Original Members 25 



of Natural Philosophy in 1843. He quickly proved himself not less 

 stimulating as a teacher than zealous as a student, devoting himself 

 especially to higher geometry and to electrical physics. He was 

 also very helpful to the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy. But 

 overwork told upon his health, and in October, 1847, he put an end 

 to his life, while temporarily insane, thus being the most short-lived 

 of the original members of the Philosophical Club. 



SIR JOHN RICHARDSON, the distinguished Arctic explorer, was 

 born in Dumfries, where his father was a prominent citizen, on 

 Nov. 5th, 1787. He entered Edinburgh University as a student of 

 medicine, and after qualifying as M.R.C.S. was appointed in February, 

 1807, to be assistant-surgeon on a frigate. After being present at 

 the bombardment of Copenhagen, he continued on active service 

 till 1815, when he retired on half -pay, and returned to Edinburgh to 

 study natural science and take the degree of M.D. in the following 

 year. But in 1819 be was appointed surgeon and naturalist to 

 Franklin's polar expedition. It wintered at Cumberland House on 

 the Saskatchewan River, and after travelling 1350 miles spent the 

 next whiter at Fort Enterprise. Then a canoe voyage down the 

 Coppermine River took them to the coast, when they explored parts 

 of Bathurst Inlet and Melville Sound. After being reduced to great 

 straits, the expedition, by the help of Indians, reached Fort York in 

 the following June, and returned to England in October, 1822, after 

 having travelled 5550 miles. Richardson wrote the scientific part 

 of the Narrative, and afterwards described the birds and mammals 

 collected by Parry on his second voyage, 1821-3. In 1825 he accom- 

 panied Franklin on his second expedition to the mouth of the Mac- 

 kenzie River, when he explored with a separate party 900 miles of 

 coast between the mouth of that and the Coppermine River. Then 

 he made a voyage round the Great Slave Lake, and ultimately met 

 Franklin at Cumberland House in June, 1827, returning to England 

 in the following September, after which he worked out and published 

 the scientific results of the expedition. In 1838 he was appointed 

 physician to the Haslar Royal Hospital, and two years later Super- 

 visor of Hospitals. But in 1848 he was chosen to conduct a 

 search expedition for Franklin, and reached the estuary of the 

 Mackenzie River by way of Cumberland House, after leaving Liver- 

 pool on March 25th. Early in September ice floes obliged him to 

 abandon his boats near Cape Kendall. After wintering by the 

 Great Bear Lake, he left his second, John Rae, in command, having 

 kept, by his wise measures, the members of his expedition in excellent 

 health, and reached Liverpool on Nov. 6th, 1849, publishing the 

 results of his journey in 1851. He retired after forty-eight years* 

 service in 1855 and resided generally at a house near Grasmere, 

 where he accomplished much literary and scientific work and helped 

 his poorer neighbours with his medical knowledge, dying there on 



