92 



COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE AND SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION, &c. 



[1854 



From the head of Pelly Bay, — which is a bay spite of Sir II. Beaufort's 

 opinion to the contrary. — I cros.sed IJO miles of land in a westerly 

 direction, traced the west shore from Castor and Pollux River to Cape 

 Porter of Sir .Tallies Ross, and I coiild hare got within 30 or 40 miles 

 of Bellot Strait, but I thought it useless proceeding further as I could 

 not complete the whole. 



Never in my former Arctic journeys had I met with such an accu- 

 mulation of obstacles. Fogs, storms, rough ice, and deep snow we 

 had to fight against. On one occasion we were 4J days unable to get 

 a glimpse of the sun, or even to make out his position in the heavens. 

 This, on a level coast, where the compass was of little or no use, was 

 perplexing in the extreme. 



The weather was much finer on our return journey than when 

 outwards bound, and our loads being lighter, our days' marches were 

 nearly double the distance, and we arrived at Repulse Bay on the 26th 

 May, without accident, except in one instance, in which one of the 

 party lost a toe from a frost bite. 



The commencement of spring was very fine, but .June and July were 

 colder. We were unable to get out of the bay until the 6th of August. 



Our progress along the coast as far as Cape Fullerton, was much 

 impeded by ice ; but on getting to the southward of the cape we had 

 clear water, and saw no ice afterwards. 



The conduct of the men, I am happy to say, was, generally speaking, 

 good : and we had not a single case of sickness all the time of our 

 absence. 



Being anixous to send this to Bed River by the first boats, I write 

 in haste and briefly, but shall have the pleasure of sending a more 

 (letailed account by some future opportunity. 



With the utmost respect, 

 I have the honoui- to be, 



Your very obedient servant, 



JOHN RAE. 



LIST ENCLOSED IN DR. RAE'S LETTER. 



No. 1. — Head of (apparently) a Walrus or Sea-horse, with dragon's 



wings. 

 No. 2 — A Griffin, with wings and forked tongue and tail. 

 No. 3 — A Griffin's head with wings. 

 No. 4 — A Dove with olive branch in its bill, surrronded by a scroll, 



with the motto, Spero meliora. 

 No. 5 — A. Fish's Head, with (apparently) coral branches on either 



side. 



List of Articles purchased from the Esquimaux, said to have been 

 found to the West, or rather N. W. of Back's River, at the 

 place where the party of men starved to death in Spring, 18-50. 



1 silver table fork. Crest No. 2 



3 do. do. do. " " 1 



1 do. do. spoon, " " g 



1 do. do. motto Spero meliora " "4 



1 do. do. fork, do. " " 5 



1 do. dessert do. " " 5 



1 do. table spoon, do. " "5 



1 do. tea do. do. " " 5 ' 

 1 do. table fork, with intitials " H.D.S.G." 

 1 do. do. do. " A. McD." 

 1 do. do. do. " G.A.M." 

 1 do. do. do. " J.F." 

 1 do. do. do. " J.P.B." or " J.S.B." 

 1 small silver plate (engraved) " Sir John Fr.anklin, K.C.B." 



A Star with motto, " Kec Aspera Terrent" on one side, and on the 

 reverse " G. R. MDCCCXV." 



Also, a number of other things of minor importance, as they have 

 no particular marks by which they could be recognised, but which 

 along with those above named, shall be handed over to the Secretary 

 of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company. 



C'onunci'cial Enterprise and Scieutilic Ii^-restigaSioxt* 



Professor Airy, the astronomer Roj-al, has recently jniblishcd a letter 

 in wliicli the [jowcr and capabilities of private companies are strikingly 

 contrasted with tlie efforts of government in scientific investigations and 

 great commercial projects. Among other interesting illustrations he 

 gives an account of former and recent attempts to determine the dif- 

 ference of longitude between the observatoiies of Paris .and Greenwich. 

 As the details have already been published there is no need to repeat 

 them. It may be snflicient to observe that the determination of the 

 difference of the longtitude between two places is a process which has, 

 up to the present time, demanded the exercise of the most profound 

 mathematical knowledge, great mechanical aptitude, and very extensive 

 pecuniary resources. It was supposed to be matter more peculiarly 

 the business of Govei'nments than of private individuals, and Govern- 

 ments have nndert.aken it in full consciousness of their superior capa- 

 bilities. The national authorities of England and Fr.ance took the 

 matter in hand in the year 1787, and endeavoui-ed to attain their object 

 by the expensive means of an accurate survey in both countries. 

 The result of their labors so little satisfied scientific men that, in the 

 words of Professor Airy, "it was thought desirable to take the earliest 

 opportunity of verifying the result by an operation of a different 

 kind." 



In 1825, the Governments of the two nations again made an attempt 

 in the same direction. Sir. John Herschel and Captain Sabine, as- 

 sisted by other scientific persons, were appointed by the English Gov- 

 ernment ; and a body of distinguished engineer officers undertook the 

 duty in France. In spite of these apparently efficient preparations, 

 the costly experiment failed. Other attempts have been made, but 

 with similar results. 



At length the submarine telegraph was established, and the astrono- 

 mical authorities on both sides of the Channel applied to the company 

 for assistance in establishing a connection by galvanic telegi'aph be- 

 tween the Observatoiies of Greenwich and Paris. The permission was 

 granted, the company behaving in a most liberal manner. Several 

 thousand observations were made, and the success has been complete. 

 It may be sufficient to show the superiority of the method afforded by 

 the use of the electric telegraph ; Prof. Airy states that one single ob- 

 servation made by the telegraph gives a more accui'ate result than can 

 be deduced from the whole mass of observations in the attempt made 

 in 182.5 to determine the difference of longitude by signals. " The 

 former determination is now," s.aysthe Professor, " shown to be eron- 

 eous by almost a second of time (a large quantity in astronomy), and 

 this correction is nearly certain to its hundi-edth part. For this gain of 

 accuracy, this veritable advance of science, we are indebted in the first 

 instance to the power of commercial association." Professor Airy may 

 well congratulate the world on the growing tendency towards a closer 

 union between commerce and science. Here is a most important 

 scientific result achieved by the means of the resoiu'ces of a company 

 which never proposed to itself any such end. The Electric Telegraph 

 Company was a purely commercial speculation. There was no inten- 

 tion certainly of employing it to determine the difference of longitude. 

 Nevertheless, while carrying on international intercourse, it solves a 

 phUosphical problem which has baffled mighty states as a mere matter 

 of by-law. It makes no display. It tnimpets forth no grand prepa- 

 rations. The oper.ations of the astronomers caused no interruption of 

 its wonderful activity. It throws off the solution of a great astrono- 

 mical difficulty as carelessly as if nothing wonderful were to be achiev- 

 ed, and receives the thanks of the scientific men as a matter of course. 

 If any one would msh to have a convincing proof that the future des- 

 tinies of the world will depend, not on individual wills, but in the 

 united agencies of the multitudes, he may have it, as the Mining Jour- 

 nal says, in Professor Aii-y's letter. 



Repulse Bay, July. 1854. 



JOHN RAE, C. F. 



T!ie CauatSiaii Steam Navigation Company's IVe^v Iron SerciT=_ 

 Propeller Steam- Vessel " Cauadiau.'9 



Built by Messrs. William Denny and Brothers, iron ship-builders, 

 Dumbarton ; machinery by Messrs. TuUoch and Denny, engineers, 

 Dumbarton ; 1854. 



Dimensions. Ft. Tenths. 



Length on Deck 277 2 



Breadth at two-fifths of middle depth 35 



Depth of hold amidships 80 



Tonnatre. Tons. 



Hull ". 1764 59-100 



Engine-room and shaft space 719 40-100 



Register .^ 1045 19-100 



