480 THE FRANKLIN SEARCH— 1%48-bl. 



CHAPTEE VII. 



kae's expedition in 1849 — sir james ross's expedition, 1848-50 — 

 auxiliary voyage of the "north star." 



It will be remembered that Eichardson, on his return from the Arctic 

 shores in the autumn of 1848, was obliged to leave his boats within Eskimo 

 territory, at the mouth of the Coppermine. Had he been able to drag his 

 boats up the river, to a spot in which he might have securely hidden them, 

 he would have resumed the search for Franklin in the following year, with 

 the whole strength of his party. As it was, only one boat was now avail- 

 able for service, and it was therefore the duty of the leader of the expedi- 

 tion, to decide whether he or Eae should take charge of that boat, and of 

 the few men she could accommodate, on a second expedition to the Arctic 

 shores. Sir John Richardson decided upon giving the charge to Dr Eae. 

 The elder explorer accordingly instructed the latter to descend the Copper- 

 mine, as soon as the sea should open in July, to explore Dolphin and Union 

 Strait, and the shores of WoUaston and Victoria Lands, in search of Sir 

 John Franklin and his party. 



The outline of this supplementary expedition, of which Dr Eae himself 

 gives a detailed accoimt, in his despatch to the Secretary of the Admiralty, 

 dated from Fort Confidence, September 1st, 1849, must not detain us long. 

 Starting from Fort Confidence on the 9th June, with a crew of six men, 

 Eae ascended Dease Eiver ; but from the quantity of ice with which the 

 river courses were hampered, his progress was very slow. On the 21st he 

 arrived at the station on the banks of the Kendall Eiver, to which he had 

 caused provisions for the sea-voyage to be conveyed in the spring of the 

 year. Next day he reached the Coppermine, but, finding it covered with 

 ice, he was obliged to remain on its bank five days, which were employed in 

 shooting deer to save the pemmican, in repairing the boat, etc. He did not 

 reach the sea till the 14th July. Camping on the north shore of Eichard- 

 son Bay (lat. 67° 51'), he was visited by seven Eskimos, among whom he 

 recognised the man who, last season,, had ferried Eichardson's party across 

 the river, at the hiead of Back's Inlet. These visitors stated that they had 

 communicated during the winter with the natives of WoUaston Land, and 



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