396 DR JOHN RAE'S £:XPLOEATIONS~18^Q-4:7. 



CHAPTER II. 



DR JOHN BAe's explorations, 1846-47 — ARRIVAL AT REPULSE BAY NEW 



GROUND ENTERED UPON THE ISTHMUS CROSSED WINTER QUARTERS 



SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION OF THE EXPEDITION. 



Among the last letters written on board the " Erebus " at Disco, was one 

 from Sir John Franklin to his old comrade Lieutenant-Colonel Sabine, 

 stating that the expedition, which was expected to return, at latest, after 

 having been two winters among the ice, might be detained a year beyond 

 that time, and begging that friends in England might be prepared for that 

 contingency. The letter, dated 9th July 1845, informs Sabine that the 

 " Erebus " and " Terror " had provisions, fuel, clothing, and stores on board 

 for three years complete from that date, and concludes : " I hope my dear 

 wife and daughter will not be over-anxious if we should not return by the 

 time they have fixed upon ; and I must beg of you to give them the benefit 

 of your advice and experience when that time arrives, for you know well 

 that without success in our object, even after the second winter, we should 

 wish to try some other channel if the state of our provisions and the health 

 of the crews justify it." The completeness of the appointments of the 

 exploring ships, and the well-known determination of their commander, to 

 hold out to the last rather than return without accomplishing his object, for 

 some time held the anxiety of the public, with respect to the fate of the 

 expedition, in check ; and it was not till after the explorers had been away 

 three winters that the first of the long list of searching expeditions set out 

 from England. Meantime, however, the work of Arctic exploration was 

 again taken up with vigour, enthusiasm, and brilliant success, by the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company. 



It will be remembered that the directors of the Company had projected 

 an expedition for the purpose of tracing the north coast of America from 



the river Castor and Pollux — discovered by Dease and Simpson in 1839 to 



the strait of Fury and Hecla. The sole command of this enterprise, which 

 was to have been undertaken in 1840, was conferred upon Thomas Simpson 

 by official letter written in London in June 1840 ; but before that letter 



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