Narrative of an Expedition to the Shores of the Arctic Sea in 1846 and 1847-John Rae

details.As we sailed along shore to the westward, the land gradually became more high and rocky, and there were many ridges of stones lying off several miles from the beach, among which we had some trouble in threading our way, the navigation being rendered still more difficult by a thick fog.

We arrived at the mouth of Churchill River at 3 a.m. on the 27th, but as the tide was ebbing we could not stem the current, so that we did not reach the company's fort situated on the west bank of the river and about five miles up until half-past six, when I was most kindly welcomed by my friend Mr. Sinclair, chief trader, the gentleman in charge, who had not expected to see us so early.

My letter of instructions had not yet arrived, so that we took advantage of the delay thus occasioned to have the boats unloaded, some slight repairs effected, and the cargoes examined and dried.

I determined on leaving here some tobacco, salt, and one or two other articles that were not absolutely essential, supplying their place with pemmican and flour.

Some observations for the dip of the needle gave mean dip 84 degrees 47 minutes 3 seconds, the variation of the compass 12 degrees 29 minutes east, and the latitude of the establishment 58 degrees 44 minutes 12 seconds were found, and the mean time of 70 vertical vibrations of the needle in the magnetic meridian was 148 seconds.

The people of the fort were busy killing white whales, great numbers of which come up the river with the flood tide.

The mode of taking them is very simple.

A boat, having a harpooner both at bow and stern, sails out among the shoal, and being painted white, it does not alarm them.

They approach quite close, and are thus easily struck.

When harpooned, they do not run any great distance in one direction, but dart about much in the way that a trout does when hooked.

On the evening of the 4th July, the anxiously expected instructions arrived from Red River via York Factory.

The following is a copy of them.

Red River Settlement, 15th June 1846 Sir, you are aware that the grand object of the expedition which has been placed under your direction is to complete the geography of the northern shore of America by surveying the only section of the same that has not yet been traced, namely the deep bay as it is supposed to be stretching from the western extremity of the Straits of Fury and Heckla to the eastern limit of the discoveries of Messieurs Deese and Simpson.

2.

For this purpose, you will proceed from Churchill with the two boats and twelve men that have been selected for this arduous and important service, losing not a moment, at least on your outward voyage, and examining such part of the coast as has already been visited and explored.

In a word, you will reach, with as little loss of time as possible, the interesting scene of your exclusive labours.

3.

In prosecuting the survey in question, you will, as a matter of course, endeavour to ascertain as accurately as circumstances may permit, without occasioning any serious delay, the latitudes and longitudes of all the most remarkable points within the range of your operations, and also the general bearing and extent of all the intermediate portions of the coast, embodying the whole at the same time in the form of a chart, or rather of the draft of a chart, from day to day.

4.

But in addition to this, your principal and essential task, you will devote as much of your attention as possible to various subordinate and incidental duties.

You will do your utmost, consistently with the success of your main object, to attend to botany and geology, to zoology in all its departments, to the temperature both of the air and of the water, to the conditions of the atmosphere and the state of the ice, to winds and currents, to the soundings as well with respect to bottom as with respect to depth, to the magnetic dip and the variation of the compass, to the aurora borealis and the refraction of light.

You will also, to the best of your opportunities, observe the ethnographical peculiarities of the Eskimo of the country, and in the event of your wintering within the Arctic Circle, you will be careful to notice any characteristic features or influences of the long night of the high latitudes in question.

These particulars, and such others as may suggest themselves to you on the spot, you will record fully and precisely in a journal, to be kept as far as practicable from day to day, collecting at the same time any new, curious, or interesting specimens in illustration of any of the foregoing heads.

5.

In order to provide against probable necessity of requiring two seasons for your operations, you will take with you all the provisions that your boats can carry, with such shooting, hunting, and fishing tackle as may enable you to husband your supplies.