470 DR. RAE'S DISCOVERY. 



ernor of the Hudson's Bay Company, giving an account 

 of the exploration from which he had just returned. 

 From this letter, which was dated York Factory, 4th 

 August, 1854, it appeared that Rae reached his old 

 quarters, at Repulse Bay, on the 15th of August, 18f'3, 

 and there passed the ensuing winter. On the 31st of 

 March, 1854, his spring journey commenced. On the 

 17th he reached Pelly Bay, where he met Esquimaux, 

 from whom he obtained several articles which were 

 identified as belonging to various members of Sir John 

 Franklin's party. 



The possession of these articles by the Esquimaux 

 was accounted for by a story which is related in the 

 following extract from Dr. Rae's journal, published soon 

 after his arrival in England : "On the morning of the 

 20th we were met by a very intelligent Esquimaux, 

 driving a dog-sledge laden with musk-ox beef. This 

 man at once consented to accompany us two days' 

 journey, and in a few minutes had deposited his load 

 on the snow, and was ready to join us. Having ex- 

 plained to him my object, he said that the road by 

 which he had come was the best for us ; and, having 

 lightened the men's sledges, we travelled with more 

 facility. We were now joined by another of the natives, 

 who had been absent seal-hunting yesterday, but, being 

 anxious to see us, had visited our snow-house early this 

 morning, and then followed up our track. This man 

 was very communicative, and, on putting to him the 

 usual questions as to his having seen ' white man ' be- 

 fore, or any ships or boats, he replied in the negative ; 

 but said that a party of ' Kabloomans ' had died of 

 starvation a long distance to the west of where we then 

 were, and beyond a large river. He stated that he did 

 not know the exact place, that he never had been there, 

 and that he could not accompany us so far. The sub- 



