E-text prepared by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org). The maps were scanned by the University of Manitoba Libraries (http://umanitoba.ca/libraries) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 39917-h.htm or 39917-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/39917/pg39917-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/39917/39917-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://archive.org/details/cihm_39502 Transcriber's note: A single character following a carat is superscripted (example: ESQ^R). When multiple characters are superscripted they are enclosed by curly brackets (example: Hon^{ble}). NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TO THE SHORES OF THE ARCTIC SEA IN 1846 AND 1847. by JOHN RAE, Hudson Bay Company's Service, Commander of the Expedition. With Maps. London: T. & W. Boone, 29, New Bond Street. 1850. Marchant Singer and Co., Printers, Ingram-Court, Fenchurch-Street. TO SIR GEORGE SIMPSON, _Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land_, THE ZEALOUS PROMOTER OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY, THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED AS A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT AND REGARD BY THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I. Object and plan of the Expedition--Equipment at York Factory--Boats--Crews--Articles useful in an Arctic Voyage--Breaking up of the ice in Hayes and Nelson Rivers--Departure from York Factory--Progress retarded by the ice--First night at sea--Reflections--Rupert's Creek--Unbroken fields of ice--Broad River--Description of the Coast--Double Cape Churchill--Open sea to the north and north-west--Arrive at Churchill--White whales--Mode of catching them--Sir George Simpson's instructions--Stock of provisions 1 CHAPTER II. Depart from Churchill--A gale--Anchor in Knap's Bay--Land on an island--Esquimaux graves--Visited by Esquimaux--A large river running into Knap's Bay--Nevill's Bay--Corbet's Inlet--Rankin's Inlet--Cape Jalabert--Greenland whales seen--Chesterfield Inlet--Walruses--Cape Fullerton--Visited by an Esquimaux--Reefs--Cape Kendall seen--Ice packed against the shore--Take shelter in an excellent harbour--River traced--Seals--Gale--Ice driven off--Direction of the tides reversed--Whale Point--Many whales seen--Again stopped by the pack--Wager River estuary--Ice drifts--Eddy currents--No second opening into Wager River seen--Enter Repulse Bay--Interview with Esquimaux--No intelligence of Sir John Franklin 19 CHAPTER III.