The Company decides to have 59 year-old sir John Franklin lead its final expedition to join the east-west links. He's given two ships: Erebus & Terror. Sir John was knighted after his failed expedition of 1819-22 in which he lost 11 of his 20 men.

1847 March 25, John Rae steams from London to New York with Sir John Richardson aboard Hibernia. April 10, they steam to Montreal, spends three days with George Simpson at Lachine and take the steamer to Sault St. Marie; then,  Sault St. Marie to Thunder Bay and on through Cumberland House to Methy Portage p.88

Sir John Richardson accompanied Sir John Franklin on his 1819-23 and 1833-35 expeditions. He was by this time a very experienced northern explorer.

1848 July 15, he travels via Methy Portage to Fort Chipewyan and on to Fort Resolution p.91 Here, Rae has misgivings about the men he receives from England, but he is reassured in the knowledge he has with him his most trusted guide: Albert One-Eye (who, incidentally, had both eyes).

After crossing Great Slave Lake, Rae, Richardson and 18 men start down Mackenzie River with three York boats and a Halkett (rubber inflatable). Rae stows provisions as he travels. He makes meticulous scientific notes for which he becomes well known. The group has a run-in with thieving Natives but they are run-off by gunfire. Here, again, Rae supplies his party with venison he shoots.

1848 August 3, arrives Arctic coast after travelling 40 miles per day. This is Rae's fastest journey by covering 3616 miles in 90 days [40mpd]. The end of August heralds the end of short Arctic summer. Rae decides to head south; he and his men only eat twice a day: breakfast and dinner.

They travel east to the Coppermine River via Tucktoyuktuk Peninsula, then to Cape Bathhurst, Cape Perry and Cape Lyon, (the latter, Rae made one of only a few of his surviving sketches pp.92-94

1848, September 1, Rae abandons the boats because everything is frozen; they travel overland to Fort Confidence via the Coppermine and Kendall Rivers. Rae River is named by Richardson p.95

Sir John Richardson leaves Fort Confidence but instructs Rae in company policy which now encompasses two fronts : Continue the Franklin Expedition searches and search for the North West Passage. There is, however, one policy taking precedent over the former two: Head south before the onset of winter!

1849, June 9th, Rae leaves Fort Confidence and drags his boats 30 miles to Kendall River to return to the Arctic coast. Rae finds the Coppermine River still frozen and waits one week. By mid-July, he descends the Coppermine carefully navigating Bloody Falls (so named by Samuel Hearnes in 1771 after the massacre by his Chipawyan companions of 22 Inuit natives). From the mouth of the Coppermine, Rae travels 30 miles up the Rae River then backtracks and carries on to Cape Kendall and Cape Krusenstern, arriving July 30, 1849 p.105

August 19, the party crosses the Dolphin & Union Strait and heads north for Victoria Island (then called Wollaston Land). Here, they rowed for ten hours in ice & fog until turned back by severe weather -- they nearly all perished. They return to Coppermine River where the plan is to dragline heavy boats up river to save a strenuous portage; a line breaks and the York boat starts downstream. Albert One-Eye misunderstands Rea's command and jumps into the boat. It capsized in a whirlpool and Rae loses his best friend and only person to perish under his command. This loss of life haunts Rae for the remainder of his days. The party eventually arrives back at Fort Confidence.

Two days later, Rae leaves for Fort Simpson on the McKenzie River by York boat, arriving September 12, 1849; here, Rae spends a miserable winter at Fort Simpson. Again, he requests leave to return to England.

May 15, 1850, journey is made by boat from Fort Simpson to Mackenzie Delta; then, back to Fort Simpson by June 10. During this trip, Rae hears a horrific story about cannibalism among Europeans and naming some company men as alleged perpetrators. The gruesome story in part relates how after entering a man's shelter, human remains - hands - were seen in a cooking pot on the stove. Rae's personal notes make reference to a dereliction of duty on the part of a Company manager, but more about this later.

While at Fort Simpson, Rae receives two letters: one from Sir George Simpson and the other, from Lady Franklin; Simpson wants Rae to return to the North. Rae is mortified. Lady Franklin writes salutary comments to soften Rae up to accept the challenge at hand -- that of searching for her husband. Everyone from the Admiralty on down, know Rae is their best hope of finding any knowledge of Franklin's Expedition. Rae's response is: "Why didn't Franklin just stay home?" Franklin had now been missing five years. p.114

Rae goes up-river to Fort Resolution on Great Slave Lake. While Rae awaits supplies from Red River, he formulates a brilliant Franklin search plan and sends it to Sir George Simpson. In the same mail pouch, Rae gives Sir George Simpson an ultimatum regarding his leave to England. Sir George's response is to promote Rae to Chief Factor. - p.120 

Rea travels north to Fort Confidence August 10, 1850, and spends the winter here on Great Bear Lake where he receives a copy of first published book: Arctic Narrative. Over this winter, the temperature dips to minus 72 degrees F., on January 21, 1851. By March, it's a balmy, plus 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

April 25, 1851, Rae leaves Fort Confidence via Cape Kendall to the Arctic and ictoria Island. pp.129-130 This is Rae's most ambitious undertaking in the Arctic: 2700 pounds of supplies on three  dog-sledges. The party uses sledge dogs Inuit fan-style and by now, Rae only wears Inuit clothing. Rae continues his practice of sending small parties ahead caching supplies at Provision Stations. Because of snowblindness, Rae travels only at night. They cross Coronation Gulf to Wollaston Peninsula (Victoria Island), to Point Lockyer, then across Dolphin & Union Strait by way of Douglas Island; here, they head back east, past Cape Lady Franklin and names Richardson Island on the way. Rae names Simpson Bay & Cape Hamilton.

May 10, 1851, Rae goes further than Dease & Simpson reached in 1839 from the east; on this date the temperature is recorded at minus 20 degree F. p.133 They then head west man-dragging 35lb sledges. Next, it's north to Prince Albert Sound. By May 23rd, a spring thaw threatens to trap the boatless men on the wrong side of Dolphin & Union Strait; Rae sends bulk of his party back south. He continues north with one man -- Linklater -- naming Cape Back (after George Back who in 1821, saved Richardson & Franklin from certain starvation). From this vantage point, Rae can see Cape Back across Prince Albert Sound. He records the wonder of the aurora borealis and an enormous rainbow across the northern sky. Rae, carries only a compass, sextant and musket for protection against wolves and bears. Unknown to Rae is that Robert McClure -- ten days before (May 14, 1851) -- was just 40 miles away across the strait while icebound in H.M.S. Investigator. p.135

May 24th, 1851, Rae & Linklater head south to join the rest of their party before starting the trek back to Cape Kendall. On the way, they meet a large group of Inuit, but no word of seeing any Europeans. June 4th, they reach Richardson Bay and their stash of provisions. Reflecting on this winter's journey, Rae wrote in his notes this was perhaps -- at 942 statute miles -- the longest single journey ever recorded in Arctic exploration. p.137 

Rae has specimens of wildlife sent back to England. Rae writes Sir George Simpson about applying to the Royal Geographical Society for their 10,000 pound reward money and he again asks for leave to return home. Then it is back up the Coppermine River to Fort Confidence p.138