Journeys of Dr. John Rae  

John Rae, M.D., L.L.D., F.R.S, F.R.G.S,/ Arctic Explorer/ Intrepid discoverer of the fate of Sir John Franklin's last expedition / Born 1813-died 1893 / Arctic Expeditions: 1846-7, 1848-9, 1851-2; 1853-4. Rae spent eight summers and four winters above the Arctic circle. Rae is arguably the world's most accomplished Arctic explorer. Read why here:

Born September 30, 1813, in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, the  fourth boy of six children. Rae owned two boats and a flintlock rifle before reaching adolescence. He earned a doctorate in surgery from Edinburgh University at age 19 years.

Rea's father, John (Jock) is recruiter for HBC in Stromness, Orkney
Arrived in Orkney from Lanarcshire (south of Glasgow)
Rae Senior controlled over 300 tenant farmers
In 1814, Sir Walter Scott visited the Reas in Orkney p.13

After Scotland annexed Orkney in 1472, Orcadians made up 60% of Hudson's Bay Company workers totaling over 600 souls. p.11

1833, two months after graduating, Rae sails aboard the  Prince of Wales in  company with the Prince Rupert (both 400 ton sailing ships) from Stromness to Moose Factory p.3-5

Moose Factory is on an island in the Moose River as it empties into James Bay;
Moose Factory was established in 1673 and destroyed by the French in 1686. It remained the Company's chief trading post in Rupert's Land. In 1833 Moose Factory  is 30 day's travel to Montreal. Upon the Prince of Wales' arrival, Moose Factory is too crowded so Rae spends the first winter on Charlton Island with 30 others p.9

Rae regularly attends Sunday church services.

The men wintered in drafty cabins and ran out of lemon juice; thus, teaching Rae to recognize scurvy and its consequences his first year in Rupert's Land. Captain Terry and one other die that first winter p.17

June 1834, ice clears and Rae paddles his birch-bark canoe 90 miles around Charleton Island.

In July '34, Prince of Wales sails to Moose Factory

Company Profile:

HBC grant by Charles II "all lands and rivers draining into Hudson's Bay" included Labrador to the Rockies and parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. ontrolled tIndian Nations : Cree, Ojibwa and Assinaboine; also, their enemies, the Dakota, Blackfoot numerous tribes in the South West; i.e., tNew Caledonia, [nt-day] Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Before Rea's second year is up, Sir George Simpson sends letters requesting Rae be hired on as Surgeon and Company Clerk for an additional five years.Sir George Simpson visits Min 1836, 37, 39 & 1843

Simpson tests Rea's competitiveness by staging a boat race in which Rae wins using his York boat, Brenda. York boats are 40' long, 6' wide and can carry up to six ton. It takes between four and ten men to handle one. Their construction is based on an ancient Orkney Island design and proved superior in the north to French voyeurs, canoes. 

Simpson is convinced Rae can 'out' any man in the north. Simpson impresses upon Rae that hence forth the "Holy Grail" for the Company is finding the North West Passage

In 1839, Dease & Thomas Simpson, failed to discover a navigable route through the labyrinth of islands

Rae spends ten years at Moose Factory as surgeon and clerk. earns a reputation as being too lenient with servants as expressed in Christmas debaucheries in Bachelor's Hall and it is reported Rae prefers the company of Natives to that of Europeans. He uses Bachelor's Hall facility for astronomical observations. p.23

Rea's tenure here sets the stage for him becoming arguably the Arctic's greatest explorer. map on page 20 At Moose Rea does amputations from frostbite and accidental explosions from gunpowder. He learns what not to do from the Native Inuit; Rae learns survival skills. He reports Inuit carrying over 900 pounds on their backs.

Rae is an abstainer from alcohol

1843 September, from Moose Factory to Hamilton to Lachine; Rea's visits his brothers, Richard & Thomas, who work for the Company in Hamilton. Rae visits Sir George Simpson at Lachine spends Christmas of 1843 at the leaders mansion; both men make plans for Arctic explorations to come; the plans in part include east-west expeditions.

Sir George Simpson was born a bastard in Inverness and married his 17 year-old niece after taking numerous country wives. Simpson oversaw the building of Fort Garry in 1836  and it is the site of the  infamous Louis Riel uprising of 1870.

1844, Rae returns the 700 miles to Moose by snowshoe where he's put in charge; he is known as not a frugal manager.

Rae formulates a plan to explore the northern regions - p.43

1844 August, Moose to Red River via Lake Superior & land. Here, Rae discovers the Red River Cart, allowing transport of heavy loads.

1845 January, Red River to Sault St. Marie, 1200 mi with John Corrigall, 100 miles North of Lake Nipigon, by compass; during this trip Rae gained two [2] pound while Corrigall lost 22!

1845 March, RSalt St. Marie to Hamilton to learn sextant, visits George Simpson at Lachine [Montreal] where he learns to use the sextant from Capt. J. H. Lefroy in Toronto.

1845 May, Lachine to Sault St. Marie arrives end July

1845 August 5, Sault St. Marie to Norway House, via Red River Rae changes to York boats passes HBC clerk, Robert Ballantyne on Lake Winnipeg, September 7th. He hires seven good men at Norway House, then on to York Factory, up the Nelson and down Hayes River arriving, October 8, 1845 in a howling gale. Ballantyne reports this chance encounter on Lake Winnipeg in his memoirs. This is worth mentioning these ordinary circumstances were worthy of note by such an experienced northern traveller as Ballantyne.

Rae sees Halkett boats (rubber inflatibles) being built for his use

Winters at York Factory p.56

Rae departs York Factory to a seven-gun salute June 12th 1846 and sail to Churchill arriving June 27.

1846 July 5-24, Churchill to Repulse Bay by York Boat with 12 men and two Inuit p.57 Rae builds his first stone house the remnants of which remain to this day. Also, he builds his first igloo upon realizing its benefits - p.65  Rae spends much time in bed reading Shakespeare to keep warm!

1846 July 26, he hires 4 Inuit to haul one York boat across Rea Isthmus p.59

1846 August, Returns to Repulse Bay p.62

1847 April 5, Repulse Bay to Committee Bay by sledge p.68 using iced runners on sledges -- like the Inuit; he then returns to Repulse Bay; one can see why Rae Isthmus is so named!

1847, Up the shoreline of Committee Bay over to Pelly Bay and up a hilltop to view the Isthmus of Boothia Peninsula p.70

1847 April 20, records a " . . . ludicrous march, Repulse Bay, April 24,1847.p.70

1847 Western shore of Simpson Peninsula then West coast of Melville Penn May 16, travels 10:00p.m. to 6:00a.m. - pp.72-73

Rae names Simpson Peninsula & Pelly Bay

1847 Cape Cozier [Rae's farthest north] & Cape Alice, 25mi south of Englefield, Rae observed no North West Passage [NWP] in this area p.74 He maps 655 miles of uncharted coastline, May 28, they head back to Repulse Bay p.75

1847 August 12, heads south by boat from Repulse Bay to Fort Churchill, August 26 and arrives at York Factory, September 6 p.76

1847 September 24th, Sails to London after 14 years in the wilds p.78

This page was last updated on 07/05/02.