A survey of the Phytogeography of the Arctic American Arcliipelago 
13 
crosscountry voyage. From the mouth of the river they followed the same route 
to the eastward as Franklin had once taken, but as they were utuible to reach 
his farthest, Cape Tuniagam, in the boats, Simpson once more adopted his method 
of travelling over land and thus was able to extend tlie exploration fartlier. He 
passed Franklin's farthest and discovered a wide stretch of coast to the north 
which he nanied Victoria Land, but was imable to reacli without boats. He pro- 
ceeded farther eastward along the shore of a wide expanse of sea, but tho season 
was too far advanced for reachiiig the mouth of Backs River as he had wished. 
Dease and Simpson, however, did not abandon the thought ol:" connecting their 
discoveries with those of Back and Ross, and after one more winter in the Arctic 
Regions they not only pushed forward to Backs River but also to the north, where 
they followed the shore of Boothia as they thought, in fact however that of King 
Williams Land. After a visit to Victoria Land the successful exi)lorers returued 
southwards. As for the botanical work exeeuted under these voyages it sccms 
principally to have beeu due to Dease, as may be jndged from some expressions 
in the narrative of Simpson; only in a single instance the author gives nn account 
of a few plants found at a point visited during a boatjourney. At Kew there are, 
however, a good many specimens from the expedition, and Hooker bas in an 
appendix to Simpson'8 book given lists of plants collected along different i)arts of 
their route, all as it seems from the Continent. 
After his return Simpson immediately planned another expedition for tlie 
completion of the exploration of the arctic coast of America, and he was about to 
start on this enter[)rise when he fell for the murderou.s hands of some canadian 
halfbreeds. Thus the further exploration of these regions was abandoned for some 
years, and probably this lias in part been the eause of tlu^ disastei- tliat l)efel] the 
next great naval expedition, the noble Sir John iMiANKr.iN uiid all his gallant com- 
panions. How much that illfated expedition liad been jiMc to eollcct of niiiterials 
for the knowledge of Arctic America lu^^cm^ \\< brenis-down ;in.l the dcntli nf its 
members, we shall nevcr kiiow. (■(•rtiiiiilv, liowc\cr, valuabh' lM,t;iiiic;il i0\('< nnd 
south af King Williams Land, afier having l)ecn driven by the ice clown to the 
coast where Dease and Simpson liad made their discoveries, tlius drifting over the 
last hitherto unknown part of the sought-for passage. 
After the death of Simpson the Hud.son P>ay Company entrusted furtlier ex- 
l>lorations along the north coast to a man who was destined låter to take a promi- 
nent part in the search for the missing Fka xKLiN-expedition, Dr. John Rae. 
Already in his first voyage along the northwestern shores of Hudson Bay and west- 
war.l Uv had amplc opportimities to show the energy and rc-onrccruliiH- for which 
lic was to he known during the search. lu this tirst jouriifx he followed the coast 
from Fort Churchili northward to Repulse Bay and. (•ii)><iim' ov< r land '^outh of the 
Melville Peninsula, examiued both .ide^ of Coinmitt..- Hav. tlm^ m.ipniii- ihe la^t 
larger part of the continental coasl that had hitherto l,een unkiioun !h< uanatixe 
