant of these enclose, with rough PEN
and.ink sketchsof the events, and initials
on the forks and spoons. The articles
shall be handed over to tire
Secretary Of the Hon. H. B. Co.,, on my
arrivalin London. 60 asishs etl 4
None of the Esquimaux with whom !
had seen the "whites , nor 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 seen the party when alive. a
From the head OF Pelly Bay-which is
q bay, spite of Sir H. Deaufort's opinion
to the contrary--I crossed 60 miles OF
land in westerly direction, traced the
west shore from Castor and Pellux River
to Cape Porter of Sir James Ross, and
could not get within 80 or 40 miles Of Be-
lot Strait, but thought it useless procesd-
ing further, as Icould not complete the
whoie.ss ~ A,ts @
Never in my former Arctic journeys,
had met with such an accumulation OF
obstacles. Fogs, storms, rough ice, and
deep snow we had to fight against. On
one occasion we were At days unable 10