﻿1847. Hudson's bay ships. 35 



annually from the Thames on the first Saturday 

 in June, and, after touching at the Orkneys, to 

 receive labourers for the Company's service, pro- 

 ceed on their voyage to Hudson's Straits. The 

 York Factory ship has dropped her anchor at the 

 mouth of Hayes River as early as the 5th of August, 

 and as late as the beginning of September. A tardy 

 arrival is very inconvenient, both in respect of 

 forwarding goods into the interior, and also with 

 regard to the return of the ship to England, there 

 being in such a case scarcely time for the em- 

 barkation of the cargo of furs and the passage of 

 Hudson's Straits before the winter sets in. 



This brief notice of the modes of communication 

 with Rupert's Land — for so the possessions of the 

 Hudson's Bay Company are named — is given, to 

 explain some parts of the plan of the expedition, 

 and particularly to show why the stores and men 

 were sent out by ships which sailed in June 1847, 

 although the expediency of searching expeditions 

 was not considered by the Admiralty to be esta- 

 blished until the last of the whalers came in at the 

 close of that season, without bringing tidings of the 

 discovery ships. It was arranged that in that case, 

 the officers were to leave England early in 1849, 

 and, travelling as rapidly as they could through 

 the United States and Canada, were to overtake 



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