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 To Apu 
 
 ^-«--f <a^ 
 
 
 SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
i 
 
 tOKDOjr: PRIKTID BT 
 
 SPOTTistroons and co., mkw-htkket eQrARB 
 
 AND PABUAMBirT BTRKBT 
 
 I 
 
« 
 
 .1 
 
 I 
 
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 I 
 
.1 
 
 I! Artlrti-ii 
 
 ^<^ 
 
 Umduii LorigBiajis SrC" 
 
I 
 
 1 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 Sm JOHN RICHARDSON, 
 
 (Mi., U..V., F.U.S. LoM».. Hon. F.Il.S. Edin. ; 
 INSPECTOU OF NAVAL HOSl'ITALS AND FLEETS; 
 
 \c. &n:. ji:c. 
 
 IIV 
 
 THE REV. JOHN McILRAITH 
 
 MIXISTKIl OK TllK KXUUSH IlEKOKUED CllfHCII, 
 AMhTKUUAM. 
 
 'Tht evenness and l)oaiity of a strong and wcll-dofined nature, 
 jjerfectly governed and l)alanood, i^ a»K)nt the last thin;/ one u 
 likely to mett with In one's researches into life.'— H. U. otowk. 
 
 / 
 
 LOJJDON : 
 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 
 
 1868. 
 
M 
 
 ^I Lp^AiTH. J 
 
 ) 
 
 PRINTfcO IN QRLAT kiKjiAIN 
 
 hi 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Sin John Richardson has long been known as a most 
 intrepid explorer of the Arctic Regions, whose writ- 
 ings have largely cQntributed to the knowledge of 
 the Physical Geography, Flora, and Faiiua of British 
 North America. To those who knew him intimately, 
 he wjus endeared by his high sense of honour, manly 
 courage, loving unselfish nature, and sincere yet 
 unostentatious piety. 
 
 In the belief that it can scarcely fail to be useful, 
 as well as interesting, the record of his life has been 
 compiled, and is now offered to the public. 
 
 My sincere thanks are due to Dr. J. E. Gray, of 
 the British Museum, Dr. Dalton Hooker, of Kew, 
 and many other friends of Sir John Richardson, from 
 whose contributions extracts appear in the course 
 of the work. I am especially indebted to Lady 
 Richardson for much valuable material and assist- 
 ance ; also to Mr. Carruthers, of Charlesfield, Annan, 
 who kindly placed at my disposal a large number of 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 \ 
 
 letters and journals necessary in constructing the 
 narrative. And tliou|ifh many of tlie letters could 
 not be used, as referring either to family affairs or 
 to matters of no public interest, yet they have 
 enabled me to appreciate more fully the nobleness 
 of his character. In a correspondence extending 
 over upwards of sixty years, there does not occur 
 an unkind sentence regarding a human being. 
 
 i 
 
 A MtiTiuiDAM : March ISQS. 
 
 il 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Eivrlv voars— (1787-1807) 
 
 PAOE 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Pjiss<'S his examination — AHsistant-surgPon on board the 
 'Nympht'—^ 1807-1808) . . . . .7 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Arting-surgeon of the ' Horcule,' 74 — Surgeon of the 'Blossom ' 
 bloop-of-wur— (1808-1809) . . . . • *.'(i 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Surgeon of the ' Bomhay ' — Blockade of Toulon — Returns to 
 England— (1810-1812) ..... :Ui 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Surgeon of the 'Cruiser'— In the Baltie — At .Shefrncss - In 
 the north of .Scotland — The 'Cruiser' paid off — Study in 
 London — Appointed surgeon to the 1st battalion of lioyal 
 Marines— (18!'2~1814) . . . . . 4:} 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Sails for America — Bermuda — Canada — Halifax — Coast of 
 Georgia — Cumberland Island — Returns to England — (1814- 
 1815) . .... 
 
 51 
 
Vlll 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PAOB 
 
 At Edinburgh University — Doctor's degree — Begins to practise 
 as H physician — Marriage — Appointed surgeon and naturalist 
 to the first overland expedition to the Polar Sea — (1815- 
 lol9} • • • • I • • I 58 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Voyages of discovery to the Polar regions — Dr. Richardson in 
 London — Sails from Gravesend — Arrives at York Factory — 
 Spends the first winter at Cumberland House — (1819-1820) 62 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Journey to Forts Chipewyan, Providence, and Enterprise — 
 Winter residence at Fort Enterprise— (1820-1821) . . 75 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Voyage down the Coppermine River — The Arctic Sea — Eastward 
 — Point Turnagain — The retreat over the Barren Grounds — 
 Intense sufferings— No means of crossing the Coppermine — 
 Dr. Richardson attempts to swim the river — Overpowered 
 Ijy the cold — Volunteers to encamp with the weak of the party 
 —(1821) . . . . . . .86 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The encampment — Michel returns — Murder of Mr. Hood — Dr. 
 Richardson, John Hepburn, and Michel set out for Fort 
 Enterprise — Dr. Richardson necessitated to shoot Michel — 
 Reunion at the Fort — Fort Enterprise in ruins — (1821) . 93 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Fort Enterprise — Death of the Canadians Semandri and Peltier 
 — The whole party rapidly lose strength — Consolation from 
 religious services— Their mental powers become weak — The 
 Indians arrive with relief — Reach Slave Lake — Letter to Mrs. 
 Richardson— Proceed to York Fort — They arrive in England 
 —(1821-1822) ..... 108 
 
PAOB 
 
 )racti8e 
 turalist 
 (1815- 
 
 58 
 
 Ison in 
 ctory — 
 J-1820) 62 
 
 rprise — 
 
 75 
 
 Astvrard 
 ounds — 
 rmine — 
 powered 
 e party 
 
 86 
 
 )d— Dr. 
 )r Fort 
 [ichel — 
 
 ) • 93 
 
 Peltier 
 
 In from 
 
 t— The 
 
 Mrs. 
 
 igland 
 
 108 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 IX 
 
 -PAUB 
 
 Letter from Mr. Hocd's father — Dr. Richardson's reply — Prayer 
 of the Princess Elizabeth of France — Spends the winter in 
 London— Visits Dumfries— (1822-1823) . , .115 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Dr. Richardson's residence in Edinburgh — The zoological ap- 
 pendix to the narrative of Captain Parry's second voyage — 
 Friendships — Letter to his sister, Mrs. Carruthers — Appointed 
 surgeon to the division of 3Iarines at Chatham— (1823-1824) 120 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The second expedition sails from Liverpool — Received with 
 great kindness at New York — At Albany — Journey to Niagni 
 — Lake Ontario — Lake Huron — Arrival at Fort William — 
 Fort Chipewjan — Slave Lake — The Mackenzie River— Bear 
 Lake RiTer-Fort Franklin— (1825) . . .126 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The expedition at Penetanguishene, on Lake Huron — Tidings of 
 Mrs. Franklin's death — An early season— Manner of travel- 
 ling — Number of the party — The Mackenzie River — Winter 
 amusements at Fort Franklin — Dog-rib Indians — A wolf — 
 Birth of a child— Dinner on the occasion — A ball — (1825- 
 1826) ...... 
 
 137 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Preparations for the Summer excursions — They descend the 
 Mackenzie — Captain Franklin advances towaixls Icy Cape — 
 Dr. Richardson proceeds eastwards to the mouth of the Copper- 
 mine River — The parties return to Bear Lake — England — 
 (1826-1827) 
 
 lot) 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Duties at Chatham — Melville Hospital — Proposes another expe- 
 dition to North America — Death of Mrs. Richardson— Plan cf 
 search for Captain John Ross — The Government decides not 
 to send a searching party— (1827-1832) . . .165 
 

 m 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 P40K 
 
 Medical duties — Second marriage — John Franklin born — 
 Letter from Mrs. Opio to Mrs. Kiehardson — Letter to Captain 
 Beaufort on the North-west Passage — Captain Beaufort's 
 reply — Appointed physician to Ilaslar Hospital — Hospital 
 reforms — Inspector of hospitals — Mrs. Richardson's death — 
 (1832-1845) . . . . . . .173 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Dr. Richardson at Cambridge — Medical duties — Knighthood — 
 Hospital reform — Sir Edward Parry becomes Captain Super- 
 intendent — Fears for the safety of Sir John Franklin — Letter 
 to Sir Edward Parr}' — Letter to his mother — Third marriage 
 — Death of his mother — Dr. Rae — Letter to Mrs. Fletcher — 
 In London— Sails fi-om Liverpool— (1845-1848) . .184 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 The * Erebus ' and ' Terror ' — Sir John Richardson at New York 
 — Journey through Canada — Letter from Lake Erie — From 
 Lake Superior — From Lake Winnipeg — Cumberland House 
 — Letter from Methy Portage — On the Mackenzie River — 
 Early approach of winter — March to Bear Lake — Arrival — 
 Letters from Fort Confidence— Letter from Dr. Rae— (1848) 197 
 
 « 
 
 CHAPTER XXn. 
 
 At Fort Confidence — Winter employments — State of the Indians 
 — News from England — Dr. Rae appointed to continue the 
 search — The return journey — Arrival — Reception at Haslar 
 —(1848-1849) . . . . . .219 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Occupations — At Lancrigg — In Edinburgh — A party at Haslar 
 — Death of Edward — Retirement from Haslar — The Trosachs 
 — Death of Josephine — Receives one of the Royal medals — 
 Interview with Miss Nightingale — The Burns centenary — 
 Professor Huxley — Dr. Baikie — In London — In Dublin — In 
 Paris— Letter to Dr. Baikie— (1849-1862) . . .241 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XI 
 
 173 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 PAOB 
 
 The British Association at Cambridge— Journey to Italy — 
 In Rome — Rotum Home — At Newcastle —Winter readings 
 — Visit to Dumfries— Excursion to Dowalton Loch — Whit- 
 sunday— Sudden death— (1862-1865). . . .257 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Sorrow at his death — Letter from Lady Franklin — Letter from 
 Sir George Back — Letter from the Rev. W. B. Marriott 
 — Letter from Dr. Andrew Clarke — Political Views— Scientific 
 Labours— Conclusion— (1866) .... 266 
 
 184 
 
 219 
 
 241 
 
i 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 h 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EAELY TEARS. 
 1787-1807. 
 
 John Richaedson., son of Gabriel Richardson, 
 Esq., of Rosebank, in the parish of Dumfries, and 
 Anne Mundell, his wife, was bom at Nith Place, 
 Dumfries, on the 5th of November, 1 787. He was 
 the eldest of twelve children, of whom only the 
 eleventh survives. 
 
 Mr. Gabriel Richardson, who was descended from 
 an old and respectable family in Kirkpatrick Juxta, 
 had settled in Dumfries some years i^rior to his 
 marriage, and lived there to a good old age, uni- 
 versally respected for the rectitude of his public 
 and private life, and beloved for his benevolence 
 and kindly cheerfulness of disposition. He was a 
 justice of the peace for the county, and many years 
 chief magistrate of Dumfries. An old servant, 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN RICHABDSON. 
 
 1792 
 
 who is still living, says, ' The Provost was a good 
 friend to the poor, and never known to speak un- 
 kindly to any one.' His integrity and loving na- 
 ture not only made him influential in the town and 
 neighbourhood but impressed his children, espe- 
 cially John, with no ordinary feelings of reverence 
 and affection. 
 
 It is difficult to obtain information regarding a 
 boyhood spent so long ago, but the few facts which 
 have been gleaned are interesting. From his ear- 
 liest years, John Richardson was always ready to 
 do what he could for others, and carefully avoided 
 giving any one pain. He was a stout, self-reliant, 
 pleasant-looking boy, of a retiring nature. 
 
 Having made considerable progress in reading, 
 he was sent, at four years of age, to a preparatory 
 school. John owed much of his early training to 
 his mother, daughter of Mr. Peter Mundell, a 
 woman of vigorous understanding and clear judg- 
 ment, frugal, independent, and generous. From 
 her sons and daughters she exacted implicit obe- 
 dience, and taught them, by precept and example, 
 to love God and their neighbour. Her mother, 
 Mrs. Mundell, who lived at Rosebank, a delightful 
 country-house near the town, had also no small 
 influence in forming the character of her grandson. 
 
 The few last years of Scotland's poet, Bums, 
 were spent at Dumfries, and he was frequently a 
 guest at Mr. Gabriel Richardson's hospitable table, 
 the friendship then formed between the two fami- 
 
 u 
 
1792 
 
 1793 
 
 EAKLY TEARS. 
 
 r 
 
 lies continuing unbroken as long as Mrs. Burns 
 lived. From 1790 to 1796, the poet was in the 
 habit of spending a few hours, each Sunday even- 
 ing, in Nith Place, and among his admirers there 
 was none more ardent, from youth to old age, than 
 he who as a little boy attracted his attention. 
 
 Before this period, the metrical Scripture para- 
 phrases, used along with the Psalms in public wor- 
 ship in Scotland, had been revised, and on one 
 occasion. Burns pointed out some of those which 
 he mot ; admired, for John to commit to memory. 
 In after life, he could only remember with certainty, 
 as among the number selected, that beautiful 
 hymn commencing : — 
 
 How bright those ghmous spirits shine! 
 
 Whonco nil their white array? 
 How came they to the blissful seats 
 
 Of everlasting day ? 
 
 Lo ! these are they from sufferings great 
 
 "Who eanio to realms of light, 
 And in the bloinl of Christ have wash'd 
 
 Those robes which shine so bright. 
 
 Richardson was about six years old when this 
 pleasant Sunday task was assigned to him. Two 
 years later, he entered the grammar-school, on the 
 same day with the poet's eldest son Robert, a boy 
 of great intellectual promise. John never forgot 
 Burns' bright smile and flashing eye, when he said 
 to his father, ' I wonder which of them will be the 
 greatest man ? ' The boys were passionately fond 
 
 B 2 
 
4 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1800 
 
 \ \ 
 
 ^. 
 
 \^ 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 of ballad poetry, youncf Bums excelling in narra- 
 tion and recitation. Spenser's * Faery Queen,' 
 borrowed from the Poet, was a special favourite 
 with John Richardson, and the notice taken of him 
 by Bums made a permanent impression on his 
 mind. He always cherished a tender regard for 
 the fascinating bard of Scotland, dwelling more 
 on his manly independence and freedom from any- 
 thing mean than on the one failing which destroyed 
 him. The best poems and songs of Burns were 
 stored up in his memory ready to be poured forth 
 when his feelings were touched either by the pa- 
 thetic or the humorous. They cheered him with 
 thoucfhts of home, while pacing the deck, during 
 his life at sea, and afterwards amidst the solitude 
 of the North American forests. 
 
 The teacher who had the most direct influence 
 on John Richardson was Mr. James Gray, ap- 
 pointed rector of the Dumfries Grammar School 
 in 1794. He was a man of genius and of great 
 classical and literary attainments. In 1801, he was 
 chosen one of the classical masters of the High 
 School of Edinburgh, where, for upwards of twenty 
 years, he held a prominent place in literary circles. 
 
 On November 3, 1800, John Richardson was 
 apprenticed for three years to his uncle, Mr. James 
 Mundell, an eminent surgeon in Dumfries, who 
 died during the following year, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Mr. Samuel Shortridge, under whom the 
 engagement was completed. Meanwhile, by an 
 
1800 
 
 1806 
 
 STUDENT LIFE. 
 
 O 
 
 narra- 
 Jueen,' 
 roiirite 
 of him 
 on his 
 ird for 
 r more 
 tn any- 
 stroyed 
 s were 
 1 forth 
 ihe pa- 
 in with 
 during 
 olitude 
 
 fluence 
 ^y, ap- 
 School 
 f great 
 he was 
 i High 
 twenty 
 circles, 
 m was 
 . James 
 js, who 
 s suc- 
 om the 
 by an 
 
 1 
 
 ■AM 
 
 arrangement with Mr. Shortridge, he was enabled 
 to go to Edinburgh, in his fourteenth year, to begin 
 his studies at the University, during the winter 
 months of 1801-2. He attended Dr. Hope's lec- 
 tures on chemistry, and the various classes neces- 
 sary for the medical profession, delighting also to 
 study Greek under the able teaching of Professor 
 Dalzel. 
 
 On March IG, 1804, the young student thus 
 wrote to his father : — * I duly received your letter 
 mentioning that the directors of the Dumfries and 
 Galloway Infirmary wished me to engage for two 
 and a half years. After having considered the 
 arguments advanced by you in favour of that pro- 
 posal, and others which presented themselves to 
 myself, I have decided that it will be well to comply 
 with their request, especially if they allow me to 
 accept of any situation which may occur, more to 
 my advantage, before my time is out.' 
 
 As house surgeon of the infirmary, Mr. Richard- 
 son fulfilled his engagement with great ability, 
 and, towards the close of 1800, returned to Edin- 
 burgh to pursue his studies at the University. He 
 was a conscientious student, and his insatiable 
 thirst for knowledge led him to read extensively 
 on the most various subjects. In December, 1800, 
 he ^vrote regarding his brother, who had accom- 
 panied him to Edinburgh, * He pays great atten- 
 tion to his studies, and had the best exercise in 
 Professor Leslie's class. We have neither of us 
 
■■■p 
 
 (» 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JObN RICHABDSON. 
 
 1807 
 
 occasion to be out after four o'clock, and spend 
 the evenings in writing and reading on what we 
 have heard through the day. Mr. Thomson has 
 adopted the practice of examining his students on 
 the Saturdays regarding what they have heard 
 during the week, which will prove of considerable 
 advantage to me.' 
 
 This absorbing love of study was fortunately 
 counterbalanced by his love of nature and of ex- 
 ercise in the open air. His physical strength was 
 great, and he delighted to take long rambles in the 
 beautiful environs of Edinburgh. These excursions, 
 either alone or in company with some swift-footed 
 friend, extended far and wide. Through the glens 
 of the Esk — over the Pentland Braid and Black- 
 ford hills — along the shore of the Frith of Forth 
 from Musselburgh to Grant on, he delighted to 
 speed in the lengthening afternoon of a spring 
 holiday. Thus lie enjoyed some of the happiest 
 and healthiest hours of student life, developing his 
 powers of endurance and studying God's great 
 book of nature. 
 
 li 
 
loo: 
 
 EXAMINATION AS SURGEON. 
 
 7 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 PASSES HIS EXAMINATION — ASSISTANT SUEGEON ON 
 BOARD THE * NYMPHE.* 
 
 ursions. 
 
 1807-1808. 
 
 In 1806, when acknowleclging the arrival of a 
 festal goose, sent by the thoughtful mother to her 
 boys in Edinburgh, to remind them of the loving 
 home of their childhood, John adds, ' I observe 
 that assistant-surgeons are mach wished at pre- 
 sent for the navy' — a hint that the time was 
 nearing when the active work of life must begin, 
 and one of the family circle be too far off to share 
 the Christmas cheer. He was beginning to think 
 of selecting the Royal Navy as the most suitable 
 sphere of duty. 
 
 Early in 1807, we find him preparing for his 
 examination as surgeon, and planning to set out im- 
 mediately for London to solicit employment in the 
 public service. The brave honest youth resolved to 
 push his way in the world instead of remaining at 
 home to be a burden to his parents. In all his let- 
 ters at this time, much delicacy and thoughtfulness 
 are shown, in pointing out how few were his wants, 
 
8 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 i8o: 
 
 \ 
 
 and the encouragement given by Government, so 
 as to relieve his kind father from anxiety about 
 his outfit and other expenses. Thus early was 
 manifested that total abnegation of self which, 
 throughout life, formed a prominent feature in his 
 character. 
 
 On February 17, he successfully passed his ex- 
 amination, and received a surgeon's diploma and 
 certificate for the navy. * The examination lasted 
 only fifteen minutes, and was quite easy.' There 
 was no necessity for lengthening out the examina- 
 tion of the young student, who was favourably 
 known to the examiners for his ability and dili- 
 gence. He had also first-class certificates from 
 the physician, surgeon, and directors of the Dum- 
 fries Infirmary, and from his former master, Dr. 
 Samuel Shortridge, which proved of great seiTice 
 to him. After leaving Edinburgh, a few weeks 
 were spent at Dumfries, many visits being made 
 to the old surgery on the Plainstones, on the stout 
 oak door of which the apprentices had for a cen- 
 tury carved their names, and to the infirmary, 
 where he had begun the practical work of his pro- 
 fession. We may be very certain that during this 
 brief visit to the scenes of childhood, every spot 
 in the glen of Kirkhouse of Kirkbean, where his 
 maternal uncle lived, and which he always loved 
 as the locality of his holiday rambles, was lingered 
 over; and that the prayerful' grandmother, the 
 kind father and loving mother, the brothers and 
 
ibo: 
 
 8ETS OUT TO LONDON. 
 
 
 
 sisters, who were ever near to his heart, received 
 assurances of never-dyin^ affection. 
 
 On a Saturday evenin^f, near the end of March, 
 he arrived at Carlisle and went to bed early; but 
 thouj^hts of the young life-werld which he had left 
 behind, and the duty- world about to be entered 
 upon, kept him awake during the greater part of 
 the night. Next morning the mail from Glasgow 
 received the traveller, who, after a long and 
 fatiguing journey, was set down at the * Bull and 
 Mouth,' St. Martin's-le-Grand, and took up his 
 quarters in the Angel Inn until he coidd find 
 suitable lodgings. He wrote to his father on March 
 25, ' I would have written to you yesterday, and 
 actually began a letter, but from travelling three 
 days and scarcely sleeping as many hours, the I 
 strangeness of the place, and one thing and an- 
 other, I could not finish it, I was in such low 
 spirits.' 
 
 This mood speedily passed away while striving to 
 attain the object of his journey. Having brought 
 letters of introduction to several yoimg Duni- 
 frisians who had gained a footing in the metro- 
 polis, the first day after his arrival was spent in 
 delivering them, and the kind reception which he 
 everywhere experienced made him cheerful and 
 hopeful. He also renewed acquaintance with his 
 former schoolfellow, Robert Burns, whom he found 
 much improved in manner and api)earance. The 
 two friends were delighted to meet again. ' T 
 
10 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1807 
 
 begin to speak English and walk straight' is the 
 playful postscript which the stripling adds to one 
 of his letters, after an evening spent with several 
 of his old school-companions. 
 
 Meanwhile, he takes lodgings at No. 11 Great 
 Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields — dines for a 
 shilling ci a plate of roast beef and a pint of ale. 
 Having successfully passed examinations before 
 the Royal College of Surgeons, London, and the 
 Transport Board at the Admiralty, Dr. Harness, the 
 medical superintendent, offered him an appoint- 
 ment, which he requested to be delayed for a week. 
 There was something in the way in which the offer 
 was made which hurt the y^ung surgeon's sensi- 
 tive feelings. Next day. Captain, afterwards Ad- 
 miral, Hope, of Annandale, one of the Lords of 
 the Admiralty, received him with much kindness, 
 and wrote to Dr. Harness, requesting * that Mr. 
 Richardson be appointed to a frigate.' After pre- 
 senting this letter at the medical department of 
 the navy, he wrote to his father that Dr. Harness 
 * was much more kind, and went at once to see 
 what vacancies there were. He then desired me 
 to call at -four o'clock and I would receive an ap- 
 pointment to * La Nymphe,' frigate, fitting out at 
 Deptford.' 
 
 This was all the more gratifying as great interest 
 was, at that time, necessary to get into a frigate, 
 many of the line-of-battle ships being in want 
 of assistant-surgeons. The appointment to the 
 
1807 
 
 THE 'NYMPHE.' 
 
 11 
 
 * Nymphe ' was made on April 7, 1807, so that in 
 less than a fortnight after arriving in London, he 
 hcd met with several kind friends, talked Scotch 
 with five old schoolfellows, obtained a certificate 
 from the Eoyal College of Surgeons, and, through 
 Captain Hope's influence, the situation which he 
 wished. On April 15, he went to Deptford to take 
 a look at the frigate. One or two of the few men 
 on board were sick, and, as no surgeon had been 
 appointed, he thought it his duty to join her on 
 the following day. The ' Nymphe ' was a favourite 
 and the young assistant-surgeon felt quite at home. 
 From Northfleet, where they went to ship a crew, 
 he writes : * I believe I shall like the sea pretty 
 well, and the frigate is as good a vessel as I could 
 have wished. She mounts forty-four guns and sails 
 remarkably well. The ofiicers are very civil. I 
 have formed a mess with two young midshipmen, 
 the captain's clerk, and master's mate. They are 
 genteel young men, and I dare say we shall mess 
 cheaply and comfortably.' 
 
 The anchor was raised on July 6, and the 
 
 * Nymphe ' sailed for Spithead, where Captain 
 Conway Shipley immediately took the command. 
 From the first, the young seaman formed a high 
 opinion of his commander, and some muiitht, later 
 mentioned the comfort which he enjoyed and the 
 kindness of his captain, the surgeon, and his 
 brother officers, as reasons why he did not wish 
 to press for promotion. 
 
W'f^SifiBmfmmrmm 
 
 12 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1807 
 
 ': i 
 
 At that time Napoleon was putting forth every 
 effort to destroy British influence on the Continent, 
 and the English ministry resolved not to allow the 
 Danish fleet and naval stores to fall into the hands 
 of the French. Denmark was critically situated. She 
 was unable to resist the British forces; yet if she did 
 not fight, Buonaparte would make that an excuse 
 for seizing Holstein and Sleswick, alleging that 
 the Danes had surrendered their fleet by a com- 
 pact with his powerful enemy. 
 
 The destination of the * NjTnphe ' was, therefore, 
 the coasts of Denmark. On July 15, she took on 
 board two large flat-bottomed boats, each capable 
 of containing fifty men and a carronade, and two 
 days later joined the fleet, commanded by Sir 
 Samuel Hood, in the Downs. By August 23, he 
 wrote, * We are lying between the island of Samsoe 
 and Zealand, in company with several other men- 
 of-war, to prevent troops being conveyed from 
 Jutland to Zealand. On the 24th we received 
 news of hostilities having commenced by the 
 Danes sinking one of our merchant-vessels. On 
 the same day we got orders to join Comm^odore 
 Keith, who was lying in the Belt with a large 
 squadron blockading that side of Zealand. We 
 accompanied him into the Baltic and then pro- 
 ceeded to our present station, about twelve miles 
 from Stralsund, which is hid from us by the island 
 of Rugen.' A few days later, the *Nymphe ' was 
 off the island of Femem, to the south-east of 
 
1807 
 
 SKIRMISH WITH THE DANES. 
 
 13 
 
 1807 
 
 every 
 inent, 
 )w the 
 hands 
 d. She 
 he did 
 excuse 
 y that 
 b com- 
 
 irefore, 
 Dok on 
 japable 
 nd two 
 by Sir 
 23, he 
 amsoe 
 |r men- 
 from 
 ceived 
 ly the 
 . On 
 [lodore 
 large 
 We 
 |n pro- 
 miles 
 island 
 was 
 last of 
 
 
 Sleswick. Here the young surgeon, who was 
 afterwards to gain his promotion by sharing in 
 similar adventures, witnessed, for the first time, 
 one of the skirmishes of the war. On Sept. 1, 
 he writes : 
 
 We espied three Danish galliots at anchor in a creek, 
 stood in, and anchored about five miles from shore. Next 
 day, one of our boats armed with a carronade "was sent to 
 fetch them out, but the enemy, being aware of our intention, 
 had assembled a large party of volunteers on each side of 
 the creek, which was not more than a musket-^^hot in 
 breadth, Avho kept up a well-directed fire upon the boat 
 when it approached the vessels. Our people, however, got 
 possession of one, and were bringing it out when, perceiving 
 six boats with volunteers putting off from the shore, they 
 quitted the vessel, and fired ihe carronade with grape. 
 This unexpected salutation made the volunteers leap out of 
 their boats and make for the shore. They were by this 
 time, however, in such numbers, that our people came away 
 to the ship, after twice or thrice firing the carronade. We 
 observed the proceedings from the frigate, and thought a 
 great number of tlie enemy must have been killed, as whole 
 troops of them fell down every time our men fired, but to 
 our astonishment they immediately got up again. Some 
 shots struck our boats, but fortunately no one was hurt. 
 
 "While the * Nymphe's ' boat was thus engaged, 
 the first shells began to be thrown into Copen- 
 hagen. Towards the end of September, a galliot 
 ran foul of the frigate, carrying away her foremast 
 and bowsprit, so that she had to run into Copen- 
 hagen for repairs. The effects of the siege and 
 bombardment were still seen in all their repulsive- 
 
frmsmm. 
 
 i .' 
 
 i^* 
 
 { 
 ' \ 
 
 I 
 '< 
 
 I 
 
 I i' 
 
 n 
 
 u 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1807 
 
 ness. * It is needless,' he wrote, * for me to give 
 you any account of the bombardment, especially 
 as I was not a witness. It is, however, difficult 
 for one who has not been in Copenhagen to con- 
 ceive the devastation which the shells and rockets 
 have made. There is a whole quarter of the city 
 completely destroyed, not a single house sianding.' 
 
 The ' Nymphe ' resumed her station off Eugen, 
 after her temporary repairs, and at the end of 
 November arrived at Spithead. But there was no 
 time for rest : Russia had joined the enemies of 
 Great Britain, and Sir Sidney Smith was expected 
 to secure the Russian fleet which had got into the 
 Tagus. On December 20, the squadron of Sir 
 Charles Cotton, to Avhich the ' Nymphe ' was at- 
 tached, sailed from Portsmouth with a large con- 
 voy of transports. Encountering severe gales, the 
 ships were scattered. Admiral Cotton, in the 
 ' Minotaur,' with a part of the convoy seeking 
 shelter in Falmouth, the ' Nymphe ' and others 
 proceeding to Cape Finisterre, the first place of 
 rendezvous, and joining the fleet of Sir Sidney 
 Smith on January 13, 1808. 
 
 * There are here,' he writes, *nine line-of-battle 
 ships and some small craft blockading the entrance 
 to the Tagus, and it is reported that the Portu- 
 guese and Russian ships will attempt to get out, 
 but if they do, I hope we shall give a good account 
 of them.' The blockaded shipb numbered nine sail 
 of the line. 
 
 H 
 
1808 
 
 BLOCKADE OP THE TAGUS. 
 
 15 
 
 the 
 
 )attle 
 
 Irance 
 
 portu- 
 
 out, 
 
 iount 
 
 Lesail 
 
 On Sir Charles Cotton's arrival, the swift-sailing 
 * Nymphe ' was despatched to search for the miss- 
 ing convoy ships, which were eventually found at 
 Gibraltar, getting ready to sail for Sicily. After 
 a brief stay at the Rock, the ' Nymphe ' returned 
 to her station off the Tagus, and he became ac- 
 quainted with the horrors of a military occupation, 
 which he thus describes : ' The melancholy state 
 of Portugal is, I observe, mentioned in the English 
 newspapers without any exaggeration. Every 
 morning, crowds of the better sort of inhabitants 
 come off to our vessels wishing to remain until an 
 opportunity occur of sending them to the Brazils, 
 while numbers of the Portuguese soldiers and poor 
 people enter into our service. There are some Eng- 
 lish among the refugees, who give very sad ac- 
 counts of the country. " The roads," they say, "are 
 covered with dead bodies, all provisions and pro- 
 perty are in the hands of the French, and there is 
 every prospect of famine in a short time." The 
 boats are permitted by our fleet to fish, but the in- 
 habitants receive no benefit by what is caught, the 
 French seizing the whole, and giving paper money 
 in exchange.' 
 
 The dull monotony of blockading duty was from 
 time to time enlivened by a dashing episode. 
 Early in March, one of the guard boats of the fleet, 
 with fifteen men, made a rush up the Tagus, and 
 brought out a cutter carrying three guns. This 
 bold and successftd enterprise so much alarmed 
 
16 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN EICHAEDSON. 
 
 1808 
 
 II ' 
 
 the enemy, that they moored their ships farther 
 inland, scarcely thinking themselves safe, though 
 seven miles of river, lined with batteries, had to be 
 passed before the British tars could come to close 
 quarters. He shared in the enthusiasm of his gal- 
 lant captain and brother officers. Impatient at the 
 tedium of lying at anchor within sight of the hos- 
 tile ships, he writes, ' There is no likelihood of the 
 Russian fleet coming out for a long time.' 
 
 But if the enemy's ships would not come out, 
 Captain Shipley determined to go in for them, and 
 a party of volunteers from the * Nymphe,' includ- 
 ing the assistant-surgeon, attempted to cut out a 
 Portuguese vessel manned by Frenchmen. Some 
 of the boats, however, having gone astray in the 
 darkness, the bold adventure was abandoned. 
 Another and still more unfortunate attempt re- 
 sulted in the loss of brave Captain Shipley, and 
 several men. Mr. Richardson's coolness and 
 bravery as a volunteer, on these occasions, were 
 reported to Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, and 
 with a favourable recommendation from Captain 
 Hope, led to his being transferred to the flag- ship 
 'Hibernia,' as senior assistant. Writing to his 
 father on April 25, he mentions the lamented 
 death of Captain Shipley, but says nothing about 
 his own adventures. 
 
 I have been removed from the ' Nymphe' into the ' Hi- 
 bernia,' in consequence of Captain Hope's application to Sir 
 Charles Cotton, and being in the flag-ship, I stand every , 
 
1808 
 
 1S08 
 
 DEATH OF CAPTAIN SHIPLEY. 
 
 17 
 
 e out, 
 1, and 
 iclud- 
 
 out a 
 
 Some 
 In the 
 
 oned. 
 
 t re- 
 
 , and 
 and 
 were 
 and 
 
 ptain 
 
 -ship 
 
 o his 
 
 ented 
 
 about 
 
 'Hi- 
 
 to Sir 
 every , 
 
 chance of promotion on the first opportunity. I have only 
 joined the ' Ilibcrnia' to-day, so that I cannot say how I 
 hke her. I am senior assistant, the duty is easy, and I have 
 very agreeable messmates — tlie other assistaint, and the 
 Captain of the Fleet's secretary. 
 
 On the 23rd we had the melancholy less of Cuj)tain 
 Shipley, who fell gallantly endeavouring to cut out a vessel 
 from the Tagus. His loss wiil be generally felt and much 
 lamented, as very few captains in the navy are more gene- 
 rally loved. His extreme bravery was the cause of liis 
 death. He boarded in a light boat containing only six 
 men, while the rest of the boats were unable to pull up, on 
 account of the current. His brother, Mr. Charles Shipley 
 M'as in the boat with him. 
 
 The vessel against which Captain Shij^ley was 
 operating with the boats of the 'Njmphe' and of the 
 * Blossom' sloop-of-war, when he fell, was the 20- 
 gun brig ' Garotta,' fitted out by the French, and 
 having a crew of 150 men. She was lying, ready 
 for sea, close under the guns of Belem Castle, with 
 a heavy floating battery for additional j^rotection. 
 To prevent separation, orders were given for the 
 boats, in two divisions, to tow each other until dis- 
 covered by the enemy, when they were to cast off 
 and make the best way alongside. They gained 
 the entrance of the Tagus near the top of high 
 water, but Captain Shipley, anxious to secure a 
 good tide to bring off the prize, waited until the tide 
 slacked, hoping to board before the ebb made strong; 
 but the flood had no sooner ceased than a fresh in 
 the river, caused by the heavy rains, came down at 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1808 
 
 the rate of six or eight miles an hour. The boats, 
 however, at about half-past two in the morning, got 
 within hail of the brig, and the signal was given to 
 board. Captain Shipley, in his gig, dashed from 
 his companions, reached the Garotta, and having 
 jumped into the fore-rigging, was cutting away the 
 boarding- netting when he received a musket-ball 
 in the forehead, and fell dead into the water. The 
 boats then got into confusion, and the tide coming 
 down like a sluice, the enterprise had to be aban- 
 doned. The body of Captain Shipley was after- 
 wards washed ashore, and recovered. 
 
 Thus fell a brave and accomplished gentleman in 
 the ardent pursuit of glory, a shining example of 
 dauntless valour and British heroism. 
 
 * Captain Shipley,' says the Naval Chronicle, ' was the 
 second surviving son of the liev. W. . D. Shipley, Dean of 
 St. Asaph. He entered the naval profession very young, 
 in 1793, and in tlic "Invincible," during the action of 1st 
 June, 1794, showed rare courage. 
 
 *• He was a native of Flintshire, in North Wales, in the 
 26th year of his age, tall and graceful in his person, firm in 
 his attachments, an invaluable friend, and most engaging in 
 his manners. Perhaps there never existed an individual 
 who more eminently possessed the power of inspiring all 
 whom he commanded with sentiments similar to his own. 
 What those sentiments were, his life, short, alas ! as it was, 
 and his glorious fall, have revealed.' 
 
 Mr. Richardson's period of service in the flag- 
 ship was of short duration, Sir Charles Cotton ad- 
 
 
1808 
 
 APPOINTED TO THE * HERCULE.' 
 
 19 
 
 vancing him to the rank of Acting- Surgeon of the 
 * Hercule,' 74, on the 17th of May, six months be- 
 fore he had completed his twenty-first 3'ear. This 
 rapid promotion was the reward of his gallant con- 
 duct and devotion to his duties, though no doubt 
 forwarded also by the friendship of Captain Hope, 
 on whose influence he chiefly depended for ob- 
 taining its ratification by the Admiralty. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN BICHABDSOX. 
 
 1808 
 
 II 
 
 '! 
 
 L) 
 
 i 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ACTING-SURGEON OF THE * HERCULE.' 74 — SURGEON OF THE 
 
 * BLOSCOM ' SLOOP-OF-WAR. 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 1808-1809. 
 
 The blockade of the Tagus was continued during 
 the summer of 1808, the French position in the 
 Peninsula gradually becoming more critical, being 
 harassed by the inhabitants as well as by the naval 
 and land forces of Britain. In Spain, numbers of 
 the French soldiers were barbarously murdered, 
 and all the scattered parties in Portugal had either 
 been taken prisoners or effected a retreat to Lisbon. 
 At the beginning of July Mr. Richardson wrote : 
 
 We have sent 250 Marines from the fleet to assist the 
 Portuguese in attacking Panisse, a place about forty miles 
 to the north of Lisbon, which is garrisoned by 500 French 
 soldiers, who have already attempted to retire to Lisbon, 
 but found it impossible from the manner in which they 
 were harassed by the people. The French here seem very 
 much alarmed, and are quite on the alert. They have 
 formed a number of camps along the coast at the mouth of 
 the Tagus. From the rock of Lisbon to the city, a distance 
 of twelve miles, the forts are within pistol-shot of each 
 
1808 
 
 STATE OF AFFAIRS IN PORTUGAL. 
 
 21 
 
 other. We have been at anclior for six months past, about 
 four or five miles from the shore, so that we see all their 
 niaucjcuvres. 
 
 • 
 
 In Avigust, affairs were drawing near to a crisis. 
 General Sir Arthur Wellesley had arrived, and was 
 landing his troops at Figneira, about ninety miles 
 to the north of Lisbon, the French meanwhile 
 having frequent reviews, to keep their own men 
 in si^irits and the Portuguese in check. In the 
 British fleet, the opinion prevailed that the enemy 
 must ultimately capitulate, and Mr. Richardson ex- 
 pected that the * Hercule ' would not be much longer 
 absent from England. Sir Arthur Wellesley landed 
 on the 3rd of August, Spencer on the 8th, and the 
 advance commenced on the 10th, none of the Por- 
 tuguese joining the troops, so much did they fear 
 the French. On tlie 20th, the right wing, under 
 Crawford, had a bloody but victorious fight, and 
 immediately after Anstruther landed, General Moore 
 being also close at hand. The Russian Admiral 
 now wished to claim the neutrality of the port, 
 which the British Admiral, whose force numbered 
 twelve ships of the line, would not allow. During 
 the struggle, which resulted in complete victory 
 to the British land forces, the Portuguese behaved 
 badly. ' The accounts in the newspapers,' Mr. 
 Richardson wrote, 'of the Portuguese having 
 joined our army in great numbers are very in- 
 correct. About 1,400 were present at the last battle, 
 but kept in the rear, and even remained only till 
 

 22 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1808 
 
 they came within shot ; for on a shell falling 
 among them they immediately ran off, and re- 
 turned to plunder the dead when the danger 
 was over.' 
 
 Junot, having been defeated by SirArthurWelles- 
 ley at Vimieira, retreated towards Torres Vedras and 
 Lisbon, whither the British troops, under Sir Hew 
 Dalrymple, who had just arrived and assumed the 
 chief command, were preparing to follow, when 
 the Convention of Cintra put an end to further 
 movements. It was concluded on the 22nd of 
 August, the French agreeing to evacuate Portugal 
 on condition of not being treated as prisoners of war, 
 and of being landed in France with their arms and 
 effects. The terms of the Convention were strongly 
 condemned both in the Peninsula and Great 
 Britain. They were no doubt more favourable to 
 the French than the position seemed to warrant, 
 but they prevented the necessity of more bloodshed 
 and a protracted struggle. 
 
 The feeling of the officers of the fleet is given 
 by Mr. Richardson, who thus wrote on the 4th of 
 September : — 
 
 The French army has capitulated, but we do not yet 
 know the terms. Sir Hew Dahyniple, however, is much 
 blamed for having given too favourable terms, as from the 
 force at his disposal they must have surrendered at discre- 
 tion, and could not have ventured another battle. The 
 42nd and two other regiments took possession of the bat- 
 teries on the 2nd of September, but the main body of the 
 
1808 
 
 1808 
 
 THE CONVENTION OP CINTRA. 
 
 23 
 
 i falling 
 and re- 
 danger 
 
 •Welles- 
 [Iras and 
 Sir Hew 
 med the 
 "f, when 
 further 
 22nd of 
 Portugal 
 s of war, 
 •ms and 
 itrongly 
 Great 
 •able to 
 arrant, 
 odshed 
 
 given 
 4th of 
 
 not yet 
 
 is much 
 
 om the 
 
 discre- 
 
 The 
 
 le bat- 
 
 I of the 
 
 \ 
 
 army docs not advance, nor do we go into tlic Tagus until 
 tlie French have embarked. 
 
 It is right tt) add that the court-martial, which 
 the British MiuiHlry was forced by public opinion 
 to appoint for trying the officers wlio signed the 
 Convention of Cintra, acquitted them cd'all blame, 
 while both Napoleon and Wellington justified the 
 terms agreed upon as being honourable and fair. 
 
 The tedious blockade of the Tagus was now 
 ended, and the *Hercule,' which stood very much 
 in need of repairs, accompanied the Russian fleet 
 to Spithead. On October 21, Mr. Richardson was 
 gratified by learning that the Transport Board had 
 confirmed his rank, and appointed him surgeon of 
 the * Blossom ' sloop-of-war. 
 
 During the five months which he had spent on 
 board the ' Hercule ' his duty had been light, as he 
 had two assistants and never more than from four 
 to six on the sick list. And now, while the old ship 
 is laid up to be repaired and fitted out for Channel 
 service, he joins the trim little ' Blossom ' for more 
 active work. ' She is a fine vessel,' he wi-ites, ' and 
 was a good while in company with the "• Nymphe," 
 is frigate-built, indeed a complete frigate in mi- 
 niature.' 
 
 He joined the ' Blossom ' on November 1, 1808, 
 and next day sailed for the coast of Africa with 
 two merchant-vessels under convoy. The first 
 place touched at was Madeira, which was reached 
 on the 18th, and after a short stay they proceeded 
 
24 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1808 
 
 . 
 
 to Goree, thence to Cape Coast Castle, and finally 
 to Prince's Island, to collect the homeward-bo and 
 ships. While lying in Funchal Bay, he wrote : ' I 
 am extremely well pleased with the " Blossom," and 
 the officers are very pleasant companions. Most 
 of them are men of more knowledge and reading 
 than I have met at sea before, and when we put 
 our uooks together we have a very respectable 
 library.' The estimate which he had formed of 
 his brother officers was correct. They were ac- 
 complished gentlemen and scholars. Still the 
 voyage was unfortmiate for all. 
 
 Captain P n, who seems to have been ad- 
 vanced in years, vain, suspicious, and overbearing, 
 took offiince at several of his officers, the ill-feeling, 
 if not occasioned by the purser, being at least fo- 
 mented by him. He acted as a spy upon their 
 words and movements, and did not hesitate to tell 
 falsehoods to increase the mischief. While the 
 young officers were amusing themselves writing 
 sonnets, the Captain thought they were plotting 
 against his authority or enjoying jokes at his 
 expense. His inability to share in their i^ur- 
 suits made them distasteful to him, and nothing 
 is so irritating to an ignorant captain as to 
 see those under him enjoying a book or cul- 
 tivating literary tastes. Shortly after sailing 
 for Madeira, the first and second lieutenants 
 were placed under arrest, to be tried by court- 
 martial when the vessel should reach En^rland. 
 
1808 THE LIEUTENANTS PUT UNDER ARREST. 
 
 25 
 
 Even when sitting at the same table, these two 
 officers were not permitted to speak to each other, 
 the purser reporting to the captain everything 
 which occurred. How wearily the hours passed 
 on board the little * Blossom,' as she sailed further 
 and further away from England and liberty, under 
 the burning suns of Africa, can only be conceived 
 by those who have be jn pent up in a small ship 
 whose commander imagined that all on board were 
 mutinous and enemies. 
 
 The homeward voyage was fortunately not a long 
 one, the ' Blossom ' arriving in the Downs about 
 the middle of April, when the lieutenants, who 
 had suffered in health from the long confinement, 
 and been obliged to go into the hospital, were 
 tried by court-martial. They were both honour- 
 ably acquitted, Captain Codrington, of the ' Blake,' 
 saying, in full court, that he was in want of a 
 lieutenant and would be glad to have either of 
 those of the * Blossom,' as their conduct appeared 
 to have been thoroughly correct. 
 
 Mr. Richardson, who had escaped the horrors 
 of confinement in a small vessel on the coast of 
 
 Africa only because Captain P n was afraid 
 
 he might require the surgeon's assistance, was also 
 accused, tried on April 26, and declared to be alto- 
 gether free from blame. The day following he 
 wrote to his father from on board the ' Blossom, 
 then in the Downs : — 
 
 I was prevented from writing in reply to your letter by 
 
26 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1809 
 
 i 
 
 . 
 
 l: 
 
 V 
 
 * 
 
 some unpleasant circumstances, now happily terminated. 
 Soon after we left Madeira, the purser, who had been 
 atteinpting to prejudice the mind of the captain against his 
 officers, persuaded him that the two lieutenants were in a 
 combination against him. The captain, who is a weak man, 
 and of violent passions, instantly put them under arrest, 
 and they remained so until our arrival in the Downs. Then 
 the captain, knowing my intimacy with them, supposing 
 that I must be guilty, and privy to a combination, also 
 charged me with it. I was tried yesterday by court- 
 martial, when the charges were so ridiculous, and my conduct 
 proved to be so correct, that I was honourably acquitted 
 without even the trouble of making a defence. The court 
 stared at the behaviour of the captain, and the purser, the 
 rascal, who was at the bottom of the whole business, on 
 my looking at him became coniused, sick, and fainted. No 
 doubt his conscience pricked hi.n. After that he could not 
 say another word, and was obliged to be taken out of court. 
 The poor captain, who is nearly deranged, will long have 
 cause to repent his having listened to the purser's tales. 
 The second lieutenant was tried to-day. The charges 
 against him were trivial and ill-founded, and he too was 
 honourably acquitted. The first lieutenant's trial is to- 
 morrow, and I have no doubt that the result will be to his 
 honour. On his acquittal the captain will be tried for 
 oppression and abuse of power. I am almost sorry for him, 
 although his behaviour to the two lieutenants has been most 
 shameful. He is so weak and ignorant, that the purser's 
 insinuations took their full effect. The two lieutenants, 
 most excellent young men, suftered a great deal from their 
 close confinement in the hot climate of Africa, and this 
 business rendered the voyage more unpleasant than it would 
 otherwise have been. I did not know of his intention to 
 
1809 
 
 1809 
 
 THE COURT-MARTIAL. 
 
 27 
 
 minated. 
 ad been 
 ;ain.st hia 
 ere in a 
 eak man, 
 r arrest, 
 IS. Then 
 apposing 
 ion, also 
 ' court- 
 conduct 
 cquitted 
 be court 
 ser, the 
 
 , on 
 No 
 
 less, 
 
 3d 
 
 >uld not 
 
 f court. 
 
 g have 
 tales. 
 
 charges 
 
 oo was 
 is to- 
 to his 
 ed for 
 r him, 
 n most 
 irser's 
 nants, 
 their 
 this 
 vould 
 
 WPn to 
 
 try me until our arrival in the Downs, so that I suffered 
 no grievous uneasiness on that score, and indeed 1 have 
 scarcely FufFered any uneasiness, as I knew the frivolousness 
 of the charges. It is no small mark of the propriety and 
 correctness of my conduct that the captain himself was 
 obliged to confess that it had been good. Never were charges 
 so groundless brought before a court, and it wa^ the evident 
 opinion of every member and witness of the trial that the 
 unfortunate captain was not in his right mind. 
 
 I like a hot country, and would have had a very pleasant 
 voyage but for the affair which I have mentioned. Your letter 
 arrived the same day as my indictment, and tended not a little 
 to enliven me. I would have written immediately, but did 
 not wish to make you uneasy by mentioning tlie business 
 until it was settled, and I could not well write without doing 
 so. I hope my silence has not made you in the least 
 uneasy. 
 
 The officers having been acquitted, Captain 
 
 P n was suspended and ordered for trial, which 
 
 began on May 16, and though he was not dismissed 
 the service, his command of the * Blossom ' ceased. 
 On May 20, Mr. Richardson writes : ' The court- 
 martial on the captain is just finished. He was 
 tried for cruelty and oppression, unjust and un- 
 officerlike conduct. The two former counts were 
 not proved, and the two latter only in part, for 
 which he was sentenced to be dismissed the ship. 
 There is a very great difference between the trial 
 of a captain and lieutenants, the court on the for- 
 mer being composed of captains, who have a fellow- 
 feeling for each other.' The officers expected 
 
■s^ 
 
 28 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1809 
 
 '1-1 
 
 that their commander would have been dismissed 
 the service. 
 
 Thus ended this disgraceful case of misrule. It 
 shows how fraught with evil it is for a man who 
 cannot govern his passions, and is weak enough to 
 be led away by anyone so mean as to flatter him, 
 to be placed in command of a ship. 
 
 Eegarding Jonas Morris, the purser, Mr. Eichard- 
 son wrote : * He perjured himself several times in 
 the court, and will be turned out of the service in 
 disgrace. If we chose to try him he would be 
 put in the pillory, but such a wretch is beneath an 
 honest man's notice. He has ruined himself, and 
 is now, as vice always is when foiled, depressed to 
 the lowest depths of meanness, and sits sighing in 
 the gun-room in order to induce us to pity him, 
 but does not dare to speak to us.' 
 
 Shortly after the trials, Mr. Kichardson wrote : 
 
 I have applied to Dr. Harness to appoint me to a frigate, 
 but he will have some difficulty in doing it, the Board, as 
 a rule, keeping surgeons in r]\ ops for two or three years 
 after their first appointment. If I remain in the ' Blossom,' 
 there will be a new captain, and a complete change among 
 the other officers. 
 
 I enjoyed excellent health all the time we were on the 
 coast of Africa, and am now as well as ever I was in my 
 life. I like the sea well enough, but do not wish to remain 
 longer than to entitle me to some situation on shore, as sur- 
 geon to a prison ship, an hospital, &c. That requires great 
 interest, and cannot be obtained anyhow until after five or 
 six years' service as surgeon. 
 
 I 
 
 tmmimmm 
 
1809 CAPT. BEAUFORT JOINS THE * BLOSSOM.' 29 
 
 I 
 
 'e or 
 
 On June 2, 1809, Captain (afterwards Sir Fran- 
 cis) Beaufort joined the * Blossom,' which was 
 again ordered on convoy service. The appearance 
 and manner of the new commander, as well as the 
 excellent character which he bore in the * Woolwich,' 
 44, which he had just left, made the joung surgeon 
 feel assured that the voyage which was about to be 
 made would be a pleasant one. He was right. 
 Between Captain Beaufort and his officers perfect 
 harmony reigned, and the friendship then formed 
 remained unbroken to the close of the useful life 
 of Sir Francis. Instead of discouraging the pur- 
 suit of knowledge. Captain Beaufort allowed per- 
 fect freedom of access to his excellent library — a 
 privilege which proved of essential advantage to 
 Mr. Richardson in pursuing his studies at this 
 period, when cut off from many opportunities of 
 improvement. ' I think we shall have a pleasant 
 voyage,' he writes in June, ' as our new captain 
 seems desirous to make all his officers comfortable, 
 and is a very courteous sensible man.' Again, in 
 July : ' Our purser is a gentleman, and Captain 
 Beaufort is a very agreeable good man, who wishes 
 to make everyone happy.' 
 
 The ' Blossom ' was delayed some time by heavy 
 gales. When these abated, she sailed with a 
 transport laden with small-arms and ball-cart- 
 ridges for Gijon, in the north of Spain, arriving 
 there on June 25. Immediately after, she pro- 
 ceeded to Ferrol and Corunna, bringing home, at 
 
80 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1809 
 
 the beginning of July, forty men, women and 
 children, who had been taken by the French during 
 Sir John Moore's rapid retreat, and afterwards left 
 to wander about the country. 
 
 The ];' tie sloop was now despatched to Quebec, 
 the nay drawback to the pleasure of the voyage 
 being that, hampoied with convoy, she could not 
 give chase to the French vessels which were seen 
 at a di'^iiro. . In November, they were again in 
 England. 
 
 On retu/niixj from this voyage he wrote to his 
 fat)^er : — 
 
 We met with noth-ngi., "sting to you on our way out, 
 as far as the Bank of Newfoundland, on which we arrived 
 the 15th of August. In five days we crossed it and the 
 small Bank, and got into the Gulf of St. Laurence. Thick 
 fogs hang almost continually over the Banks of Newfound- 
 land, the Gulf of St. Laurence, and parts in the neigh- 
 bourhood, but luckily we had good, and frequently clear, 
 weather. 
 
 The gulf and mouth of the St. Laurence abound in 
 mackerel, and it is pleasant amusement fishing for them, as 
 all that is necessary, when the ship is going three or four 
 miles an hour, is to fasten a piece of red cloth, or (what is 
 better) fish-skin, to the hook, and allow it to drag along the 
 surface of the water, the fish biting with great eagerness. 
 We saw several vessels belonging to the United States fish- 
 ing for cod in the gulf. The fish which they take are 
 smaller but firmer and better flavoured than those caught 
 on the Great Bank. They are permitted by treaty to fish 
 in the gulf, though possessing no territory on its borders. 
 
1809 
 
 1809 
 
 THE GULF OP ST. LAURENCE. 
 
 31 
 
 and 
 
 Great numbers of large whales frequent these waters, and 
 ollen came close to the ship. 
 
 On the 25th we cleared the gulf, and entered the St. 
 Laurence. The island of Anticosti lies in the muuth of the 
 river, dividing its entrance into two passages, the north and 
 south. The island is very often involved in thick i'ogs, and 
 is inhabited only by one family, maintained at the expense 
 of the government of Quebec, to assist the crews of ships 
 which are frequently wrecked here. It is low and rocky, 
 covered with trees, and abounds in bears and wolves. 
 
 We entered the river by the South Passage, and kept 
 along that shore which showed no signs of cultivation for 
 180 miles. On the north, or Labrador side, the lowest 
 cultivated spot is 270 miles from the river's mouth. Where 
 the banks are under culture they look extremely well. The 
 houses are built of wood, painted white, and roofed with 
 thin cedar boards or shingles, which when painted blue are 
 exactly like slates. From the manner in which the land 
 is sold, the houses are all built close to the river, and at 
 nearly equal distances, seldom more than an acre apart, so 
 that they look like one continued street. At Goose Island, 
 twenty miles below Quebec, though the river is twelve 
 miles broad, it is quite fresh at high water. At Quebec it 
 suddenly narrows to a little more than a mile across. 
 
 The British troops composing the expedition to 
 theislandofWalcheren, at the mouth of the Scheldt, 
 having been attacked by ague, terminating in a 
 low nervous or putrid fever, and later by inflam- 
 mation of the lungs, were about to be withdrawn 
 from that place ; and he writes : — 
 
 The aifairs of the nation at present wear a very gloomy 
 aspect. Buonaparte carries all before him on the continent. 
 
32 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1809 
 
 He has a large fleet in the Mediterranean. I hope they will 
 be induced to venture to sea, and fall in with one of our 
 fleets, which is equivalent to being defeated. This would 
 serve to raise our drooping spirits. You on shore can 
 scarcely conceive the anxiety with which we waited, on 
 seeing a strange sail, to obtain news from England, always 
 expecting to hear something great from the Expedition. 
 Alas 1 how miserable the disappointment ! 
 
 Here is a picture of life on board : — 
 
 You wish to know how I spend my time ; and as there is 
 a great deal of sameness in all iny days, it will be easily 
 done. At present I seldom get up before seven, in sum- 
 mer earlier, but whether sooner or later my time until 
 eight is generally spent on deck. I breakfast at eight, visit 
 the sick at nine, which with writing a list for the captain, 
 <md a daily report of each case for the Transport Board, 
 occupies me till eleven. We dine at two o'clock, visit the 
 sick again at six, and if any are confined to bed, or parti- 
 cularly ill, I of course do it often. At ten we generally go 
 to bed ; the intermediate time I usually spend reading or 
 walking upon deck, as we have not even a pack of cards or 
 backgammon-board amongst us. The two lieutenants and 
 master dine with the captain, in turn, every third day. In 
 the absence of the purser I dine with him about three times 
 a week. In return, one of the midshipmen dines with us 
 every day, and the captain on Sunday. Our mess costs us 
 at present from 60/. to 70/. per annum ; the wine, which 
 we are allowed duty-free, is twenty-six shillings per dozen, 
 each using a pint daily. ' 
 
 If we are stationed in the Channel this winter, some- 
 thing may be picked up which would be very accept- 
 able. I received 20/. of prize-money for Copenhsigen some 
 
1809 
 
 1809 
 
 LIFE ON BOARD. 
 
 33 
 
 time ago, which nearly paid for a number of instruments 
 which I had to purchase when last at Sheerness. 
 
 Captain Beaufort had the happy art of being 
 on familiar and friendly terms with his officers 
 without losing his position as commander. 
 
 On the 6th of December, Mr. Richardson wrote 
 to his father : — 
 
 I do not think that I could advantageously retire from 
 sea in time of war, and it is better to remain a surgeon in 
 the navy than to practice in a small country town on shore 
 for I could not hope to meet with any encouragement in a 
 city among able surgeons, without greater experience and 
 farther attendance on the classes. To retire from the navy 
 would be giving up a great deal without any adequate gain, 
 and in a year or two I hope to be able to attend classes 
 in London for six months at least, either on full or half- pay. 
 Getting appointed to the flag-ship in Leith Roads would 
 enable me to study at Edinburgh College. 
 
 This brave and independent spirit kept him 
 steadily on the path to the prizes for which he 
 longed, doing present duty well as the sure way to 
 gain them. But although unable to gratify his 
 parents by settling down as a medical practitioner 
 at home, he prevailed on Captain Beaufort, early 
 in 1810, to request the Transport Board to grant 
 him a short leave of absence. This, however, could 
 not then be given, unless his health rendered him 
 incapable of service. The hope of seeing home, 
 thus deferred, was, however, realised at the end 
 of May, when his parents were gladdened by a 
 
34 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSOX. 
 
 1810 
 
 I*' 
 
 h 
 
 short visit, during which he secured the interest 
 of the Earl of Galloway, and hoped to be pro- 
 moted to a frigate before requiring to sail again. 
 In this he was disappointed, the ' Blossom ' being 
 ordered, at the beginning of July, to proceed 
 with a large fleet of merchantmen and transports 
 to the coast of Portugal, Spain, and the Mediter- 
 ranean. Even thus early in his career, a spirit 
 of contentment with all the turnings of Provi- 
 dence pervades his letters. ' If the " Blossom " 
 remain in the Mediterranean,' he writes, * I shall 
 not be sorry at not having received an appointment 
 to a larger vessel.' 
 
 Early in August they arrived at Gibraltar, 
 having been three weeks on the voyage, with 
 pleasant weather the greatest part of the way, 
 but detained by some heavy sailers in the convoy. 
 From Gibraltar, the ' Blossom,' in company with 
 the ' Temeraire ' and two Spanish three-deckers, 
 sailed for Port Mahon in the island of Minorca. 
 Here he exchanged with the surgeon of the 
 ' Bombay,' 74, one of the ships belonging to the 
 Toulon Blockading Eleet, and his connection with 
 the * Blossom' ceased. 
 
 Shortly after joining the * Bombay,' he received 
 sad news. The ' Blossom ' had taken two prizes of 
 little value; one of them a privateer carrying four 
 guns, which had been attacked by the boats while 
 lying becalmed. In this encounter, the first lieu- 
 tenant, a very worthy, good man, and three of the 
 
1810 
 
 EXCHANGE INTO THE ' BOMBAY.' 
 
 35 
 
 interest 
 be pro- 
 l again. 
 ' being 
 proceed 
 nsports 
 [editer- 
 L spirit 
 Provi- 
 >ssom " 
 I shall 
 atment 
 
 sailors, were killed ; a master's mate, and eight 
 others wounded. The privateer was boarded by 
 only twenty- three men, who carried her, though 
 the crew numbered fifty-six. His exchange into 
 the * Bombay ' spared the young surgeon this sad 
 sight. 
 
 ►raltar, 
 , with 
 i way, 
 onvoy. 
 r with 
 jckers, 
 inorca. 
 >r the 
 to the 
 a with 
 
 ceived 
 izes of 
 ^ four 
 while 
 b lieu- 
 3f the 
 
36 
 
 LIFE OP 8IR JOHN EICHARD80N. 
 
 1811 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ;( 
 
 u 
 
 SUIKJEON OF THE ' IlOMBAY ' — BLOCKADE OF TOULON — RETURNS 
 
 TO ENGLAND. 
 
 1810-1812. 
 
 When the winter of 1810-11 was passed, the 
 monotony of Port Mahon was varied by a fruitless 
 run after two French line-of-battle ships which 
 had got out of Toulon. The * Bombay ' went in 
 search as far as Sicily, and on its return touched 
 at Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. During the 
 following summer, the excitement of a chase was 
 frequently enjoyed. In May, the * Bombay ' pursued 
 two frigates, which were rapidly being gained upon, 
 when night fell and they escaped — all hopes of 
 prize-money vanishing with the dawn of day. 
 * However, I do not regret it,' the surgeon writes, 
 ' as we did all we could. We next touched at 
 Algiers, and learned that the French frigates had 
 landed a consul there two days before. A brig, 
 which left Toulon in company with them, laden 
 with presents for the Dey of Algiers, has already 
 been destroyed by one of our cruisers.' 
 
 On the 16th of July, they are off Toulon, and he 
 
1811 
 
 OFF TOULON. 
 
 37 
 
 -RETURNS 
 
 ed, the 
 puitless 
 
 which 
 ^ent in 
 )uched 
 ig the 
 se was 
 irsued 
 upon, 
 3es of 
 
 day. 
 Tites, 
 ed at 
 i had 
 brig, 
 
 faden 
 eadjr 
 
 dhe 
 
 writes : — * The French, after several unsuccessful 
 attempts, have at length taken Tarragona by storm, 
 and their barbarity exceeded everything I ever 
 heard of. The women and children were seen 
 from our ships, stationed there, leaping from the 
 walls, pursued by the inhuman soldiers with the 
 bayonet. None escaped but those who were able 
 to conceal themselves till the next day.' 
 
 Thus Tarragona suffered for the brave resistance 
 which it offered to the French army. 
 
 While the hostile fleet remained shut up in Tou- 
 lon, the blockading ships giving -base whenever 
 an easterly wind gave the Frenchmen an oppor- 
 tunity of getting out with safety for exercise, a 
 letter to his brother Peter (who occupied a farm 
 in Galloway) gives us an inbigbt into his dreams 
 of the future. 
 
 I never trouble myself with unavailing regrets, and if at 
 any time I do bestow a thought on the subject, it is gene- 
 rally soon dismissed by a predestinarian saying, ' it was 
 decreed so,' or ' c'est la fortune de la guerre.' Though, 
 from the size of the ' Bombay,' I have every convenience 
 which a life at sea affords, yet my haj piness is merely of 
 the negative kind. In all my reveries, waking dreams, or 
 whatever name you give them, a retired life in the country, 
 somewhere in the neighbourhood of my native town, stands 
 foremost in the pictures which I form to myself of the fu- 
 ture. I often fancy the happiness which a man must enjoy, 
 living in the midst of his friends and possessed of a compe- 
 tency. These however are only dreams, never to be realised 
 unless the * lift should fa',' or what is just as likely, it should 
 
38 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN EICHAEDSON. 
 
 1811 
 
 
 ! 
 
 please that disturber of nations, Buonaparte, to grant us an 
 honourable peace. Then, upon my half-pay, I might live 
 comfortably. 
 
 Sir C. Cotton, our present commander-in-chief, goes 
 home soon, as he is to be superseded by Sir Edward Pellew. 
 There will also be some changes among the junior admirals. 
 We are at present in the fleet off Toulon, and likely to re-^ 
 main all the summer. Next winter we shall return to Port 
 Mahon, and after another summer spent here, we expect to 
 go home. Then, and 1 look forward to the time with im- 
 j)atience, there may be a chance of paying you another 
 visit. I hope you will have your house in better order j 
 
 than when I saw you last. Perhaps there will be some one 
 to look after it. 
 
 My cabin is twenty-one feet long and seven broad. I 
 have spent all my spare cash in adorning it. In that small 
 space, I have contrived to stuff a sofa, a dressing-table, a 
 chest of drawers, and book-case containing upwards of a 
 hundred volumes ; besides, by means of a curtain, it is 
 divided into two apartments, a dressing-room and a 
 sitting-room. 
 
 After a short visit to Port Mahon and Majorca, 
 with its pleasant mountains and valleys, the ' Bom- 
 bay' returned to the station off Toulon. In No- 
 vember, he again wrote to his brother : — 
 
 It gives me pleasure to learn that your agricultural pur- 
 suits occupy so much of your time, as by an unremitted 
 attention to them you will not only benefit yourself in a 
 pecuniary way but also materially increase your happiness. 
 A farmer possesses many advantages almost peculiar to his i li 
 
 employment. The very exercise which is necessary for the 
 proper superintendence of his afiairs, preserves his health 
 
1811 
 
 AT MINORCA. 
 
 J5f) 
 
 ant us an 
 light live 
 
 lief, goes 
 1 Pellew. 
 idmirals. 
 ly to re- 
 1 to Port 
 Jxpect to 
 with im- 
 another 
 er order 
 lome one 
 
 oad. I 
 at small 
 -table, a 
 rds of a 
 in, it is 
 and a 
 
 ijorca, 
 'Bom- 
 ^n No- 
 
 al pur- 
 miitted 
 If in a 
 •pintss. 
 ' to his 
 for the 
 health 
 
 and keeps up a flow of spirits which sweetens all the events 
 of life. Every day points out to his observing eye some 
 progress which the plants are making. Nothing stands 
 still, everything is changing. On the other hand, with me, 
 the sun makes his diurnal revolution and sots in his western 
 wave, without producing anything new, and returning in 
 the morning he only serves to show the siime dull succes- 
 sion of objects. -} c } ^ 
 
 We have been constantly at sea, except one week spent 
 at Mahon refitting, and have been trying for three weeks 
 past to get off Toulon, but have been prevented by strong 
 northerly winds, and at last obliged to take shelter under 
 the island of Minorca, where we are at present. We are, 
 however, getting under-way to go to Palma Bay, in Sar- 
 dinia, for water. I think we shall continue at sea for the 
 remainder of the winter, as our present commander-in-chief 
 seems to have a great antipathy to being in harbour. The 
 French fleet nearly captured the ' Perleu ' and * Volontaire ' 
 frigates a few days ago ; a line-of- battle ship and two 
 frigates having engaged the former ship in a running fight 
 four hours, half-an-hour of that time within musket-shot. 
 Our frigate disabled the line-of-battle ship and effected her 
 escape in a very gallant manner. 
 
 I had the pleasure, a few weeks ago, of meeting my old 
 schoolfellow, Mr. McGhie. lie is at present hospit:il mate 
 in a temporary hospital established at Mahon. You may 
 easily conceive the pleasure our meeting gave me when I 
 tell you that he was the most intimate of my acquaintances 
 in Dumfries. 
 
 The Spaniards, notwithstanding their late discomfitures, 
 are making head again in Catalonia, Although the French 
 have got all the strongholds, the peasantry are in such force 
 
 { 
 
40 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1811 
 
 if 
 
 that they cannot get provisions into Barcelona except by 
 sea, and our vessels render that difficult also. 
 
 Captain Cuming, our late commander, was invalided 
 some time ago and we have got Captain Norborne Thomp- 
 son in his stead. We have all great reason to be pleased 
 with the exchange. Not that I have any cause to complain 
 of Captain Cuming, for he and I agreed very well, but it 
 was not so with the other officers, and it is unpleasant to 
 be in a ship where everyone is not comfortable. Captain 
 Thompson is one of the pleasantest and most gentlemanly 
 officers in the service, and uses his utmost endeavours to 
 make his officers happy. 
 
 The long-continued cruise bpfore the harbour of 
 Toulon, where the ITrench fleet was nestled, became 
 very irksome, and when the boisterous weather set 
 in, the young surgeon hoped that it would freshen 
 into a gale and send them to Mahon, where the 
 winters were always mild. Before Christmas came, 
 the ' Bombay ' was at Minorca, and he wrote with 
 the prayer for many happy returns of the season to 
 all the loved ones in Scotland. A walking excursion 
 through the island, made during the winter, af- 
 forded him much pleasure and amusement. No- 
 where was anything worthy of the name of plough- 
 ing in use — a man poking between the rocks with 
 a crooked piece of wood being the only apology 
 for it. 
 
 The officers of the * Bombay' maintained the 
 strictest regularity in their mode of living — a habit 
 which the surgeon maintained through life. 
 
 
1811 
 
 ccept by 
 
 nvalided 
 Thomp- 
 } pleased 
 Jomplain 
 I, but it 
 lasant to 
 Captain 
 ilemanlj 
 
 /OUTS to 
 
 bour of 
 
 )ecame 
 
 her set 
 
 resheii 
 
 ire the 
 
 came, 
 
 e with 
 
 son to 
 
 ursion 
 
 er, af- 
 
 No- 
 
 ough- 
 
 i with 
 
 >ologY 
 
 i the 
 habit 
 
 1812 
 
 Our 
 
 AT PORT MAHON. 
 
 liar (f»ays he), if not 
 
 41 
 
 mess IS as regular (^f»ays nc^, it not more so, as any 
 in the fleet. It costs about fourteen dollars a month, which 
 at present rate of exchange is 50/. per annum. We live 
 well, but drink only Mahon wine, which is similar to good 
 claret, but not so strong and costs from sixpence to a shil- 
 ling the bottle. We have an allowance of a pint after 
 dinner, which is never exceeded except when strangers 
 are on board, and then only in a slight degree. I believe 
 no peopln indulge less in wine than officers of the navy, 
 and, on board ship, they must be careful from a regard to 
 their character and situation, drunkenness never being 
 pardoned at sea. 
 
 The long-continued active service at last told on 
 his health. The leave of absence, which, during 
 the heat of the war, could not be granted to any 
 one able for duty, became a necessity. In the 
 summer of 1812, he hastened to the home of his 
 childhood, and enjoyed for a few weeks the loved 
 society of the fam^iy circle at Nith Place, from 
 time to time paying visits to his brother, Mr. Peter 
 Richardson, at Disdow, and sharing in the genial 
 hospitalities of the kind people of Gatehouse. This, 
 however, was an opportunity for study which had 
 long been wished for, and must not be neglected. 
 He set out for London, and writing to his father, 
 says : ' I have laid out 20^. in taking perpetual 
 tickets for surgical and anatomical lectures, so 
 that, in the event of my being in London for a 
 week or two at any future period, I can attend 
 them free of expense. I have very good lodgings, 
 
42 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1812 
 
 and only require to go through one street to reach 
 the lecture-rooms.' 
 
 This quiet season of study was succeeded by one 
 of active duty at sea, a warrant appointing him 
 surgeon of His Majesty's sloop ' Cruiser,' then 
 lying at Sheerness, being issued by the Transport 
 Board, on December 5, 1812. 
 
1812 
 
 bo reach 
 
 i by one 
 ng him 
 ,' then 
 a-n sport 
 
 1812 
 
 IN THE ' CRUISER.' 
 
 43 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SURGEON OF THE * CRUISER ' IN THE BALTIC — AT SHEERNESS 
 
 IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND THE ' CRUISER ' PAID OFF — 
 
 STUDY IN LO DON — APPOINTED SURGEON TO THE IST BAT- 
 TALION OF ROYAL MARINES. 
 
 1812-1814. 
 
 ' The weather is unusually cold,' he wrote from 
 Sheerness in December, * and I think Boney must 
 find his quarters very disagreeable, if the winter 
 has set in as keenly in Kussia and Poland as it has 
 done here.' Two days after these words were 
 penned, Napoleon entered Paris alone, and the 
 news flew through Europe that the Russian winter 
 had been destructive as well as disagreeable — that 
 the Grand Army was no more. 
 
 The appointment to the ' Cruiser ' was a fortu- 
 nate one. The officers were pleasant companions, 
 and though anxious to enjoy the comforts and 
 opportunities for study which a life on shore would 
 afford, he requested his father not to be in a hurry 
 in applying to Captain Hope, the more so as it was 
 understood to be the rule to give these situations 
 to surgeons who had been ten years in the service. 
 
 i 
 
 'wi 
 
44 
 
 LITE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1813 
 
 {K 
 
 v< 
 
 (I 
 
 Towards the eiyi of February, the weather, 
 which had been, boisterous, moderated, and the 
 ' Cruiser ' sailed from the Nore to join the Baltic 
 fleet, which it succeeded in doing at Wingo Sound, 
 after a fair run across the North Sea. Here were 
 the ' Courageux,' ' Daphne,' * Zealous,' * Ulysses,' 
 and several brigs. Admiral Morris, the Com- 
 mander-in-Chief, having his flag in the 'Vigo.' 
 The * Cruiser' was ordered to get ready to sail, as 
 soon as the wind was favourable, for the Scaw or 
 Cape Skagen, the extreme northern point of Den- 
 mark, a station which her officers considered to be 
 one of the best for taking prizes, unless the fates 
 were unpropitious. While waiting for a fair wind 
 he visited one of the islands which form Wingo 
 Sound, of which he says : — 
 
 It is named Brauno, and consists principally of barren 
 rocks. There is one village on it of about 120 families. 
 The houses are small, consisting of one room and a porch, 
 or at most two. They are built of logs, dovetailed into 
 each other at the corners, and the interstices filled with 
 moss. The roofs are of thin deals covered with turf. It 
 is a poor place, and the inhabitants subsist chiefly by fish- 
 ing. In front of the village lies a patch of arable land, 
 which is ploughed at present, but there is not the least ap- 
 pearance of vegetation to be seen anywhere ; and I am told 
 that the ground will continue in this apparently barren 
 state until the end of April, when all at once the spring 
 becomes general and advances much more rapidly than in 
 Scotland. 
 
 The 'Cruiser's' active operations, oflF Cape 
 
1813 
 
 1813 
 
 WINGO 90UND. 
 
 45 
 
 Skagen, were speedily brought to a close. Having 
 taken four Danish vessels, she bore up for Wingo 
 Sound on March 19, but was forced to run for 
 shelter to the coast of Sweden : — 
 
 We put to sea several times (Mr, Richardson wrftes), but 
 were always obliged to make for one or other of the ports 
 which abound on that coast, and lastly entered Salo Sound, 
 on the 27th. During the night of April 1, it coming on 
 to blow hard, we drove from our anchorage and grounded 
 on a reef of rocks, where we remained twenty-eight hours. 
 The guns and shot were got out, and everything possible 
 done to lighten the ship, and then by heaving cables, made 
 fast to anchors laid out ahead, we got her off with the loss 
 of the rudder and false keel. Our people worked inces- 
 santly for forty hours, got the guns and shot in again and 
 hung the rudder, so that she was ready for sea the next 
 day. I do not think our bottom is injured, as we do not 
 leak, but it will be necessary to go into dock to get a new 
 false keel and rudder. I am afraid that should the damages 
 be greater than we expect, the ' Cruiser ' will be paid off, 
 an event which I do not wish to happen, as I could not en- 
 joy more comfort, the utmost harmony subsisting between 
 the captain and officers. However, if Captain Toker be 
 promoted, she will probably be paid off, having run for 
 fifteen or sixteen years without having been thoroughly 
 repaired. In that case I shall renew my studies in Lon- 
 don, which can be done with little additional expense, 
 having made myself a perpetual pupil. I am uncertain 
 when we shall be ordered home, but will remain at anchor 
 here as a kind of guard-ship till that time. This harbour 
 is crowded with vessels, there being upwards of 500 sail of 
 merchantmen waiting for a fair wind, besides a good many 
 men-of-war. 
 
46 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1813 
 
 <^, 
 
 I- 
 
 While l}'ing in Wingo Sound, he observed the 
 peculiarity of climate referred to when describing 
 the island of Brauno. At the end of April the 
 riggin[i^ of the ship was covered with ice, and 
 before the middle of May vegetation was rapidly 
 advancing. Early in June the * Cruiser ' reached 
 Sheerness, and was docked for repairs : — 
 
 I once thought (he wrote) of applying for leave and 
 going down to Scotland, or remaining in London to attend 
 lectures while the * Cruiser ' is in harbour, biit have 
 given up the idea, for the present, chiefly from motives of 
 economy. We have been so much in port lately that our 
 expenses have been nearly double what they would have 
 been had we remained at sea. I shall, however, do pretty 
 well at the end of the year, as I am then entitled to an in- 
 crease of pay, and should the ' Cruiser ' be paid off after 
 that, I shall be a little more my own master. 
 
 Her repairs completed, the * Cruiser' was placed 
 under the orders of Admiral Otway, and sailed to 
 the north of Scotland, to look out for privateers, 
 which had appeared among the Shetland Islands. 
 In July she arrived at Long Hope, about seventeen 
 miles from Kirkwall, where a large fleet of mer- 
 chantmen, under the charge of two brigs, was lying 
 at anchor and in great fear of the redoubted 
 American privateer. Commodore Rogers, who was 
 reported to be in those seas. There is no thought 
 of the little * Cruiser ' attempting to fight the 
 enemy — the odds were too great ; but her officers 
 were anxious to get a sight of him, and felt pretty 
 
1813 
 
 1813 
 
 THE * CRUISER ' SPRINGS A LEAK. 
 
 47 
 
 and 
 
 certain that lie could not catch them if they wished 
 to run. Several weeks were spent among the 
 Orkneys, on which was seen growing here and 
 there * a birch, scarcely big enough to make a 
 broom.' Meanwhile the * Alexandria' and a sloop 
 of war have chased Commodore Rogers as far north 
 as the seventy-fourth parallel of latitude, and the 
 ' Cruiser ' has little to do but roam among the 
 islands. 
 
 Towards the end of August she sailed with 
 despatches for Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk, 
 whose flag-ship, the * Royal Oak,' was supposed to 
 be cruising between Iceland and the Lewis. The 
 weather was stormy, and, on September 7, during 
 a heavy gale, the ' Cruiser ' sprung a leak, which 
 floated the powder magazine. This accident made 
 them bear up for Leith, but the wind fouling 
 again on the 9th, she was nm into Long Hope, to 
 wait for a favourable change. Here it was ascer- 
 tained that the extent and position of the leak 
 would make it necessary for her to be docked 
 in order to be repaired, and the 'Cruiser' was 
 accordingly ordered to Sheemess. * I am sorry,' 
 Mr. Richardson wrote, ' that the accident has hap- 
 pened at this time, for it is not convenient to be so 
 much in harbour, especially after an unsuccessful 
 cruise. The four vessels we detained in the Baltic 
 have been liberated, contrary to our expectation — I 
 suppose from political motives.' 
 
 The voyages of the ' Cruiser,' in 181,3, had been 
 
T 
 
 48 
 
 LIFE OP 3IR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1813 
 
 
 '.1 
 
 i 
 I 
 
 unfortunate, and tended to deepen his dislike for 
 the sea and intensify the longing for a home on 
 shore, where he could gather his books around him. 
 Dr. Shortridge, of Dumfries, had been thinking of 
 giving up practice, and Mr. Richardson, who had 
 been urged to succeed him, writes : — 
 
 I am sorry that the appearances of peace have vanished, 
 as my half-pay is now six shillings a day, and I should like 
 to retire, but I think that too much to throw away without 
 better prospects than even full practice at Dumfries holds 
 forth, and I could not expect constant employment until 
 after the lapse of several years. However, as a life at sea 
 becomes daily less and less to my taste, I beliei'e that, in a 
 year or two, I shall be induced to quit it, even though I 
 do sacrifice my half-pay. If, however, there were a fair 
 prospect of becoming surgeon to a Marine Division, Naval 
 Hospital, ot Dockyard, I do not think that four or five 
 years longer would be ill spent in serving for it. I have 
 determined, at all events, to remain in the * Cruiser,' as it 
 is probable she w^ill be paid off, when I may have an op- 
 portunity of a season in Edinburgh on half-pay. This 
 would be of much advantage to me, and what I wish before 
 
 entering into private practice. 
 
 * 
 
 The ' Cruiser ' was put out of commission at 
 Sheerness on November 27, and Mr. Richardson 
 settled down to his studies in London, while waiting 
 for another ship. ' 1 am making the most of my 
 time,' he writes, * by attending lectures here, and 
 have no idea of leaving the service at present, as 
 it is possible that a general peace may take place 
 soon, and if I get employed again before that 
 
1813 
 
 1813-14 
 
 IN LONDON. 
 
 49 
 
 event, mj half-pay will be no contemptible addition 
 to my income, should I begin to practise on shore.' 
 
 The winter of 1813-14 was one of those pleasant 
 seasons of quiet study, intermingled with the 
 amenities of family life, which he so much enjoyed. 
 Innocent recreations and the sight of smiling faces 
 were all the more keenly relished from his being 
 a hard-working student. Though busy with his 
 books, he, nevertheless, found time to join the 
 circle of friends of the family with whom he lodged, 
 and danced as heartily as his young sisters at 
 Dumfries. 
 
 Several causes united in inducing him to retain 
 his position as surgeon in the Royal Navy. The 
 absence of any love for a life at sea would have 
 led a man of less firmness of purpose and fore- 
 thought to retire, probably to repent the step after- 
 wards when struggling hard to gain the means of 
 living from a country practice. It was to be ex- 
 pected that one so young and youthful in appear- 
 ance would only succeed by degrees in gaining the 
 confidence of the public in a town where he would 
 have to compete ^vith able surgeons of long expe- 
 rience and established character. It was also his 
 fixed resolve, once more to attend his Alma Mater 
 in Edinburgh, and obtain a physician's diploma 
 before settling down permanently as a medical 
 practitioner: while by continuing in the service 
 till the restoration of peace, his half-pay would be 
 secured ; and if war continued, there was the pro- 
 
T 
 
 50 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1S13 
 
 spect of being appointed surgeon to an hospital, 
 dockyard, or division of marines. He was, there- 
 fore, content to bide his time, and the reward came, 
 sooner than was expected, to the patient waiter 
 and conscientious worker. 
 
 In February 1814, having finished his course of 
 lectures, he was anxious to obtain employment. 
 Receiving a hint from one of the clerks at the 
 Transport Board that there might be some delay, 
 unless a way of stimulating them was found, he 
 wi'ote for leave to go to Scotland, if it was not their 
 intention to grant him an immediate appointment, 
 as the expense of living respectably in London 
 exceeded his half-pay. 
 
 This was an honest, manly way of moving the 
 Board, and, to the honour of the members, the 
 appeal was at once responded to. The letter was 
 written on February 9, and, on the 12th he was 
 appointed surgeon to the 1st battalion of Royal 
 Marines, then serving in North America. 
 
 * I am pleased with the appointment,' were his 
 words, * as there is a chance of its leading to a 
 permanent situation as surgeon of a marine corps.' 
 This anticipation was correct. The turning- i>oif>-t 
 of his course of life had come, and with the i^ ug 
 off of the ' Cruiser,' his life at sea, except as a 
 passenger, may be said to have ended. 
 
 t 
 
H13 
 
 1614 
 
 SAILS FOR AMERICA. 
 
 51 
 
 lospital, 
 
 , there- 
 
 d came, 
 
 waiter 
 
 )urse of 
 >yment. 
 at the 
 J delay, 
 ind, he 
 )t their 
 itment, 
 jondon 
 
 ng the 
 rs, the 
 er was 
 tie was 
 Royal 
 
 ?re his 
 g to a 
 3orps.' 
 
 ixti a 
 
 i 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SAILS FOK AMEIMCA BERMUDA CANADA — HALIFAX — COAST 
 
 OF OEOliGIA — CUMBERLAND ISLAND RETURNS TO ENGLAND. 
 
 1814-1815. 
 
 With his usual promptitude, Mr. Richardson set 
 out for Portsmouth to hold himself in readiness 
 to sail for Canada. Here a considerable delay 
 occurred ; but a battalion of marines, just re- 
 turned from Holland, being under orders to pro- 
 ceed to the Bermudas, he was aj)pointed by the 
 Admiralty to do duty on the voyage out. This 
 secured the advantage of being at once placed on 
 full pay, and receiving the allowances attached 
 to his position. 
 
 After a tedious voyage, he reached the Ber- 
 mudas towards the end of May, and having taken 
 a passage on board the * Lord Collingwood ' trans- 
 port ship, sailed for Halifax. On June 3, he wrote, 
 giving an account of the Bermudas : — 
 
 They are a range of islands extending from east to west 
 abo twenty miles, but their greatest breadth does not ex- 
 ce . wo. The largest island in the group is called by the 
 ini. bitants the ' continent' and is about twelve miles long. 
 
 £ 2 
 
■T 
 
 52 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN EICHAEDSON. 
 
 1814 
 
 There are vseveral others from three to four miles in extent 
 upon one of which stands the town of St. George. This is 
 the capital, and indeed the only town, if a straggling row of 
 houses and stores, running along the harbour, can deserve 
 that name. Besides these, which may be termed the prin- 
 cipal islands, there are many others much smaller, having 
 one or two houses on each. 
 
 The surface is very rocky and uneven, there being many 
 deep valleys and swamps ; but the hills, though steep, do 
 not rise much above the level of the sea, so that the islands 
 cannot be seen at a greater distance than four or five leagues. 
 Their shores are beset with innumerable rocks to the dis- 
 tance of ten or twelve miles on every side, except the south- 
 west, which is the only one on which they can be ap- 
 proached. Very little of the country is cultivated. Part 
 of it is covered with cedar trees, but the greater number of 
 the hills produce only wild snge, without the smallest ap 
 pearance of grass in the summer, though I have heard that 
 a little springs up during the winter. The cedar trees were 
 formerly much more numerous, and they built with them 
 many small schooners for sale, but the demand has been so 
 great that few trees are to be met with of a suflicient size. 
 The soil on the hills is light and sandy, and does not appear 
 to be capable of much improvement 5 but some of the valleys 
 are very rich and might bo made to produce anything if 
 the laziness of the inhabitants did not prevent their culti- 
 vation. The climate is warm enough to ripen the finest 
 Iruits in the world, but the idleness of the people can only 
 be equalled by their rapacity. 
 
 The houses are built of soft stone, which is to be pro- 
 cured in great abundance, but very little attention is paid 
 to neatness in architecture and still less to comfort. Even 
 in the very best houses few ol" the rooms have ceilings. 
 
 
1814 
 
 1814 
 
 AT MONTREAL. 
 
 53 
 
 in extent 
 inis IS 
 ng row of 
 n deserve 
 the prin- 
 r, having 
 
 ng many 
 Bteep, do 
 e islands 
 
 leagues. 
 
 the dis- 
 le south - 
 I be ap- 
 d. Part 
 imber of 
 Heat ap 
 ?ard that 
 'ees were 
 ith them 
 been so 
 ent size, 
 t appear 
 3 valleys 
 ^tiling if 
 ir culti- 
 e finest 
 ;an only 
 
 be pro- 
 
 is paid 
 
 Even 
 
 seilings. 
 
 Their dining-rooms look like barns and are little better 
 furnished. A few chairs, a table, and an old cedar chest, 
 make up, in general, the whole amount of furniture. 
 
 On June 6, the ' Lord CoUingwood ' reached 
 Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, and Mr. Rich- 
 ardson landed to wait for an opportunity of pro- 
 ceeding to Quebec. In a letter from Quebec, 
 dated September 5, 1814, he gives an account of 
 his movements during June, July, and August. 
 
 In June, I went to Montreal by the steamboat in order 
 to join the first battalion. On arriving there I had the 
 mortification to learn that the greater part of it had been 
 drafted for the naval service on the lakes, and that the stafl'', 
 with a few non-com missioned ofificers and privates, amount- 
 ing in all to one hundred, had received oiders to go to 
 Halifax, for the purpose, it was said, of forming a new bat- 
 talion from a detachment of marines which liud arrived 
 from England. It vexed me a good deal to see so fine a 
 battalion broken up, as they were universally considered 
 here to be the most excellent body of men in tlie country 
 and exceedingly well disciplined, having been five years 
 embodied under the command of Colonel Williams. 
 
 They are much in Avant of medical men ibr the ships on 
 the lakes, in consequence of which I was ordered up there, 
 but after some little trouble I got the onler cancelled, and 
 was allowed to proceed with the rest of the staff of the 
 battalion. I joined them at St. John's, on the Richelieu, 
 a river which flows from Lake Champlain into the St. Lau- 
 rence, and marched with them to Chambley, where we em- 
 barked in the steamboat for Quebec. AVe had remarkably 
 fine weather during our march, which lasted four days, and 
 
^>I?^^3? 
 
 !99irVY'!!nPBn'^n9*>^«V"HiPPi*aP^Vf«>" 
 
 ^m^-^m^mmmmmmt 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1814 
 
 he country through which we passed was delightful. Our 
 route lay along the banks of the Richelieu, which is about 
 four times the size of the Nith, when largest, but frequently 
 subdivided into several streams by its numerous islands, 
 which, from the quantity of fine wood on them, have the 
 most picturesque appearance. The farm-houses along the 
 banks are so thickly situated as to look like a continued 
 village, and the tin-covered spires of the neat Roman 
 Catholic churches, peeping through the trees, added greatly 
 to the effect of the scene. All the churches and a great 
 many houses in this country are covered with tin. It forms 
 a durable roof and has a fine appearance, particularly by 
 moonlight. 
 
 We expect to sail for Haliftix in ten days or a fortnight, 
 and shall most likely remain there during the winter, as the 
 season for operations on the coast of the United States 
 must be over long before we can reach it.' 
 
 The}^ aiTived at Halifax, October 28, after a voy- 
 age of three weeks, from Quebec, and were to 
 sail, ' in the course of a few days for Bermuda, 
 to join Sir Alexander Cochrane.' 
 
 Our ultimate destination, he wrote, will most likely 
 be the coast of America, but active operations will not be 
 recommenced until the forces expected under Lord Hill 
 will be ready to co-operate. 
 
 The Americans make great exertions. The late attack 
 on their capital seems to have united all the different par- 
 ties in one cause, and any force we can land on their coast 
 will not be alile to retain possession of it for any length of 
 time. We may, indeed, carry on that predatory system of 
 
^mm 
 
 ««ip 
 
 1814 
 
 1815 
 
 WAE WITH AMERICA. 
 
 5o 
 
 rtnight, 
 as the 
 States 
 
 Avarfare which serves to degrade the British character with 
 out materially injuring the enemy. 
 
 In the late attack on Washington, our troops destroyed 
 the few works of art which were found there, and were 
 barbarous enough to burn the public library, so that our 
 conduct will not bear to be compared with that of the hali- 
 civilised Russians, who, with infinitely greater provocation, 
 respected the monuments of learning and of tlie arts, during 
 their progress through France. 
 
 At present the Americans have only a small number of 
 regulars, who are badly disciplined and ill-paid. They 
 have, however, a numerous militia, who are good light 
 troops, particularly adapted for bush-fighting ; and if the 
 war continue, will no doubt become excellent soldiers. 
 There is no want of bravery among them. 
 
 In January 1815, an expedition, of which the 
 1st battalion of Eoyal Marines formed a pai*t, ar- 
 rived off the coast of Georgia, and sailing south- 
 ward from Savannah, took and plundered the little 
 town of St. Mary's, which was then abandoned, 
 and Cumberland Island taken possession of. The 
 manner in which the expeditionary troops treated 
 the property of non-combatants was most discredit- 
 able, and viewed with disgust by ^Ir. Richardson, 
 whose sensitiveness regarding the honour of the 
 British name was only surpassed by his humanity. 
 
 On February 7, 1815, he wrote from Cumber- 
 land Island, describing the position of the British 
 forces and the sufferings of the natives. 
 
 I mentioned to you the capture of tlie town of St. 
 
■tr 
 
 f; 
 
 wtmmmmm 
 
 fsm 
 
 I 
 
 !! 
 
 V 
 
 Ih! 
 
 5e 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1815 
 
 Mary's. We evacuated that unfortunate little place after 
 plundering it of almost everything of value, and are at 
 j)resent encamped on Cumberland Island, occupied in con- 
 structing entrenchments and raising forts, so that it is 
 likely we shall make a long stay upon it. 
 
 This island is low and sandy, similar to the whole of 
 Georgia, for many miles back, and is frequently intersected 
 with marshes. As only a small portion of it has been 
 cleared, the greatest part of the island is covered with 
 forests which are difficult to penetrate from the thickness 
 of the underwood. It is about twenty miles long and 
 scarcely anywhere more than two broad, and is of no value 
 to us except from the facilities which it affords of cutting 
 oif the trade of the Americans to Amelia, thus shutting up 
 the principal outlet for their cotton. On this account, I 
 suppose, we shall hold it during the remainder of the war. 
 
 A small expedition has been sent from this for the pur- 
 pose of collecting all the tobacco and cotton on several 
 islnnds a little to the northward. I do not know upon what 
 principle we deprive the unresisting inhabitants of their 
 property, but so it is that everything under the denomina- 
 tion of merchandise is taken for the general account, and 
 the greatest part of what remains is seized by private plun- 
 derers. At tirst this system was confined to houses which 
 had been deserted by the owners, but that has given the 
 most of the men such a taste for it, that few escape. Those 
 who come last and find everythi ^ carried off by their pre- 
 decessors generally break the windows. From what I 
 have already seen of this mode of warfare I do not think 
 the American accounts are much exaggerated. 
 
 We have met with a severe check at New Orleans and 
 lost many men, both by the fire of the enemy and tiie 
 
 a I 
 
181i 
 
 1$]5 
 
 CUMBERLAND ISLAND. 
 
 57 
 
 severity of the season. Tlie cold is so intense at times 
 there that many of the men have been frost-bitten, and 
 even here, -where there is no severe service, we liave had \' 
 from seventy to eighty men ill at a time with chilblains. 
 
 The principal proprietor on Cumberland Island is Mrs. 
 Shaw, the daughter of General Green, who was second in 
 command to Washington in the Revolutionary war. When 
 we landed, she was reputed to be rich. Her slaves alone 
 were worth ten thousiind pounds sterling, the whole of 
 whom have deserted. The overseer, a black man, carried 
 the keys of the outhouses to his mistress yesterday and told 
 her he intended to join the English. We had a number of 
 men quartered in her cotton-houses which, through care- 
 Jessness, were set on fire and totally destroyed, so that she 
 is now reduced to poverty. All the slaves who ofter them- 
 selves as soldiers are received, if fit for service, and those 
 who merely wish to quit their masters are sent to the 
 Bermudas or Halifax. 
 
 Fortunately for both countries, peace was soon 
 after concluded, and the Royal Marines left Cum- 
 berland Island, and returned by way of the Ber- 
 mudas to England to be disbanded. In America, 
 Mr. Richardson had seen much of the world, and 
 having had charge of the hospital for the troops 
 employed in Georgia, enjoyed the most favourable 
 opportunities for enlarging his experience as a 
 surgeon, and developing his administrative ability. 
 
 > 
 
tmm 
 
 ^ssaBmswm&m'm^ 
 
 iei««ivis 
 
 58 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1815 
 
 '.i 
 
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 I 
 
 
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 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY — DOCTOR'S DEGREE — BEGINS TO 
 PRACTISE AS A PHYSICIAN MARRIAGE APPOINTED SUR- 
 GEON AND NATURALIST TO THE FIRST OVERLAND EXPEDI- 
 TION TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 1815—1819. 
 
 The general peace which followed the battle of 
 Waterloo, enabled Mr. Richardson to obtain a 
 season of rest from active service. He was placed 
 on half-pay, and the long cherished plan of re- 
 suming his studies at the University of Edinburgh 
 was carried into effect during the winter session 
 of 1815-16. 
 
 There are few materials from which to sketch 
 the student life of this period. We only catch 
 glimpses of it in some of his letters, and those of 
 early friends. He always avoided speaking of 
 himself and his doings. This sensitive modesty — 
 abhorrence of anything like egotism —increases, 
 in no small degree, the difficulty of tracing his 
 early career. We know, however, that he assidu- 
 ously attended the classes in the University till 
 1817, when he obtained the degree of Doctor of 
 
 ifi 
 
1815 
 
 1818 
 
 MARRIAGE. 
 
 69 
 
 Medicine, the subject of his thesis being, * De 
 febre flava.' 
 
 Towards the close of 1817, Dr. Eichardson 
 began to practise as a physician at 36, Consti- 
 tution Street, Leith. In the letters which he 
 wrote at this time, there is not much said about 
 his own affairs. One, however, to his father, dated 
 April 6, 1818, refers to an important event, his 
 approaching marriage to Mary, second daughter 
 of WiUiam Stiven, Esq., Leith, which was solem- 
 nised on June 1. 
 
 His private practice as a physician was not very 
 successful. We have no doubt that this failure 
 was permitted by the Supreme Ruler, to lead him 
 into the sphere for which he had been, uncon- 
 sciously, preparing, and the duties of which, from 
 his well-knit frame, habits of life, and mental 
 qualities, he was admirably fitted to fulfil. An 
 overland journey to the shores of the Arctic Sea 
 was, at this time, about to be undertaken, and 
 early in 1819, Dr. Richardson w^as appointed sur- 
 geon and naturalist to the expedition. 
 
 On March 26, 1819, the Secretary of the Admi- 
 ralty wrote : — 
 
 Commissioner Searle, having put into my hand your 
 application to be employed on the Xorthern Expedition, I 
 wrote to a friend in Edinburjih to make encjuiry whether 
 you were acquainted with any of the l)ranch('S of Natural 
 History. As tlie report is satisfactory, if you fi^el disposed 
 for such an expedition, and think tliat your health and 
 
 w 
 
^*^^ip^l9PiPiPiiOTi^pi«iVPP«VHHPmBm 
 
 ■ 
 
 60 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1819 
 
 I 
 
 
 (jualifications are suitable for the undertaking, and you 
 could be ready to set out from England by the first week 
 in May, I request you to state to me whetlier you could 
 undertake to collect and preserve specimens of minerals, 
 plants, and aniniiils, in order that I may lay it before Lord 
 Melville, for his consideration and approval. 
 
 Dr. Eichardson promptly replied, and on April 
 3, received the announcement of Lord Melville's 
 having concurred in his appointment. On March 
 29, he wrote to his brother, Mr. Peter Eichardson, 
 informing him of the offer which had been made 
 by the Admiralty, and that he had written to sig- 
 nify his acceptance of it, adding, — 
 
 I consider this appointment as affording a fairer prospect 
 of advancement than any I have hitherto held, and as it 
 will bring me into acquaintance with many scientific men, 
 and those at the head of naval affairs, I am much pleased 
 with it. ■ 
 
 He was the more gratified at having been selected 
 for this honourable service, that Macvey Napier, 
 the editor of the ' Edinburgh Encyclopaedia,' had 
 been directed to make enquiries regarding his 
 abilities, and report to Mr. Barrow, before the 
 appointment was made. 
 
 Meantime, Dr. Eichardson devotes every mo- 
 ment he can spare, to the study of mineralogy, 
 Professor Jamieson kindly allowing him the use 
 of his museum, and to attend his lectures free. 
 On April 7, he wrote to his father : — 
 
1819 SURGEON TO THE OVERLAND EXPEDITION. 61 
 
 I shall proceed, by sea, to London, next week, when I 
 shall learn more fully the objects of the expedition, and 
 inform you. Mrs. Richardson will fix her abode at Dalkeith 
 until I return ; but it is possible that she will pay you a 
 visit in the summer. I expect the service will be pleasant, 
 and consider myself fortunate in being selected for it by the 
 Admiralty. 
 
 If rapid success had crowned his efforts in 
 Leith, these loving hearts, so recently united by 
 the closest of ties, might have shrunk from the 
 long separation which must necessarily follow his 
 acceptance of this appointment. The young wife, 
 however deeply she felt the breaking up of her 
 new home, and the parting which was so soon 
 to take place, never murmured or complained. 
 Having gained the acquiescence of his wife, he 
 followed the leadings of Providence. In the wastes 
 of the northern wilderness, the nobler points of 
 his character were to be brought prominently out. 
 He went forth, resolved to gain some share of 
 fame, and prove himself worthy of his wife's love, 
 and returned, as we shall see, with the foundation 
 of a noble character firmly laid. 
 
mviv^P! 
 
 «w 
 
 »■ 
 
 62 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1819 
 
 f 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY TO THE POLAR REGIONS — DR. RICH- 
 ARDSON IN LONDON — SAILS FROM GRAVESEND — ARRIVES AT 
 YORK FACTORY — SPENDS THE FIRST WINTER AT CUMBEl:- 
 LAND HOUSE. 
 
 U: 
 
 1819-1820. 
 
 We now come to the time when Dr. Richardson 
 became connected with those expeditions to the 
 Arctic American coast, during which were brought 
 out so prominently the high sense of honour, 
 bravery, self-denial, patient endurance, loving 
 tenderness — esjDecially to the weak — and firm faith 
 in God's goodness, for which he was remarkable. 
 
 In 1818, renewed efforts were begun to extend 
 our knowledge of the Arctic seas, and discover 
 the passage between the North Pacific and At- 
 lantic Oceans. The ' Dorothea,' under Commander 
 David Buchan, and the * Trent,' Lieutenant John 
 Franklin, proceeded northwards to endeavour to 
 cross the Polar Sea; but between Spitzbergen 
 and Greenland, the ' Dorothea ' received so much 
 injury in the ice, that they were obliged to return. 
 The ' Isabella,' commanded by Captain John Ross 
 
1819 
 
 IN LONDON. 
 
 G3 
 
 and the * Alexander,' by Lieutenant William Ed- 
 ward Parry, were appointed to perform their voy- 
 age of discovery throu«^li Davis' Straits. This 
 voya^je was so far successfiU, that it established 
 the accuracy of Baffin's survey of the bay which 
 bears his name ; but Captain Ross returned, with- 
 out having examined Lancaster Sound. In 1819, 
 therefore, the ' Hecla ' and * Griper ' were com- 
 missioned for that duty, the former ship com- 
 manded by Lieutenant William Edward Parry, 
 and the latter, by Lieutenant Mathew Liddon. 
 
 Meanwhile, Lieutenant Franklin was appointed 
 to lead an expedition over land, from Hudson's 
 Bay to the mouth of the Coppermine River, in 
 order to determine the latitudes and longitudes, 
 and trending of the northern coast eastward, to 
 the extremity of the American continent. The 
 officers ajjpointed to accompany Franklin were 
 Dr. John Richardson, as surgeon and naturalist, 
 Mr. (now Rear-Admiral Sir George) Back, and 
 Mr. Robert Hood, midshipmen, to make illustra- 
 tive drawings, plans of the routes taken, and 
 assist their chief in obtaining observations. A 
 happier combination of talent and noble qualities 
 of mind could scarcely have been formed, and the 
 friendships, which were cemented by daring and 
 suffering for each other in the snowy wastes, re- 
 mained unbroken in after-life. 
 
 On April 24, 1819, Dr. Richardson wrote to his 
 father : — 
 
C4 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1819 
 
 // 
 
 I arrived in London yesterday, after a paHssige of seven 
 days from Leith. I have seen the officer wlio is to command 
 the expedition, and am much pleased with liis manners. 
 He is a lieutenant in the navy, and liis name is Franklin. 
 I have also seen Sir Joseph Banks, and liave a general in- 
 vitation to his house. To-morrow evening:, there is a 
 general assemblage of literary and scienlific men in his li- 
 brary, to which I mean to go for the purpose of being in- 
 troduced to Dr. Leach and Mr. Koenig of the British 
 ]\[useum. 
 
 Our expedition will occupy a longer time than I expected ; 
 at least two years from the time we leave Ejigland. The 
 plan is to land at York Fort in August, and thence proceed 
 as soon as possible to Fort Chipewyan, an advanced post of 
 the Hudson's Bay Company. It is doubtful whether we 
 shall be .ible to get that length previous to the setting-in of 
 winter, but if we do, it is intended to winter there, and 
 proceed northwards in the spring, for the j)urpose of deter- 
 mining the north-east boundary of the American continent. 
 This object may be attained in the course of the first summer, 
 but it will 1)0 left in the discretion of the commanding 
 officer to return southwards on approach of winter, and 
 complete, during the following summer, any part of his 
 survey which he may have lelt unfinished. 
 
 My duty will be to collect minerals, plants, and animals. 
 The country has never been visited by a naturalist,, and 
 presents a rich harvest. ]My knowledge of these subjects 
 is very limited, but I am endeavouring to extend it by the 
 opportunities afforded me here, and if I succeed in making 
 a good collection, I have no doubt of my promotion on my 
 return. 
 
 Mv wife intends visitinsr vou in tlve summoi", when you 
 
1819 
 
 IN LONDON. 
 
 65 
 
 will have an opportunity of observing in lior those (lomestic 
 virtues which have rendered the last year the happiest in 
 niy life. The hope ol'ac(|uiring the power of rendering her 
 more comfortable, and the possibility of obtaining some 
 portion of fame, and j)roving myself worthy of her att'cction, 
 are the inducements which I have to undertake the expe- 
 dition, and are the only motives strong enough to enable 
 me to endure so long an absence. 
 
 During his brief sojourn in London, he became 
 acquainted with many who were distinj^uished for 
 their scientific attainments, and others who have 
 since grained for themselves undying fame. The 
 eminent naturalist. Dr. J. E. Gray, of the British 
 Museum, thus mentions the commencement of his 
 long friendship with the subject of our Memoir : — 
 
 When Sir John Richardson came to London, on his ap- 
 pointment to accompany Sir John Franklin on his memor- 
 able Overland Expedition, he brought with him a letter of 
 introduction to Sir Joseph Banks. I happened to be then 
 studying in the library in Soho Square, and Sir Joseph 
 referred him to me, as a person who could give him informa- 
 tion respecting the collection and preservation of animals. 
 We had a good deal of conversation on this and other sub- 
 jects connected with Natural History, and the acfiuaintance 
 thus begun ripened into an intimacy, which lasted without 
 interruption until the time of his dcatli, and enabled me 
 thoroughly to understand and appreciate his high and 
 estimable character, both as a Naturalist and as a man. 
 
 On Sunday, May 23, 1819, the party embarked 
 at Gravesend, in the * Prince of Wales,' a vessel 
 
G6 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1819 
 
 r« 
 
 belonging- to the Huds n's Bay Company. A 
 week later, Dr. Eichardson wrote to his wife, — 
 
 We have been detainerl, in the moutli of the Thames, 
 by contrary winds, and are now at anclior in Ilollesly Bay. 
 I regret this detention the less as it will ensure my receiving 
 a letter from you on arriving at the Orkneys. After 
 quitting these Islands, I have no chance for at least twelve 
 months, but shall hope for the best, trusting to that Pro- 
 vidence wliich is all powerful. 
 
 I have now liad an opportunity of becoming better ac- 
 quainted with the commanding officer, and have every 
 reason to consider myself most fortunate in being associated 
 with him. He is a steady, religious, and cheerful man, and 
 altogether an honour to tl'.e profession. The young gentle- 
 men, too, who accompany us, are pleasant companions, and 
 1 trust that our expedition will prove an agreeable one. 
 The recollection of home will, indeed, intrude, but I en- 
 deavour to console myself with the reflection that you are 
 in good hands. The coast of Sussex, near which we are 
 anchored, looks beautiful, but the views 1 have of it only 
 serve to remind me of the scenes about Newbattle, where I 
 trust my beloved INIary is enjoying the beauties of Nature, 
 and not allowing the sorrow of our separation too much to 
 undermine her happiness. 
 
 We shall have divine service every Sunday, both during 
 our voyage out and our after ])rogress. How pleasant to 
 reflect that you and I, though in different quarters of the 
 globe, may be occupied, at the same time, in offering up 
 our thanksgivings to that Being whose bounties fill the whole 
 earth ! 
 
 A letter, written while the vessel was approacli- 
 
 ^,m 
 
1819 
 
 1819 
 
 ICEBERGS. 
 
 
 iny. 
 fe,- 
 
 Tlici 
 
 arnes 
 
 isly Bay, 
 
 roceivinff 
 
 o 
 
 ;. After 
 3t twelve 
 hat Pro- 
 
 etter ac- 
 
 e every 
 
 ^sociated 
 
 nan, and 
 
 ^ gentle- 
 
 ons, and 
 
 ->le one. 
 
 ut I en- 
 
 yoii are 
 
 we are 
 
 it only 
 
 here I 
 
 a turn, 
 
 uch to 
 
 during 
 sant to 
 
 of the 
 ing up 
 
 whole 
 
 )acii- 
 
 ing her destined port, gives a graphic description 
 of the voyage, which had been stormy : — 
 
 'After passing the southern point of Greenland, named 
 Cape Farewell, we met with much ice, but as it did not lie 
 thick, little difficulty was ex|)ei"ienced in forcing a way 
 through it ; nor did it prove so great an impediment as the 
 contrary winds that still continue to thwart us. Near the 
 coast of Greenland, the fields or streams of ice consisted of 
 a collection of loose and comparatively flat jtieces, more or 
 less densely compacted together, according to the state ol' 
 the Aveather, but in approaching the shores of Labrador, we 
 fell in with m^ny icebergs, or large floating islands of ice. 
 The variety of forms assiuned by these masses afforded us 
 amusement, but occasionally, we saw some of such an 
 enormous size that every other feeling gave place to 
 astonishment. 
 
 One of these larger Bergs we estimated to be two hun(b"ed 
 feet high above the water, and more th;m half a me in 
 length. Its surface was broken by mountains, with deep 
 valleys between. Enormous as these dimensions must ap- 
 pear, you will be more surprised when I ijiform you that 
 the part of an iceberg which projects above water, amounts 
 only to the ninth part of the whole mass, that being the 
 proportion of ice which floats above salt water. Arthur's 
 seat, clothed in snow, would have formed only one pinnacle 
 to this Berg. When these bodies became familiar to us, 
 from their frequenc} , we derived much pleasure from the 
 various shades and gradations of colour they exhibited. The 
 more compact parts were generally of a bright verdigris 
 blue; towards the base a fine sea-green colour prevailed; 
 here and there a tint of red was seen, and the summits alone 
 were snow-white. As the part of the ice which is covered 
 
 F 2 
 
I' i 
 
 I i 
 
 68 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1819 
 
 I, 
 
 by the sea decays more rapidly than tliat which is in the 
 air, it often liappens that one of tliese ishinds becomes top- 
 heavy, and tumbles over. We n3ver saw one in the act of 
 making this revohition, but most of them bore marks of 
 liaving overturned twice oc thrice, the old water-lines (in- 
 i M-secting each other in various directions), being still deeply 
 engraved on their surfaces. These enormous masses would 
 ;it first siglit appear to block up all approach to the frozen 
 shores of the North, but when we consider the manner in 
 which they are detached, and carried southward to melt 
 away under warmer seas and skies, it affords us a new reason 
 to admire the ways of Providence, which by means of ad- 
 iniiably simple agents accomplishes the most important 
 ends. 
 
 Everyone was by this time tired of the length of our 
 voyage, and extremely anxious to see the Island of Keso- 
 lution, which forms one side of the entrance of Hudson's 
 Straits, and is generally the first land wliich the Hudson's 
 Bay traders see aiter leaving the shores of Britain. At 
 length we saw it, but under such circumstances that we had 
 great cause to bless the goodness of the Divine Being who 
 protects and uphc'ds his creatiu-es when there is none else 
 to help. We first beheld the land during a fog, which soon 
 became so thick that we could not see the length of the 
 ship. In consequence of this we got involved in a field of 
 ice ; then to add to our distress, it fell calm, and, although 
 we could perceive that we were carried along by a stiong 
 current, yet the log deprived us of ascertiiining its direction, 
 and the depth of water was too great to admit of our 
 anchoring. After remaining in this situation ibr two or 
 three hours, receiving occasionally some heavy blows from 
 the ice, an alarm was given that we were close to the rocks. 
 
I8I9 
 
 1819 
 
 NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 69 
 
 h is in the 
 comes top- 
 i the act of 
 '■ marks of 
 -hnes (in- 
 still deeply 
 sses would 
 the frozen 
 manner in 
 d to meh 
 lew reason 
 ms of ad- 
 importaut 
 
 th of our 
 I of Keso- 
 Hudson's 
 Hudson's 
 fain. At 
 :it we had 
 eing who 
 none else 
 lich soon 
 th of the 
 
 field of 
 altiiough 
 a strong 
 irc'ction, 
 t of our 
 
 two or 
 ws from 
 le rocks. 
 
 We all ran upon deck and beheld a tremendous clifl", 
 I'rowning directly over the mast-heads of the ship. It was 
 perfectly perpendicular, covered in many places b}^ sheets 
 of ice, and its summit was so high, and shrouded in so thick 
 a fog, that it could not be traced from the deck. We had 
 scarcely time to make { ny useful exertions, for in a few 
 minutes the ship fell broadside against the cliff, along the 
 face of which she was violently hurried by the current to- 
 wards a ridge of broken rocks, which in a short time would 
 have torn the stoutest vessel to pieces. The heavy swell 
 which prevailed, caused the ship, in her passjige, to beat 
 against various rocky ledges which projected under water. 
 ' ^'^ of the blows she thus sustained drove the rudder out 
 o(' ir.-, place, but it fortunately hung suspended by a tJickllng 
 wii.vih had been employed to secure it on coming amongst 
 the ice. At this instant, when all human exertions seemed 
 l)erfectly fruitless, the current eddied off shore, a land 
 breeze sprung up, a boat that we had put overboard suc- 
 ceeded in taking us in tow^, and what appears almost mi- 
 raculous, one of the last bumps the ship received caused the 
 rudder to fall back into its place. By this coml)ination of 
 lavourable circumstances, we succeeded in getting round 
 the point which we so much dreaded, and setting all sail, 
 steered from the land. Upon the first alarm of danger, the 
 women and children, of whom we had a large number on 
 board, going to Lord Selkirk's colony, rushed upon deck, 
 and by their expressions of fear and despair added to the 
 horrors of the scene. The officers, however, prevailed upon 
 them to go below out of the way of the sailors ; biit scarcely 
 had this been effected, when the current carried us against 
 a large iceberg, which had grounded upon a ridge of sunken 
 rocks that lay at some distance from the shore. The crash 
 
 7^ 
 
X 
 
 -V 
 
 70 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1819 
 
 of the masts and yards, together with the grinding of the 
 ship's side against the ice, terrified them more than ever ; 
 but we got speedily clear of tliis second danger Avithout re- 
 ceiving further damage. Our troubles were not, however, 
 at an end ; the ship had been so mucli injured whilst on the 
 rocks, that on examination a great deal of water was found 
 in the hold. All hands were instantly set to the pumps, 
 but, to our mortification, we foiind that the water rushed in 
 faster than we could, with every exertion, discharge it. 
 
 Affairs now wore a gloomy aspect. The water in the 
 hold increased to upwards of five feet, and the men were 
 getting tired at the pumps, when fortunately the weather 
 cleared up a little, and we saw the ' Eddystone,' one of the 
 vofcsels that accompanied us, Mt no great distance, so we bore 
 down and informed those on board of our situation. Every 
 assistance in their power was promptly supplied. They sent 
 twenty men and two carpenters. The services of the latter 
 were invaluable, as our own carpenter had died in the earlier 
 part of the voyage. These operations were, however, ne- 
 cessiirily slow, and it was not until the evening of the 
 second dny that Ave succeeded in getting all the Avater out 
 of the sliip. During the Avhole of this time, not only fhe 
 officers and men Avorked hard, but even many of the 
 women, recovering their spirits, proved eminently useful at 
 the pumps. 
 
 On- arriving at York Factory^ the expedition 
 found the Hudson's Bay Company and the North- 
 West Fur Company waoing Avith each othex' cl war 
 in which battles were foughtj lives lost, prisoners 
 taken, and the Indians demoralised by the free 
 distribution of spirituous liquors. Havin«^ re- 
 
18J9 
 
 1819 
 
 YORK FACTORY. 
 
 1 
 
 f^ing of the 
 t]ian ever ; 
 vitJiout re- 
 , Iiowever, 
 Ji'Jston the 
 ^vas found 
 J'G pumps, 
 rushed in 
 rge it. 
 ter in tlie 
 men were 
 e weather 
 3ne of the 
 o we bore 
 n. Every 
 I'Jiey sent 
 the latter 
 he earlier 
 ever, ne- 
 g of the 
 ater out 
 only file 
 ' of the 
 useful at 
 
 edition 
 V^orth- 
 ^ war 
 toilers 
 e free 
 r re- 
 
 
 ceived important information regarding the coun- 
 try through which they had to travel, it was 
 resolved to take the route by Cumberland House, 
 on the Sawskatchewan, which was reached on Oc- 
 tober 23, a distance of 650 miles, by rivers and 
 lakes, having been accomplished in six weeks. 
 Winter was rapidly approaching. Large flocks 
 of geese and ducks were seen moving southwards, 
 and the waters at Cumberland House began to be 
 closed with ice. Any farther advance by boats 
 that season was impossible. 
 
 From this station Dr. Richardson wrote to his 
 father on January 6, 1820. 
 
 We have got thus far on our journey to the North, and 
 fixed our abode for tlie winter amidst greater cumfort and 
 plenty than we could havo lioped for. Before leaving Eng- 
 land, we expected to have got much iarther, but the te- 
 diousness of the voyage out disappointed our wishes, and 
 may j)rove the cause of our remaining a season longer in 
 this country than was at first contemplated. It will lequire 
 a concurrence of favourable circumstances to enable us to 
 reach the sea next summer, especially as we must retire to 
 a suitiible wintering-place before the season is too liir ad- 
 vanced. From these causes, our survey of the coast can 
 only be made during 1821. The cold we liave already 
 exp' rienced is about thirty degrees below zero, but we are 
 Avell provided against it, and Imd this degree of cold not so 
 disagreeable to the feelings as many of" the damp winter 
 days in Britain. 
 
 1 have avoided sending home any details d' our jourticy 
 for various reasons, but particularly that I may be able, on 
 
72 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1820 
 
 my return, to avail myself of the privilege of travellers, and 
 amuse you, during the winter nights, with some long stories. 
 Besides, I have hitherto met with no surprising adventures 
 or hair-breadth escapes, in our progress up the country. 
 Everything has gone on provokingly smooth, and I am 
 afraid that we shall not meet with any difficulties sufficient 
 to ornament a narrative. 
 
 That no delay might be experienced when the 
 rivers and lakes became clear of ice, Lieutenant 
 Franklin and Mr. Back, accompanied by John 
 Hepburn, an Orkney seaman, set out, January 18, 
 for the trading posts at Carlton House, Isle a la 
 Crosse, and Fort Chipewyan, to secure the stores 
 necessary for the advance of the whole party in 
 spring. Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood were left 
 at Cumberland House to bring up the boats and 
 stores, as soon as the weather would permit. 
 
 During this time, he employed himself in study- 
 ing the manners and customs and language of the 
 Cree Indians, tl e rocks, vegetable products, animals, 
 and iiBhes of the country. From this period, the 
 religious side of his character begins to be more 
 clearly reflected in his letters and journals. There 
 is a depth of truth in his saying regarding a 
 tender-hearted Indian, whose own privation* were 
 forgotten in his grief at the loss of a child, 
 ' Misery may harden a disposition naturally bad, 
 but it never fails to soften the heart of a good 
 man.' In this furnace, all the members of the 
 
1820 
 
 18-20 
 
 WINTER AT CUMBERLAND HOUSE. 
 
 73 
 
 vellers, and 
 ong stories, 
 adventures 
 e countrj. 
 and I am 
 3 sufficient 
 
 lien the 
 mtenant 
 >J John 
 lary 18, 
 sle a la 
 3 stores 
 arty in 
 ere left 
 its and 
 
 • 
 
 studv- 
 
 ofthe 
 limals, 
 )d, the 
 ' more 
 Tliere 
 nig a 
 » were 
 child, 
 ^ bad, 
 
 good 
 f the 
 
 party were to be purified and come ont nobler — 
 better. 
 
 In a letter to his wife, dated March 6, 1820, he 
 describes the solitude of the winter residence at 
 Cumberland House : — 
 
 At this season, your walks -will be enlivened by the 
 appearance of vegetjition. The snowdrop and crocus have 
 already jieeped forth, and bedeck the trim parterres now so 
 universjd in front of the tasteful abodes of the citizens of 
 Edinburgh. In my rambles roimd that good old town, I 
 liave often been amused to observe that the flowers were 
 arranged so as to form the initials of the owner's name. In 
 this remote country, art has done nothing amiss, because 
 she has done nothing. None of her creations chequer th(» 
 face of the land, and break the sjimeness which prevails, 
 particularly in the present season of the year. Tlie mise- 
 rable log houses in which we dwell are scarcely to be dis- 
 tinguished, in their winter dress, from the fallen trees with 
 which the woods abound. I could find in my heart to for- 
 give the bad taste displayed in the erection of the most 
 fimtastic building that ever was constructed, for the sake 
 of the contrast it produces. Where there is no art, Nature ' 
 loses hall" her charms. 
 
 When I began my letter, I thouglit of the pleasure you 
 must be feeling, as an admirer of the works of (iod, in })er- 
 ceiviiig the earth bursting its frozen l)ands, and vegetation 
 putting forth her powers. The jov, the exultation 1 have 
 felt on such an occasion, was fresh in mv mind, and I could 
 not but contrast it with the deju'ession produced by a winter 
 unusually extended Winter, in unspotted livery, surrounds 
 us. The snow covers the ground to the depth of three 
 lect, and the trees bend under their pon<lerous loail. If 
 
74 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 18-20 
 
 
 we pass the threshold of our hut, and enter tlie forest, a 
 stillness so profound prevails that we are ready to start 
 at the noise created by the pressure of our feet on the 
 snow. The screams of a flimished raven, or the crash of a 
 lofty pine, rending through the intenseness of the frost, are 
 the only sounds that invade the solemn silence. "When in 
 my walks I have accidentally met one of my companions in 
 this dreary solitude, his figure, emerging from the shade, 
 has conveyed, with irresistible force, to my mind, the idea 
 of a being rising from the grave. I have often admired the 
 pictures our great poets have drawn of absolute solitude, 
 but never lelt their full force till now. What must be the 
 situation of a human being, * alone on the wide, wide sea !' 
 How dreadful if without laith in God ! An atheist could 
 not dwell alone in the forests of America. 
 
 I must not, however, go on writing in this strain ; there 
 are yet two months of winter to come, and I must endeavour 
 to acquire and preserve that contentment which can render 
 every situation tolerable. A thousand consolations offer 
 themselves to one who is disposed to look for them. 
 
 
18-20 
 
 1820 JOURNEY TO FORTS CHIPEWYAN, ETC. 
 
 /•) 
 
 2 forest, a 
 ■ to start 
 !t on the 
 Tush of a 
 frost, are 
 When in 
 inions in 
 le shade, 
 the idea 
 lired the 
 solitude, 
 it be the 
 ide sea !' 
 st could 
 
 ; tliere 
 Jeavour 
 
 render 
 IS offer 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 JOUUNEY TO FORTS CHII'IWYAN, PHOVIDENCK, AND ENTEi:- 
 PHISE WINTEU l;L>ll»ENCE AT FORT ENTEUI'lJISE. 
 
 1820-1821. 
 
 During the lonji; winter residence of ten months 
 at Cumberland House, Dr. Richardson examined 
 the structure of the various species of fish obtained 
 from under the snow, many specimens of lichens, 
 and made himself acquainted with the mineralogy 
 of the surrounding country. 
 
 Spring at last opened the waters, and on July 
 13, he and Mr. Hood, after a ra2)id journey of 857 
 miles, joined their chief at Fort Chipewyaxi. It 
 was now found that the fur traders could grant 
 but scanty supplies, and the expedition party, 
 amounting to twenty-five, started from the chief 
 northern post of the North-West Company, with 
 only one full day's supply of food. At Fort Pro- 
 vidence, on the north side of Great Slave Lake, 
 they were joined by a band of Copper Indians, 
 under a chief named Akaitcho, and reached their 
 wintering place, at Fort Enterprise, August 19, 
 
r 
 
 ••»" 
 
 76 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSOX. 
 
 1820 
 
 ' ( 
 
 ^;: 
 
 having travelled 1,350 miles from Cumberland 
 House. 
 
 Before leaving Fort Providence, he wrote to his 
 father, mentioning the route which they intended 
 to pursue, and then gave expression to a burst of 
 tenderness : — 
 
 I have not received a line from home since I loft the 
 Orkneys, and you may easily conceive what my anxiety is 
 about you all. The separation from my wife, and the 
 distance to which I have removed myself from my i'riends, 
 are sacrifices wliich nothing could have induced me to 
 make, except the prospect which the present expedition 
 held forth of rendering me ultimately more able to be ol 
 use to those whose absence I so much rcirret, and whose 
 advantjige I value far beyond my own comfort. 
 
 We have thus a glimpse of the chief motives 
 which impelled this good and brave man to face 
 the A.rctic wilderness — duty and self-denying love. 
 His brother, Mr. Peter Eichardson, had leased the 
 farm of Disdow, near Gatehouse, when agricul- 
 tural produce was at war prices, and the change 
 which peace bi'ought caused him to fall into finan- 
 cial difficulties, his father being the chief loser. 
 There were other brothers to educate, and Dr. 
 Richardson hesitated not to leave home and wife 
 to face the rigours and privations of the snowy re- 
 gions if he might thus be enabled to aid those whom 
 he loved. Before the lines which we have quoted 
 reached Nith Place, the beloved father, for whom 
 
 ■ ii 
 
1820 
 
 LETTER TO HIS MOTHER. 
 
 77 
 
 they were intended, was lyin<jf at rest in the family 
 burying-ground in St. Michael's churchyard, Dum- 
 fries. 
 
 On October 28, 1820, letters an-ived at Winter 
 Lake with the sad, though not altogether unex- 
 pected tidings. Writing from Fort Enterprise, at 
 the beginning of December, he thus refers to his 
 bereavement : — 
 
 I have lost a tender parent and indulgent friend, whose 
 jipproljation I courted as a sulHeient reward lor all my 
 toils. His worth was acknowledged ])y the world during 
 his life ; but his merits, solid not sj>lendid, will soon be 
 Ibrgotten, and the public remembrance xy£ him will pass 
 away as if he had never been. It was only amongst his 
 most intimate fiiends and in his own family, that his 
 tender goodness of heart could be appreciated and his up- 
 right principles thoroughly known. His memory will be 
 long cherished in their hearts and his example will have a 
 ])Owerful effect on his children. I trust that, encouraged 
 by the peaceful close of his life, they may contemn all 
 meaner aims and look to a world beyond the grave, and 
 that, having nobly run the race that is set before them, they 
 may die the death of the righteous. 
 
 To his mother, who had lost both her husband 
 and youngest son, the latter having gone to Ja- 
 maica, where one of his maternal uncles was a 
 planter, he wrote : — 
 
 When you receive this letter, your grief for the loss of 
 the partner of your heart and tender lather oi" your family 
 will have mellowed into a grateful resignation to the dis- 
 

 IMAGE EVALUATION 
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 11-25 III 1.4 
 
 
 
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 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 
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 WIBSTH.N.Y. USM 
 
 (716) •73-4503 
 
 ^'^2'^ 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 ^ 
 
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78 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1820 
 
 ' 1 
 
 ponsjitions of Providence. The trouMoH lie Imd to en- 
 counter are V)e8t known to yon, the partner of his carea, 
 anxieties, and paternal affections. Great as tliey were, he 
 bore them witliout i\ niurnmr and manfully stemmed a 
 torrent of adversity which would have overwhelmed any 
 one whose exertions were actuated by a zeal less ardent 
 than liis. Let us be thankful to God. It was his will 
 to try him with calamities, but he granted stn-ngtli an I 
 wisdom to surmoimt them. I shall not now conceal from 
 vou that I left home under the mournful conviction that I 
 
 ft' 
 
 shoidd see him no more — that I should never jigain con- 
 template his countenance beaming with kindness and 
 siiffused with joy at the return of one of his cliildren. I 
 knew the fatal nature of his disorder, and often in my 
 Rolitarv moments in this country has a drea<lful picture of 
 liis sufferings harrowed my feelings. I bless God that tlie 
 close of his life was undisturbed by mental conflicts. 
 
 Tt lias pleased God to try you with another severe afflic- 
 tion in the loss of the youngest of your sons. Poor 
 Edward ! His span of liie was short. He was cut off 
 before the ripening of his understanding could enable us to 
 judge of his probable j)rogress through lite ; but all the 
 dispensations of the Abnighty are merciful. Afy brother's 
 lot appeared to be cast in a land where the traffic in their 
 fellow-creatures has debased the nature of its inhabiUmts, 
 and where the lust of sordid gain has snap[)ed asunder the 
 holy bonds of religion. In such a situation, his young 
 mind was exposed to contjiminalion and his eternal welfare 
 endangered. God, of Ids gracious goodness, has early 
 removed him from temptation and we ought to rest in the 
 hope that the merits of his ble8.sed Uedeeiner have exalted 
 him to mansions of perpetual rest. 
 
I 
 
 1820 
 
 PORT ENTERPRISE. 
 
 79 
 
 He thus describes the winter quarters of the 
 party at Foi-t Enterprise, on Winter Lake : — 
 
 We 'arrived here on August 20, .ind finding it » fit place 
 for a winter residence immediately commenced the re<|uiHite 
 buildings. Beyond this spot, Avhich is situated two an<l a 
 half degrees to the northward of Fort Providence, the 
 country is destitute of wood, its vegetable productions 
 consisting solely of various species of moss upon which the 
 reindeer feed. The abundance of this kind of f<M>d attracts 
 these animals in great numbers to the barren hills in the 
 Kummer season, but dtiring the winter they retire to the 
 woo<ls, partly for shelter from the inclemcm-y of the weather 
 and jxirtly becausi! the snow being loose is more easily 
 removed in their search after the moss. In fine weather, 
 however, they pay occasional visits to their favourite |mi8- 
 tures on the barren grounds. 
 
 That we m.iy be as much advanced as possible when the 
 return of summer permits us to resume our journey, we 
 liave fixed our abode upon the verge of the woods, and 
 indeed we couhl not have selected a more convenient or 
 beautiful 8i)ot. The surrounding country is finely varied 
 by hill and dale and interspersed with numerous lakes 
 connected by small streams. One of these lakes, wliich we 
 h.ive named Winter Lake, discharges its waters by a mo- 
 derately sized river, whose sheltering banks are clothed 
 with wood. Amidst this wood, on a small and rather 
 elevated })lain, we have erected F«»rt Enterpris*-, and the 
 situation is such that while we have an extensive southern 
 prospect down the wooded banks of the river, the naked- 
 ness of the northern country is hid by a clump of trees on 
 the rising ground in our rear. 
 
 Winter Lake supplies us with fiah, but our >ta[>le coin- 
 
80 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN KICHARDSOX. 
 
 1820 
 
 I! 
 
 modity is the reindeer. We are just in the track of their 
 visits to and from the woods and some are daily killed 
 within sight of the house. 
 
 Ve have managed, notwithstanding the diminutive size 
 of the trees, to eonHtruc'i a stately dwelling. It is fifty feet 
 l(»ng, and twenty-four wide, and consists of three bed- 
 rooms and a common hall. We have V>esides a lai^e kitchen 
 lieliind, a storehouse on one wing, and a house for twenty 
 men on the other. If to this you add a few Indian lodges 
 wattered in the foreground you may picture to yourself 
 Fort Enteri)rise, and conclude that it makes a ver\- rej'fiec- 
 taTile apj)earance. 
 
 The buildings are framed of logs and plastered on the 
 outside and inside with clay. With the latter m'diterial 
 als4» the roof is covered and the chimneys constructed. The 
 windows are closed with thin parchment made of reindeer 
 skin, and our chairs and tables are formed by the hatchet 
 and knife, tools which the Canadians use with great 
 dexterity. 
 
 The party having arranged to winter at Fort 
 Enterprise, Mr. Back volunteered to return for am- 
 munition and other supplies to Fort Providence, 
 and, if jjossible, also to Fort Chipewyan. He set 
 out from Winter Lake on October 18, and re- 
 turned January 17, 1821, having travelled 1,104 
 miles on snow shoes, with no covering at night 
 other than a blanket and deerskin, the thermo- 
 meter frequently indicating forty degrees below 
 zero. The supplies which he was able to obtain 
 at the trading posts were far from being adequate 
 for the wants of the expedition. Spring found 
 
T 
 
 I m^wi w III! 
 
 1(21 
 
 FORT ENTERPRISE. 
 
 81 
 
 them destitute of any store of provisions, and 
 nnder the necessity of relinquishing the under- 
 taking, or of making the journey to the mouth of 
 the Copi^ennine River on the casual and often 
 scanty products of the chase, and 200 pounds of 
 drijd meat, which Dr. Richardson, aided by two 
 hunters, prepared at Point Lake, some distance in 
 advance. 
 
 In April, 1821, he wrote to his brother, Mr. 
 Pet?r Richardson : — 
 
 Your letter of April, 1H20, has just cojno to liand, and 
 although the news is a year old, it is agreeable to learn of 
 the welfare of our friends, even at that distiuit date. 
 
 We have travelled through a country where intrigue and 
 violence have a powerful sway. The contests of the rival 
 Fur Companies have heen carried on in a disgraceful and 
 l)arl)arou8 manner ; hut Me are now fortunately beyond 
 their direct influence, though we still hear of wars and 
 rumours of wars at the posts below. Next suunner will 
 carry us into the territories of the unsophisticated Ks(|ui- 
 maux, and if we should be compelled to eat l)lubber and 
 drink seal oil, it will be at a disUmce from the turmoils 
 which agitate the other parts of the world. 
 
 We already enjoy a greater length of day than you do 
 at the siinie season, and the sun is beginning to have con- 
 siderable j)ower, but we do not expect tiie snow to dis- 
 appear before the middle of next month, nor that we shall 
 be able to move hence previous to the month of June. It 
 will probably be near the end of July before the ice will 
 be entirely gone from the Coj)pennine River. Our pro- 
 ceedings, after we reach the sea, will depend so mudi on 
 
 \i 
 
82 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 
 rircumfttinors with which wo arc at present unacciuaintcd, 
 that it is iiHolcss to hazard an opinion on tiic subject. 
 We arc likely to stjirt in good lu-iilth and spirits, having 
 fed well during the winter, and not suffered from tht; 
 cohl, thougli rum a little below proof froze in our bed- 
 rooms. 
 
 Having volunteered to lead the first detachment 
 to the Coppermine River, Dr. Richardson set out 
 on June 4. The party * consisted of fifteen voya- 
 geurs, three of them conducting dog sledges ; 
 Baldhead and Basil, two Indian hunters, v itli their 
 wives; Akaiyazzeh, a sick Indian, and his wife, 
 together with Angelique and Roulante.' 
 
 At Point Lake he encam|)ed, and found the 
 snow deeper than had been seen at any time 
 around Winter Lake. Through the kindness of 
 Rear-Admiral Sir George Back, we are able to 
 give a humorous description of the journey from 
 Fort Enterprise to Point Lake, which shows that 
 Dr. Richardson could enjoy a bit of real fun as 
 heartily as any of his companions. 
 
 Point I^ike. Juno 9, 1821. 
 My deau Back, — Gilpin himself, that celebrated pictur- 
 e8(|ue hunter, would have made a fruitless journey had he 
 eoine with us. We followed the lakes and low grounds, 
 which, after leaving Martin I^ke, were so deeply covered 
 with snow that it was impossible to distinguish lake from 
 moor, and frequently when I was congratulating myself, 1 
 was surprised by sinking to the middle through the snow, 
 and stickiiig among the large stones which cover the valleys. 
 
1821 
 
 t • 
 
 18il 
 
 JOURNEY TO POINT LAKE. 
 
 83 
 
 I Imvc said this much that you may judgo of the sameness 
 of the views that occurred on our journey. The only 
 variety that we had was in crossing two extensive ridges of 
 hind wliich lie at the dintimce of seven or eight miles from 
 each other, and nearly lialf way to the river. 
 
 I should suppose them to form the height of land between 
 Winter and Coppermine Kivers, as all the hills which I 
 have seen in this country consist of sand. Amongst these 
 hills you may observe some curious basins, but nowhere 
 did I see anything worthy of your pencil. So much for the 
 country. It is a barren subject, and deserves to be thus 
 briefly dismissed. Not so the motley group of which we 
 were composed. It afforded ample scope for the ablest 
 pencil or pen, and whether character or humour were most 
 kept in view, would, in tl\e hands of genius, produce a 
 picture not in many respects inferior either to Chaucer's 
 Pilgrims or llogjirth's Guards. The psirty was composed 
 of twenty-three individuals, all marching in Indian file, but 
 variously grouped according to their physical strength and 
 the heaviness of their burdens. Belanger * le gros,' exult- 
 ing in his strength, was foremost in the rank. Belanger 
 * le rouge ' followed close behind ; whilst little Perrault 
 completed the trio, and formed the first triangle in the 
 picture. Adam came next, but at a respectful distance. 
 His over-loaded sledge could not keep pace with the others, 
 and he had frequently to lug along another with the 
 ' butin ' of his beloved Angelique. I need not trouble you 
 with an account of the rank maintained by the rest of the 
 party. You know their various characters and powers, and 
 can arrange them correctly. Roulante came tumbling along 
 in the rear, the snow sometimes too deep to admit of her 
 legs reaching the bottom, but the rotundity of her body 
 
 oa 
 
T 
 
 84 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHABD80X. 
 
 1821 
 
 was such that slic never sank beyond a certain depth. In 
 such cases it was admirable to sec tlie dexterity witli which 
 she drew her extremities into her enormouR eor|)oration, 
 and came rolling like an avalanche alon^ the surOico of the 
 snow. Dumas, from the love he l»ore to the northern, 
 carried Kyer, and Michel, for reasons unknown, carried her 
 * butin.' The most prominent figure, however, of the 
 whole, beamsc the most unearthly, was mother Adam. 
 She came htriding along sup|)orted by a stick which 
 towered over the heads of all the others ; a pair of red 
 stockings and various other articles of her garb heightened 
 the peculiarities of her figure; and as to her g:»it, it was 
 similar to nothing I had ever l»efore seen. St)metimcs I 
 was tempted to compare her to Hecate, sometimes to Meg 
 Merrilies. Not that she had mind enough to be a powerful 
 sorceress, or majesty sufficient for a commanding j^resonce, 
 but because she appeared to be rather a creature of the 
 imagination than a reality. Every njemU'r of her body 
 seemed to have belonged lo different individuals and to 
 have been formed i>y a random association into a sort of 
 semblance of the human form ; but from want of jiroper 
 animation the extremities never acted in concert, and the 
 distorted spine which composed the centre, now bent to 
 this side, now to that, according as the leg which described 
 the greater or the smaller circle was in motion, while the 
 arms played up and down to pre8e^^-e something like equi- 
 librium, l>ut with the involuntary and convulsive motions of 
 the most fantastic of Shakespeare's weird sisters in the 
 height of lier frenzy. 
 
 There was another figure of a different gender, with an 
 unwashed face, matted locks, and moustaches of the colour 
 and strength of straw ; equip him as you please and place 
 him in any part of the file you choose. 
 
1821 
 
 1S21 
 
 JOCBNEY TO POINT LAKE, 
 
 85 
 
 A ('jina<liaii would have told you the whole Htory in few 
 words : — ' licaucouj) de uiistTC, point do chaudieres, asscz 
 de HacP'S.' You see I aui deterniincd that you hliould have 
 your .share of it by cngagir.g you in the deciphering of this 
 scrawl. Adieu I compliments to all our messmates. 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 John Kiciiahdson. 
 
T 
 
 8G 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHAJlDSOfi* 
 
 1821 
 
 li I 
 
 l*f 
 
 '1 ! 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 VOVAOE DOWN THE COPPERMINE RIVER — THE ARCTIC SKA — 
 
 EASTWARD — PrUN'T TURNACAIN THE RETREAT OVER THE 
 
 HARREX GROUXDS INTENSE SUFFERINGS — NO MEANS OF 
 
 CROSSING THE a»PPERMINE — DR. RICHARDSON ATTEMPTS TO 
 SWIM THE RIVER OVERI*0WERED BY THE COLD — VOLUN- 
 TEERS TO ENCAJIP WITH THE WEAK OF THE PARTY. 
 
 1821. 
 
 
 On June 2.j, the expedition set out from Point 
 Lake for the sea, dragging the canoes and baggage 
 over the snow and ice, the sharp points of which 
 tore their shoes and lacerated the feet at every 
 step. This weary work is at last over. They are 
 afloat on the Coppermine, and carried along with 
 great rapidity, their safety depending on the skill 
 and dexterity of the bowmen and steersmen. The 
 trees begin to put forth their leaves, the mossy 
 ground to be dotted with flowers, the summer 
 birds to flit about the woods, and the ducks, gulls, 
 and plovers to frequent the river. How cheering 
 and full of hope must every opening bud, and 
 every note of the feathered warblers have been, 
 
 .^JIMIMWI^ , 
 
1821 
 
 1821 
 
 THE ARCTIC SEA. 
 
 87 
 
 after ten months of weary winter in the wilder- 
 
 ness 
 
 t 
 
 On approaching the Esquinianx country, great 
 care was taken not to ahinn them. At this time, 
 nne of the many stirring incidents of the journey 
 occurred, and is narrated in Franklin's nan'ative : — 
 
 Dr. Uit'hardson, having the first watch, liad gone to tlio 
 suiniDit of the hill, and remained seated, eonVenij>Iating tlie 
 river lliat washed the j)reei|)ieo under liis feet, long alter 
 du.sk liad iiiddeu distant ohjeeta from liis view. His 
 thoughts were, jierluips, ii»r distiuit from the surrounding 
 nhjects, when he was roused hy an indistinct noise behind 
 liim, and on looking round j>erceived that nine wiiite 
 wolves had ranged themselves in form of a crescent, and 
 were advancing apparently with the intention of driving 
 him into the river. On his rising up, they halted, and 
 when lie advanced tliey made way Ibr his |>jissjige down to 
 the tents. He had liis gun in his hand, but lbrl>ore to lire, 
 lest there should be Ksciuimaux in the neighbourhood. 
 
 ' On the evening of July 14,' sijys Franklin, ' Dr. llich- 
 ardson ascended a lolly liili about three miles from the en- 
 campment and obtained the Hrst view of the sea. He saw 
 the sun set a few minutes belbre midnight from the »imo 
 elevated situation. It did not rise during the lialf hour ho 
 remained tliere, but before he reacheil the encam[»ment its 
 rays gilded the tops of the hills.' 
 
 To Mr. Wentzel, the trading agent at Fort 
 Providence, who had accompanied the expedition 
 to the sea, despatches for England were intrusted, 
 and the farther duty of making sure that the In- 
 dians would place a supply of dried provision at 
 
T 
 
 88 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 Fort Enterprise, the first point which the party 
 wonld fall back upon when overtaken by winter. 
 Information repirding the direction where Akail- 
 cho and the other Indians wonld be huntin<^ in 
 Septi?niber and October, was also to be left at 
 their last winter cpiarters, for the guidance of the 
 expedition on arriving there. 
 
 On July 18, Dr. Richardson wrote : — 
 
 After Inivelling )ij)wur(l.s of a inoiitli over tlio hhoals 
 jind rapidH, wc liavo at length readied the sea. The islands 
 about tlio nioutii of the river aro so numerous that we do 
 not know as yet whetlier we liave come to a deep inlet or 
 arm of the sea running east and west, or merely a coast 
 lined hy an assend)lagc of islands, which, crossing each 
 other, look, I'rom a distance, like a continued shore. The 
 good people of England may, perhaps, not give us the 
 credit of having reached the sea at all, when they learn 
 that the water is only brackish — a fact which wo have 
 ascertained, not by dipping the finger in and tasting it, but 
 by swallowing several kettlefuls. The islands are high, 
 but, as well as the main shore, they arc destitute of wood. 
 At the mouth of the river and round the islands there is a 
 small channel of open water, ])Ut, farther off, the ice ex- 
 tends in a continued field, although we aro led to expect 
 that it will soon break up. 
 
 On July 21, the officers, with John Hepburn, 
 the Orkney seaman, and the Canadian voyageurs, 
 in two canoes, commenced their voyage on the 
 Arctic Sea. With want staring them in the face, 
 they bravely pressed eastward, until August IG, 
 
 1 
 
1821 
 
 1821 
 
 THE BAUEEN GROUNDS. 
 
 89 
 
 [ 
 
 surveying the coaats of Bathiirst's Inlet and Coro- 
 nation Gulf to Point Turna«?ain, havinj^ Hailed 
 over r>r>r) jreo«rrapliical miles. To advance further 
 was to risk the loss of the whole party, and aftt'r 
 having been detained for several days by a heavy 
 snow-storm, the canoes were turned again in the 
 direction of Bathurst's Inlet. Crossing Melville 
 Sound in a strong wind and heavy sea, they as- 
 cended Hood's River for some distance. The ca- 
 noes were then reduced in size and a course taken 
 over the Barren Grounds for Point Lake. The 
 sufferings enduretl can scarcely be conceived. 
 Game was scarce, and the strength of the party 
 rapidly failed under the united intluences of cold, 
 famine, and fatigue. A scanty meal of a nauseous 
 weed, called trijf*' '/<• rochc, with an occasional 
 partridge, was their sole support while toiling 
 wearily on in hopes of reaching Winter Lake and 
 finding supplies. On September LJ, it was dis- 
 covered that the Canadian voyageurs had thought- 
 lessly thro>vii away the fishing nets. All books 
 and instruments not necessary to finding the way 
 were now left behind, and a week later. Dr. Rich- 
 ardson, unable to carry them further, also depo- 
 sited the specimens which he had collected on the 
 coast. Still they were not without hope. Firm 
 faith in the Almighty supported them. 
 
 Their sufferings increased. Mr. Hood became 
 unable to move on behind the first man to direct 
 the way. Franklin was also in the rear, and Rich- 
 
I 
 
 90 
 
 LIFE OF PIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 ardson took the lead. Back was in advance with 
 the hunters, trying to obtain game. On September 
 22, the men, who, weak and dispirited, had fallen 
 several times and injured the canoe, would carry 
 it no further. To this abandonment of the canoe, 
 and the consequent delay in crossing the Copper- 
 mine River, may be attributed many of the subse- 
 quent disasters which befel the party. 
 
 The river was gained on September 26, but 
 there were no means of getting to the other side. 
 Through despondency, the Canadians had ceased 
 to dread punishment, or to be stimulated by the 
 hope of reward, and four days passed before 
 they would begin to bind willows for a raft, which 
 was at last constructed, only to find that there 
 was no way of impelling it to the opposite bank 
 against a strong wind. 
 
 * At this time,' snys Franklin, in his narrative, 'Dr. 
 Richardson, prompted by a desire of relieving his suffer- 
 ing companions, proposed to swim across the stream with a 
 line and to haul the rafc over. He launched into the 
 stream with the line round his middle, but when he had got 
 a short distance from the bank, his arms became benumbed 
 with cold, and he lost the power of moving them; still he 
 persevered, and turning on his back had nearly gained the 
 opposite bank, when his legs also became powerless, and to 
 our infinite alarm we beheld him sink. "We instantly 
 hauled upon the line and he came again on the surface, and 
 was gradually drawii ashore in an almost lifeless state. 
 I^eing rolled up in blankets, he was placed before a good 
 fire of willows, and fortunately was just able to speak sni- 
 
 rs'Tiii'ittS' 
 
 ilH 
 
1 
 
 ^ 
 
 1821 
 
 ce with 
 )tember 
 fallen 
 carry 
 canoe, 
 opper- 
 subse- 
 
 6, but 
 r side, 
 ceased 
 by the 
 before 
 whicli 
 
 tliere 
 
 bank 
 
 ', *Dr. 
 
 suffer- 
 
 with a 
 to the 
 iJid got 
 tinibed 
 till lie 
 ed the 
 and to 
 tantlv 
 e, and 
 
 state. 
 
 good 
 ; snf- 
 
 1321 
 
 THE COPPERMINE RIVER. 
 
 01 
 
 ficiently to give some slight directions respecting tlie man- 
 ner of treating him. He recovered strength gradually, and 
 by the blessing of God was enabled in the course of a ibw 
 hours to converse, and by the evening was sufficiently re- 
 covered to remove into the tent. We then regretted to 
 learn that the skin of his whole left side was deprived of 
 feeling in consequence of exposure to too great heat. He 
 did not perfectly recover the sensjition of that side until the 
 following summer. I cannot describe what every one lelt 
 at beholding the skeleton which the Doctor's debilitjited 
 frame exhibited. When he stripped, the Canadians simul- 
 taneously exclaimed, " Ah (jue nous soiumes maigres ! " ' 
 Franklin adds, ' I have omitted to mention that when he 
 was about to .step into the water, he put his foot on a dagger, 
 which cut him to the bone, but this misfortune could not 
 stop him from attempting the execution of his crenerous un- 
 dertaking.' 
 
 A little canoe, formed of willows covered with 
 tent canvas, was at length made, and after a 
 week's delay, the party, one by one, crossed the 
 river. Mr. Back was immediately sent forward to 
 Tort Enterprise, with the strongest of the Cana- 
 dians, to search for the Indians and send back 
 aid. Mr. Hood was now very feeble, and Dr. 
 Kichardson, having attached himself to him, 
 walked with him at a gentle pace. Old shoes and 
 scraps of leather, everything which possessed any 
 nutriment, was now resorted to in order to sus- 
 tain life, and death began his work. The men 
 became appalled, and could scarcely be restrained 
 from throwing away all they carried and hastening 
 
lIPK^a^W ■«■ 
 
 92 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 on to the Fort, in which case no one would have 
 lived to tell the sad tale. 
 
 Dr. Richardson, therefore, volunteered to en- 
 camp with Mr. Hood, who felt too weak to pro- 
 ceed, the good old sailor, John Hepburn, oftering 
 to remain with them. At the first place which 
 promised some days' supply of tripe de roche, 
 their tent was erected, and Franklin, with the 
 Canadians, proceeded onward in hopes of finding 
 relief. 
 
 
 iii 
 

 1821 
 
 have 
 
 1821 
 
 THE ENCAMPMENT. 
 
 93 
 
 en- 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE ENCAMPMENT — MICHEL RETURNS MURDER OF MU. HOOD 
 
 DR. RICHARDSON, JOHN HEPRUHN, AND ^IICHEL SET OUT 
 
 FOR FORT ENTERPRISE — DR. RICHARDSON NECESSITATED TO 
 SHOOT MICHEL — REUNION AT THE FORT — FORT ENTERPRISE 
 IN RUINS. 
 
 1821. 
 
 In Dr. Richardson's journal, published in the 
 * Narrative of the First Overland Journey,' he 
 says : — 
 
 After Captain Franklin liad bidden ii3 farewell, we re- 
 mained seated by the fire-side as long as the willows the 
 men had cut for us before they departed lasted. We had 
 no tripe de roche that day, but drank an infusion of the 
 country tea-plant, which was grateful from its warmth, 
 although it afforded no sustenance. We then retired to 
 bed, where we continued all the next day, as the weather 
 was stormy, and the snow-drift so heavy as to destroy every 
 prospect of success in our endeavours to light a fire with 
 the green and frozen willows, which were our only fuel. 
 Through the extreme kindness and forethought of a lady,* 
 the party, previous to leaving London, had been furnished 
 
 * Lady Lucy Barry, wife of the Hon. Col. Barr)-, of Newton-Barry. 
 
-»— • .-••*-^*-^-^\IT 
 
 - ^^'V—'.^ T y J a ^ C^^^^^ 
 
 94 
 
 LIFE OF SIK JOHX BICHABDSOX. 
 
 1821 
 
 ■i*' 
 
 M'itli a small collection of religious books, of which we still 
 retained two or three of the most portable, and they proved 
 of incalculable benefit to us. We read portions of them to 
 each other as we lay in bed, in addition to the morning and 
 evening service, and found they inspired us on each peru- 
 siil with so strong a sense of the omnipresence of a benefi- 
 cent God, that our situation, even in these wilds, appeared 
 no longer destitute ; and we conversed, not only with calm- 
 ness, but with cheerfulness, detailing with unrestrained con- 
 fidence the past events of our lives, and dwelling with hope 
 on our future prospects. 
 
 On the morning of the 29th, the weather, although 
 cold, was clear, and I went in quest of tripe de roche^ leav- 
 ing Hepburn to cut willows for a fire, and Mr. Hood in bed. 
 I had no success, as yesterday's snoAv-drift was so frozen 
 on the surface of the rocks that I could not collect any of 
 the weed ; but, on my return to the tent, I found that 
 Michel, the Iroquois, had come with a note from Mr. 
 Franklin, which stated that this man and Jean Baptiiste 
 Belanger, being unable to proceed, were about to return to 
 us, and that a mile beyond our present encampment there 
 was a clump of pine-trees, to which he recommended iw to 
 remove the tent. Michel informed us that he had quirted 
 Mr. Franklin's party yesterday morning, but that, having 
 missed his way, he had passed the night on the snow a mile 
 or two to the northward of us. Belanger, he said, being 
 impatient, had left the fire about two hours earlier, and. as 
 he had not arrived, he supposed he had gone astray. 
 
 Michel now produced a hare and a partridge which he 
 had killed in the morning. This unexpected supply of 
 provision was viewed by us with a deep sense of gratitude 
 to the Almighty for His goodness, and we looked upon 
 
 I 
 
1821 
 
 REMOVE TO THE PINES. 
 
 95 
 
 as 
 
 Michel a» the instrument He had chosen to preserve all our 
 lives. He complained of cold, and Mr, Hood offered to 
 share his buffalo robe with him at night. I gave him one 
 of two shirts which I wore, whilst Hei)burn, in the warmth 
 of his heart, exclaimed, ' How I shall love this man if I 
 find that he does not tell lies like the others.' 
 
 Early in the morning, Hepburn, Michel, and myself 
 carried the ammunition and most of the other heavy arti- 
 cles to the pines. Michel was our guide, and it did not 
 occur to us at the time that his conducting us perfectly 
 straight was incompatible with his story of having gone 
 astray on his way to us. After we had made a fire and 
 drank a little of the country tea, Hepburn and I returned to 
 the tent, where we arrived in the evening, much exhausted 
 with our journey. Michel preferred sleeping where he was, 
 and requested us to leave him a hatchet, which we did, 
 afler he had promised to come early in the morning to assist 
 us in carrying the tent and bedding. Mr. Hood remained 
 in bed all day. Seeing nothing of Belanger to-day, we gave 
 him up for lost. 
 
 On the 11th, after waiting until late in the morning for 
 Michel, who did not come, Hepburn and I loaded ourselves 
 with the bedding, and, accompanied by Mr. Hood, set out 
 for the pines. Mr, Hood was much affected with dimness 
 of sight, giddiness, and other symptoms of extreme debility, 
 which caused us to move very slow, and to make frequent 
 halts. On arriving at the pines we were much alarmed to 
 find that Michel was absent. We feared that he had lost 
 his way in coming to us in the morning, although it was 
 not easy to conjecture how that could have happened, as 
 our footsteps of yesterday were very distinct. Hepburn 
 went back for the tent, and returned with it after dusk, 
 
96 
 
 LIFE OP 8IE JOHN RICHAEDBON. 
 
 1821 
 
 i 
 ^ 
 
 completely worn out with the fhti^io of the day. Michel 
 too .'irrived at the same time, lie reported that he had 
 been in chasti of some deer which pa.«sed near his sleeping 
 place in the morninjr, and although lie did not come up 
 with them, yet that he foimd a wolf which had been killed 
 by the stroke of a deer's horn, and had brought a part of 
 it. "We implicitly believed this story then, but afterwards 
 became convinced that it must have been a portion of the 
 bodv of Belanjrer or Perrault. 
 
 On the following morning the tent was pitched, and 
 Michel went out early, refused my offer to accompany him, 
 and remained out the whole day. He would not sleep in 
 the tent at niglit, but chose to lie at the fire-side. 
 
 On the Ukh there was a heavy gale of wind, and we 
 passed the day by the fire. Next day, about two p.m., 
 the gale al)ating, ^Fichel set out, as he said, to hunt, 
 but returned luicxpectedly in a very short time. This 
 conduct surprised us, and his contnidictory and evasive 
 answers to our questions excited srjme sTispicions, but they 
 did not turn towards the truth. 
 
 October 15. — In the course of this day, Michel ex- 
 pressed much regret that he had st.ayed behind Mr. Frank- 
 lin's party, and declared that he would set out for the house at 
 once if he knew the way. We endeavoured to soothe him, 
 and to raise his hopes of the Indians speedily coming to 
 our relief, but without success. He refused to assist us in 
 cutting wood, but about noon, after much solicitfition, he 
 set out to hunt. Hepburn gathered a kettle of tripe de 
 roche, but froj^e his fingers. Both Hepburn and I fatigued 
 ourselves much to-day in pursuing a flock of partridges 
 from one part to another of the groups of willows in which 
 the hut was situated, but we were too w^eak to be able to 
 
1821 
 
 INSOLENCE OF MICHEL. 
 
 97 
 
 approach them with sufficient caution. In the evening 
 Michel returned, having met with no success. 
 
 Next day lie refused either to hunt or cut wood, spoke 
 in a very surly manner, and threatened to leave us. Under 
 these circumstances, Mr. Hood and I deemed it better to 
 promise, if he would hunt diligently for ibur days, that then 
 we would give IIei*l>urn a letter to Mr. Franklin, a com- 
 pass, iiifonn him what course to pursue, and let them pro- 
 ceed together to the fort. The non-arrival of the Indians 
 to our relief now led us to fear that some accident had 
 happened to Mr. Franklin, and we placed no confidence in 
 the exertions of the Canadians that accompanied him, but 
 Ave had the fullefjt confidence in Hepburn's returning the 
 moment ho could obtain assistance. 
 
 On the 17th I went to conduct Michel to where Vail- 
 lant's blanket was left, and after walking about three miles, 
 pointed out the hills to him, at a distance, and returned to 
 the hut, having gathered a bagful of tripe de roclie on the 
 way. It was easier to gather this weed on a march than at 
 the tent, for the exercise of walking, produced a glow of heat, 
 which enabled us to withstand for a time the cold to which 
 we were exposed in sf^raping tiie frozen sui-face of the rocks. 
 
 Michel proposed to remain out all night and to hunt 
 next day on his way back. He returned in the afternoon 
 of the 18th, liaving found the blanket, together with a bag 
 containing two pistols and some other things which had 
 been left beside it. We had some tripe de roflie in the 
 evening, but Mr. Hood, from the constant griping it pro- 
 duced, was unable to eat more than one or two spoonfuls. 
 He was now so weak as to be scarcely able to sit uj) at the 
 fire-side, and complained that the least breeze of wind 
 seemed to blow through his frame. 
 
I, 
 
 f 
 
 ;■( 
 
 \ 
 
 98 
 
 LIFE OP 8IE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 At this period we avoided as much as possible con- 
 versing upon the hopelessness of our situation, and gene- 
 rally endeavoured to l(«d the conversation towards our 
 future j>ros{>ccts in life. With the decay of strength our 
 minds decayed, and we were no longer able to bear the 
 contemplation of the horrors that surrounded us. Each of 
 us excused Ijimsclf from so doing by a desire of not shock- 
 ing the feelings of the others ^tjr we were sensible of one 
 another's weakness of intellect, though blind to our own. 
 Yet we were calm and resigned to our fate, not a murmur 
 escaped us, and we were punctual and fervent in our ad- 
 dresses to the Supreme Being. 
 
 On the 19th, Michel refuse<l to hunt or even to assist in 
 carrying a log of wood to the fire, which was too heavy for 
 Hepburn's strength and mine. Mr. Hoo<l endeavoured to 
 point out to him the necessity and duty of exertion, and 
 the cruelty of his quitting us without leaving something 
 for our support; but the discourse, far from producing 
 any beneficial effect, seemed only to excite his anger, and 
 amongst other expressions he made use of the following 
 remarkable one : ' It is no u.«e hunting, there are no ani- 
 mals ; you had better kill and eat me.' At length, how- 
 ever, he went out, but returned very soon with a report 
 that he had seen three deer, which he was unable to follow 
 from having wet his foot in a small .stream of water thinly 
 covered Avith ice, and being consequently obliged to come 
 to the fire. The day was rather mild, and Hepburn and I 
 gathered a large kettleful of tripe de roche. 
 
 Sunday, October 20. — In the morning, we again urged 
 Michel to go a hunting, that he might, if possible, leave us 
 some provision, to-morrow being the day appointed for his 
 quitting us ; but he showed great unwillingness to go out, 
 
 ^ 
 
ind 
 
 1821 
 
 XURDEB OF MR. HOOD. 
 
 99 
 
 con- 
 gene- 
 
 vards our 
 ngfh our 
 bear tlje 
 Kach of 
 ot shock- 
 Je of one 
 our oAvn. 
 murmur 
 our ad- 
 assist in 
 eavy ibr 
 oured to 
 ion, and 
 Jncthing 
 oducing 
 ?<*r, and 
 )Ilowing 
 no ani- 
 h, how- 
 report 
 • follow 
 thinly 
 o come 
 and I 
 
 urged 
 ive UH 
 for his 
 o out, 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 and Hngere<l about the fire under the pretonco of cleaning 
 Ilia pun. After we had rccid the morning service, I went 
 about noon to gather some tripe <le roche, leaving Mr. 
 Hood sitting before the tent at the fire-side, arguing with 
 Michel : Hepburn was employed cutting down a tree at a 
 short distance from the tent, being dt-wirous of accumulat- 
 ing a <iuantity of tire- wood before he left us. A short time 
 aller I went out I lieard the report of a gun, and about ten 
 minutes afterwards Hej)burn called to me in a voice of 
 great alarm, to come directly. When I arrived, I found 
 poor Hood lying lifeless at the fire-side, a ball having ap- 
 parently entered his forehead. I was at first horror-struck 
 with the idea that, in a fit of despondency, he had hurried 
 himself into the presence of his Almighty Judge, by an act 
 of his own hand ; but the conduct of Michel soon gave rise 
 to other thoughts, and excited suspicions which were con- 
 firmed, when, upon examining the body, I discovered that 
 the shot had entered the back part of the head, and passed 
 out at the forehead, and that the muzzle of the gun had 
 been applied so close as to set fire to the nightcap behind. 
 The gun, which was of the longest kind supplied to the In- 
 dians, could not have been placed in a position to inflict 
 such a wound, excej)t by a second person. Upon enquir- 
 ing from Michel how it happened, he replied that Mr. Hood 
 had sent him into the tent for the short gun, and that dur- 
 ing his absence the long gun had gone off, he did not know 
 whether by accident or not. He held the short gun in his 
 hand at the time he was speaking to me. Hepburn after- 
 wards intbrmed me, that previous to the report of the gun 
 Mr. Hood and Michel were speaking to each other in an 
 elevated angry tone ; that Mr. Hood being seated at the 
 fire-side, was hid from him by intervening willows, but 
 
 H 2 
 
100 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN BICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 i 
 
 4/ 
 
 
 M 
 
 i 
 1 
 
 ' 
 
 I 
 
 that on healing tlio report he looked up, and saw Michel 
 risin;,^ up from before the tent door, or just behind where 
 Mr. Hood was seated, and then going into the tent. 
 ThiiikinjT that the gun had been discharged for the purpose 
 of cleaning it, he did not go to the fire at first ; and when 
 Miclie! called to him that Mr. Hood was dead, a consider- 
 able time ha<l elapsed. Although I dared not oj>ciily to 
 evince any susj)icion that I thought Michel guilty of the 
 deed, yet he repeatedly protested that he was incapable of 
 committing such an act, kept constantly on his guard, and 
 carefully avoided leaving Hepburn and me together. He 
 was evidently afraid of permitting us to converse in private, 
 and whenever Hepburn spoke, he incjuired if ho accused 
 him of the nuirdt-r. AVe removed the body into a clump 
 of willows behind the tent, and, returning to the fire, read 
 the funeral service in addition to the evening ])rayers. 
 
 ' Bickersteth's Scripture Help' was lying open beside 
 the body, as if it had fallen from his hand, and it is pro- 
 bable that he was reading it at the instant of his death. 
 We passed the night m the tent without rest, every one 
 being on his guard. Next day, having determined on going 
 to the Fort, we began to patch and prepare our clothes for 
 the journey. We singed the hair off a part of the buffalo 
 robe that belonged to Mr. Hood, and boiled and ate it. 
 Michel tried to persuade me to go to the woods on the 
 Coppermine River, and hunt for deer, instead of going to 
 the Fort. In the afternoon, a flock of partridges coming 
 near the tent, he killed several, which he shared with us. 
 
 Thick snowy weather and a head wind prevented us 
 from starting the following day, but on the morning of the 
 23rd we set out, carrying with us the remainder of the 
 singed robe. Hepburn and ^Michel had each a gun, and I 
 
 .' 
 
1821 THEY SET OUT FOR FORT ENTERPRISE. lOl 
 
 carried a small pistol, which Ilopburn luid loaded lor me. 
 In the course of the march, Micht-l alarmed us much by 
 his gestures and conduct, was consUmtly muttering to hini- 
 Helf, expressed an unwillingness to go to the Fort, .'ind tried 
 to persuade me to go southward to the woods, where he 
 sjiid he could maintiiin himself all the winttr by killing 
 deer. In consequence of this behaviour, and the exj)ression 
 of his countenance, I requested him to leave us and go to 
 the southward by himself 
 
 This proposed increased his ill-natun3 ; he threw out 
 some obscure hints of freeing himself from all restraint 
 on the mon'ow ; and I overheard him muttering threats 
 against Hepburn, whom he openly accused of having told 
 stories against him. He also, for the first time, assumed 
 such a tone of superiority in addressing me, as evinced 
 that he considered us to be completely in his power, and 
 lie gave vent to several expressions of hatred towards the 
 white people, or, as he termed us in the id'om of the voy- 
 ageurs, the French, some of whom, he said, had killed and 
 eaten his uncle and two of his relations. In short, tiiking 
 every circumstance of his conduct into consideration, I 
 came to the conclusion that he would attempt to destroy 
 us on the first opportunity that offered, and that he had 
 hitherto abstained from doing so from his ignorance of the 
 way to the Fort, but that he would never suffer us to go 
 thither in company with him. In the course of the day 
 he had several times remarked that we were pursuing the 
 same course that Mr. Franklin was doing when he left him, 
 and that by keeping towards the setting sun he could find 
 his way himself Hepburn and I were not in a condition 
 to resist even an open attack, nor could we by any device 
 escape from him. Oiu* united strength was far interior to 
 
wmm 
 
 ,-..-i», .-.., 
 
 .-^,. ,- >..,^>ji^ij..j r ggww pi 
 
 9BP 
 
 102 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 
 I 
 
 I : 
 
 t 
 
 his, and, besides his gun, he was armed with two pistol?, 
 an Indian bayonet, and n knife. In the aflernoon, coming 
 to a rock on which there was some tripe de rochej he 
 halted, and said he would gather it whilst we went on, and 
 that ho would soon overtake us. Hepburn and I were 
 now left together for the first time since Mr. Hood's death, 
 and he ac(|uainted me with several material circumstiuices 
 which he had observed of Michel's behaviour, and which 
 confirmed me in the opinion that there was no safety for 
 us except in his death, and he offered to be the instrument 
 of it. I determined, however, as I was thoroughly con- 
 vinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the 
 Avhole responsibility upon myself, and, immediately upon 
 Michel's coming up, I put an end to his life by shooting 
 him through the head with a pistol. Had my own life 
 alone been threatened, I would not have purchased it by 
 such a measure, but I considered myself as intrusted with 
 the protection of Hepburn's, a man who, by his humane 
 attentions and devotedness, had so endeared himself to me, 
 that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my own. 
 Michel had gathered no tripe de roche^ and it was evident 
 to us that he had halted for the purpose of putting his gun 
 in order, with the intention of attacking us, perhaps while 
 we were in the act of encamping. 
 
 I have dwelt upon many circumstances of Michel's con- 
 duct, not for the purpose of aggravating his crime, but to 
 put the reader in possession of the reasons that influenced 
 me in depriving a fellow-creature of life. Up to the pe- 
 riod of his return to the tent his conduct had been good 
 and respectful to the oflicers, and, in a conversation be- 
 tween Captain Franklin, Mr. Hood, and myself, at Ob- 
 struction Rapid, it had been proposed to give him a reward 
 
 I 
 
 vl 
 
 ./i?ikUHH 
 
 mmkmmmmUmitmiiA 
 
18S1 
 
 1821 
 
 JOURNEY TO FORT ENTERPRISE. 
 
 103 
 
 pistolp, 
 L coming 
 \oche, he 
 on, and 
 I were 
 s death, 
 stances 
 |d which 
 ifety for 
 
 itrument 
 dy con- 
 take the 
 y upon 
 'hooting 
 wn life 
 d it by 
 ed with 
 mmane 
 ^to me, 
 y own. 
 evident 
 is gun 
 I while 
 
 s con- 
 )ut to 
 enced 
 le pe- 
 
 good 
 1 be- 
 
 Ob- 
 ward 
 
 upon our arrival at a post. His principles, however, un- 
 Hupported by a belief in the divine truths of Christianity, 
 were unable to withstand the pressure of severe distress. 
 
 On the two following days we had mild but thick snowy 
 weather, and as the view was too limited to enable us to 
 preserve a stniight course, we remained encamped amongst 
 a few willows and dwarf pines, about five miles from tiie 
 tent. We found a species o^Cornicularia, a kind of lichen, 
 that was good to eat when moistened and toasted over the 
 tire, and we had a good many pieces of singed buflalo hide 
 remaining. 
 
 On the 2Cth, we resumed our march, which was very 
 painful from the depth of the snow, })articularly on the 
 margins of the small lakes that lay in our route. We fre- 
 quently sunk under the load of our blankets, and were 
 obliged to assist each other in getting up. 
 
 Next day we had fine and clear but cold weather. We 
 set out early, and, in crossing a hill, found a considerable 
 quantity of tripe de roche. About noon we fell upon 
 Little Marten Lake, having walked about two miles. The 
 sight of a place we knew inspired us with fresh vigoun 
 and there being comparatively little snow on the ice, we 
 advanced at a pace to which we had lately been unaccus- 
 tomed. We encamped within sight of the Dog-rib Rock, 
 and from the coldness of the night and the want of fuel, 
 rested very ill. 
 
 On the 28th we rose at daybreak, but from the want 
 of the small fire that we usually made in the mornings to 
 w.irm our fingers, a very long time was spent in making up 
 our bundles. This task fell to Hepburn's share, as I suf- 
 fered so much from the cold as to be unable to take my 
 hands out of my mittens. We kept a straight course for 
 
iMtavw 
 
 anav 
 
 104 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 I -^'i 
 
 f^ 
 
 the Dog- rib Rock, but, owing to the depth of the snow in 
 the valleys we had to cross, did not reach it till late in the 
 afternoon. We would have encamped, but did not like to 
 pass a second night without fire, and though scarcely able 
 to drag our limbs after us, we pushed on to a clump of pines 
 about a mile to the southward of the rock, and arrived at 
 them in the dusk of the evening. During the last few hun- 
 dred yards of our tnarch, our track lay over some largo 
 stones, amongst Avhich I fell down upwards of twenty times, 
 and I became at length so exhausted that I was unable to 
 stand. If Hepburn had not exerted himself far beyond 
 his streng h, and speedily made the encampment and kin- 
 dled a fire, I must have perished on the spot. This night 
 we had plenty of dry wood. 
 
 On the 20th we had clear and fine weather. We set 
 out at sunrise and hurried on in our anxiety to reach the 
 house, but our progress was much impeded by the great 
 depth of the snow in the valleys. Although every spot of 
 ground over which we travelled to-day had been repeatedly 
 trodden by us, yet we got bewildered on a small lake, and 
 fancied that we saAV the rapid and grounds about the Fort, 
 although they were still far distant. Our disiippointment 
 when this illusion was dispelled, so operated on our leeble 
 minds as to exhaurf our strength, and we decided on en- 
 camping ; but upon ascending a small eminence to look for a 
 clump of wood we caught a glimj)se of the Big Stone, a 
 well-knoAvn rock upon the summit of a hill opposite to the 
 Fort, and determined upon proceeding. In the evening we 
 saw several large herds of reindeer ; but Hepburn, who 
 used to be considered a good marksman, Avas now unable to 
 hold the gun straight, and although he got near them all 
 his efforts proved fruitless. In passing through a small 
 
 ItSHiltSi C'u II .J—M ■Mlli n M i l 
 
 raiMMUMMMMwUili 
 
I82I 
 
 1821 
 
 THE FORT. 
 
 105 
 
 ^*i 
 
 clump of pines we saw a flock of partridges, and he suc- 
 ceeded in killing one, after firing several shots. We came 
 in sight of the Fort at dusk, and it is impossible to describe 
 our sensjitions, when, on attaining the eminence that over- 
 looks it, we beheld the smoke issuing from one of the chim- 
 neys. From not having met with any footsteps in the 
 snow, as we drew near our once cheerful residence, we 
 had been agitaled by many melancholy forebodings. Upon 
 entering the nov«r desolate building we had the satisfaction 
 of embracing Captain Franklin ; but no words can convey 
 an idea of the filth and wretchedness that met our eyes on 
 looking around. Our own misery had stolen upon us by 
 degrees, and we were accustomed to the contemplation of 
 each other's emaciated figures ; but the ghastly counte- 
 nances, dilated eye-balls, and sepulchral voices of Mr. 
 Franklin and those Avith him were more than we could 
 at first bear. 
 
 Weary and starving", Franklin and his com- 
 panions had toiled on to Fort Entei'prise ; but who 
 can depict their feelings of dismay at rinding the 
 houses in ruins and neither food nor Indians ? Still 
 there was a faint hope that aid might arrive in 
 time. A note from Mr. Back informed his com- 
 mander that he had gone to seek the Indians, and 
 to his energy, bravery, and j)erseverance, the final 
 deliverance of the remains of the Expedition is 
 mainly due. Eegarding his o\vn condition while 
 looking for the Indians, Mr. Back said : — 
 
 I was now so much reduced, that my shoulders were as 
 if they would fall from my body, my legs seemed miablo 
 
 1 
 
 5 
 
 
106 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN EICHAKDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 1 ^ 
 
 M 
 
 ? w 
 
 ri 
 
 
 i ? 
 
 to support me, and in the disposition which I then found 
 myself, had it not been for the remembrance of my friends 
 behind, who relied on me for relief, as well as the persons 
 of whom I had charge, I certainly should have preferred 
 remaining where I was, to the miserable pain of attempting 
 to move. 
 
 Lieutenant Franklin and those with him at Fort 
 Enterprise kept themselves alive by using skins 
 which had been thrown away during their former 
 wintering there, old bones, and scanty supplies of 
 tripe de roche, Franklin undertook the cooking, 
 but being too weak to pound the bones, one of the 
 Canadians agreed to do that in addition to the 
 more fatiguing work of collecting wood. The other 
 two were so debilitated and depressed in spirits 
 that they kept their beds, and scarcely ceased from 
 shedding tears all day. 
 
 * We had even to use much entreaty,' wrote Franklin, * be- 
 fore we prevailed upon them to take the meals we had pre- 
 pared. Our situation was indeed distressing, but in com- 
 parison with that of our friends in the rear we considered 
 it happy. Their condition gave us unceasing solicitude, 
 and was the principal subject of our conversation. We 
 perceived our strength decline every day, and every exer- 
 tion began to be irksome ; when we were once seated, the 
 greatest eifort was necessary in order to rise, and we had 
 frequently to lift each other from our seats ; but even in 
 this pitiable condition we conversed cheerfully, being san- 
 guine as to the speedy amval of the Indians.' 
 
 Thus terminated a month of unparalleled hor- 
 
 i*.-. - 
 
 Wi tMJ'lW 
 
T 
 
 s 
 
 1821 
 
 1821 
 
 feanklin's party at the fort. 
 
 107 
 
 rors, endured in patient resignation to the will of 
 God and firm faith in His mercy. Misery and 
 want still encompassed them, but friendly sym- 
 pathy and mutual aid went far to alleviate then- 
 distresses and lengthen out their days, till the 
 Indians, the messengers of life, sent by Mr. Back, 
 arrived. 
 
 be- 
 
 1, 
 
tt^m&^^m 
 
 i^l^H 
 
 qp 
 
 108 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 t 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 4 
 
 FORT ENTERPRISE — DEATH OF THE CANADIANS 5EMANDRE AND 
 
 PELTIER THE WHOLE PARTY RAPIDLY LOSE STRENGTH 
 
 CONSOLATION FROM RELIGIOUS SERVICES THEIR MENTAL 
 
 POWERS BECOME WEAK THE INDIANS ARRIVE Vi ITH RE- 
 LIEF REACH SLAVE LAKE— LETTER TO MRS. RICHARDSON 
 
 — PROCEED TO YORK FORT THEY ARRIVE IN ENGLaND. 
 
 1821-1822. 
 
 ■ 
 
 I 
 
 Dr. Richardson irnmediately began to clear away 
 the filth which had accuirmlated in the hou.se, and 
 aided by Hepburn cut and brought in the wood, 
 while Mr. Franklin, who was too weak to aid in 
 these laborious tasks, was employed in searching 
 for bones and cooking. On November 1, Hep- 
 burn's strength was found to be so rapidly failing, 
 that he was advised by the officers to give up 
 attempting the pursuit of deer, but try to kill a 
 few partridges for the Canadians Peltier and 
 Semandre, the former of whom died that evening, 
 the latter early next morning, leaving only one of 
 the voyageurs in a low and despondent state. In 
 Franklin's journal are the following affecting en- 
 tries at this time, which illustrate the courage, 
 
I82i 
 
 1821 CONSOLATION FROM RELIGIOUS SERVICES. 109 
 
 faithfulness to each other, and firm trust in God 
 which carried these brave men through all their 
 trials : — 
 
 On the 3rc], the weather was very cold, though the at- 
 mosphere was cloudy. This morning Hepburn was affected 
 with swelling in his limbs ; his strength, as well as that of 
 the doctor, was rapidly declining. They continued, how- 
 ever, to be full of hope. Their utmost exertions could only 
 supply wood to renew the fire thrice, and on making it up 
 the last time we went to bed. Our stock of bones was ex- 
 hausted by a small quantity of soup we made this evening. 
 The toil of separating the hair from the skins, which in fact 
 were our chief support, had now become so wearisome 
 as to prevent us from eating as much as we should other- 
 wise have done. 
 
 November 4. — The Doctor and Hepburn, exclusive of 
 their usual occupation, gathered some tripe de roche. I 
 went a few yards from the house in search of bones, and 
 returned (iuite fatigued, having found but three. The 
 doctor again made incisions in Adam's leg (the remaining 
 Canadian), which discharged a considerable quantity of 
 water, and gave him great relief. We read prayers and a 
 ])ortion of the New Testament in the morning and evening, 
 as had been our practice since Dr. Richardson's arrival, 
 and I may remark that the peribrmance of these duties 
 always afforded us the greatest consolation, serving to re- 
 animate our hope in the mercy of tlie Omnijiotent, who 
 alone could save and deliver us. 
 
 On the 5th, the breezes were light, with dark, cloudy 
 weather, and some snow. The Doctor and Hepburn were 
 getting much weaker, and the limbs of the latter were now 
 greatly swolFen. They came into the house frequently in 
 
 
^^!^ 
 
 ^mmmmm 
 
 110 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1821 
 
 
 the course of the day to rest themselves, and when once 
 seated, were unable to rise without the help of one another, 
 or of a stick. Adam was for the most part in the same low 
 state as yesterday, but sometimes he surprised us by getting 
 up and walking with an appearance of increased strength. 
 Ilis looks were now wild and ghastly, and his conversation 
 was often incoherent. I observed that, in proportion as our 
 strength decayed, our minds exhiliited symptoms of weak- 
 ness, evinced by a kind of unreasonable pettishness with 
 each other. Each of us thought the other weaker in in- 
 tellect than himself, and more in need of advice and as- 
 sistance. So trifling a circumstance as a change of place, 
 recommended by one as being warmer and more com- 
 fortable, and refused by the other from a dread of motion, 
 frecpiently called forth fretful expressions, Avhich were no 
 sooner uttered than atoned for, to be repeated perhaps in 
 the course of a few minutes. The same thing often oc- 
 curred when we endeavoured to assist each other in carry- 
 ing wood to the fire ; none of us were willing to receive 
 assistance, although the task was disproportionate to our 
 strength. On one of these occasions, Hepburn was so con- 
 vinced of this waywardness that he exclaimed, * Dear me, 
 if we are spared to return to England, I wonder if we shall 
 recover our understanding.' 
 
 The long-looked and often prayed for relief at 
 last came. Mr. Back, after much toil and suffer- 
 inj:. found the Indians, and a party left Akaitcho's 
 .; 'impment, on November 5, mth a small supply 
 ot p*".>\'i3ions to enable them to travel quickly. 
 "^K' - reached Fort Enterprise on the 7th, bringing 
 deliverance to the faithful band who had long 
 looked together into the valley with the dark 
 
1821 
 
 1821 
 
 AT GREAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 Ill 
 
 shadows, and, bound together by the endearing 
 ties of mutual suffering and sympathising aid, were 
 thenceforward to be constant friends and loving 
 brothers. 
 
 The tender nursing of the Indians, and the 
 powerful medicine of hope, long deferred, at last 
 realised, enabled them, on November 16, after 
 * having united in prayer and thanksgiving,' to set 
 out for the hunting ground of the Indian chief, 
 and to reach Fort Providence, Great Slave Lake, 
 on December 11. At that post they were kindly 
 received by the traders of the Hudson's Bay 
 Company, and had also the happiness of joining 
 Mr. Back. * Our feelings,' says Franklin in his 
 narrative, ' on this occasion can be well imagined. 
 We were deeply impressed with gratitude to him 
 for his exertions in sending the supply of food to 
 Fort Enterprise, to which, under Divine Provi- 
 dence, we felt the preservation of our lives to be 
 owing,' 
 
 The following letter from Dr. Richardson to his 
 wife is dated Great Slave Lake, April, 1822 : — 
 
 We left our quarters at Fort Enterprise on the 4th of 
 June last, and after travelling upon the ice until the be- 
 ginning of July, embarked on the Coppermine Kiver, and 
 reached the sea on the 18th of that month. Here the 
 Indians left us, no promise or hopes of advantage being 
 sufficient to induce them to encounter the privations and 
 dangers attendant upon a journey along the coast. Not • 
 withstanding this desertion, we launched our bark canoes 
 
mR 
 
 ^mm 
 
 112 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN BICHARDSON. 
 
 1822 
 
 /, 
 
 t a 
 
 on an icy sea, and commonced our voyage with only four- 
 teen days' provisions. This scanty stock, however, with the 
 addition of a few deer which we killed, and with some 
 little fastings, lasted until the 2oth of August, when its 
 total con-jumption and the broken state of the weather 
 compelled us to quit the sea and attempt to cross the 
 Barren Grounds. We did tolerably well, living on the 
 casual products of the chase, until September 4, when we 
 were surprised by the premature appearance of winter, and 
 from that day we had to traverse a countr)' deeply covered 
 with snow and destitute of wood. I shall not attempt to 
 describe the miseries we endured in this journey, for no 
 description can convey an adequate idea of them, and the 
 bare detail would Vje too harrowing to your feelings. The 
 deer fled to the south before the unusual inclemency of the 
 season, and half our party perished through cold, famine, 
 and fatijiue. The survivors were found bv the Indians on 
 November 7, and these savages (as they have been termed) 
 wept on beholding the deplorable condition to whicli Ave 
 were reduced. They nursed and fed us Avith the same ten- 
 derness they would have bestowed on their own infants, 
 and, finally, on December 11, conveyed us to Fort Pro- 
 vidence, the nearest post. 
 
 Let them give thanks whom the Lord hath redeemed. 
 I bless the Almighty Protector of the universe that He was 
 l)lL'ased to comfort me under every trial by the consolation of 
 religion. The conscioiLsness of being constantly under His 
 all-seeing eye, and for ever an object of His paternal care, 
 conjoined Avith His glorious declaration that ' all things work 
 together for good to those AA'ho love Him,' supported me 
 under every trial, and produced a calmness of mind and 
 resignation to His Avill, under the prospect of approaching 
 death, that I could not have previously hoped for. 
 
 I 
 
 ) 
 
 ^ 
 
1822 
 
 LETTER FROM GREAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 113 
 
 Wc rcturnetl to the Coppermine Kivcr, nearly opposite 
 Fort Enterprise, alioiit the end of September, and attempted 
 to cross it upon a raft of willows, but wanted the means of 
 impelling it to the other side. To supply this defect, I 
 undertook to swim across with a line, at a time when the 
 temperature of the air was far below freezing point ; but my 
 thin, emaciated, and exhausted frame could not withstand 
 the effect of the cold, and I sank before I reached the other 
 side, through an entire loss of power in all my limbs. My 
 companions drew me to the shore with the line, and through 
 their care I was restored to life ; and I now mention this 
 circumstance only for the purpose of telling you, that as the 
 waves closed over me, and I was losing the sight of the light 
 of day, as I thought for ever, your happiness and that of my 
 mother was my principal concern, and the last moments 
 of recollection were spent in breathing a prayer for the 
 temporal and eternal welfare of two so deservedly dear 
 to me. 
 
 Through the protection of God, I have escaped from still 
 greater dangers than this, and Avhen I reflect upon the as- 
 tonishing support I received from the habit of addressing 
 myself to Him in every difficulty, I feel that I can never, 
 by the utmost devotion of my future life, sufficiently ex- 
 press my gratitude for His kindness in permitting my heart 
 to be touched with a sense of my duty. If it were possible 
 that any man could remain an infidel in such a situation, 
 how dreadful would his suffering be ! 
 
 Since my arrival at this post, I have, through plentiful 
 fare, become fatter than ever I was before, and have re- 
 covered from every painful effect of my late sufferings ; but 
 you must be prepared to behold traces of age upon my face 
 that have been impressed since we parted. This, how- 
 ever, is the common lot of humanity, and I have only taken 
 
114 
 
 LIFE OF SIH JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1623 
 
 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 If 
 
 1/ i 
 
 
 1^ 
 
 
 f> 
 
 ( 
 
 V- 
 
 d 
 
 \ 
 
 [, 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 a sudden start of you by a few years ; hereafter I hope we 
 shall grow old together. 
 
 I trust that the navigation will open about the end of 
 next month, when we shall proceed to York Factory, to 
 wait for the annual ship, which may be expected in August. 
 The exact time of our arrival in England, depending on the 
 weather, is of course uncertain, but it is possible that it may 
 be in October, and I trust it may not be protracted beyond 
 the first week in November. On the subject of where we 
 are to meet, I shall write to you fully in my first English 
 letter. 
 
 Write to my mother and to my friends in Edinburgh, 
 and say I am in the land oi" the living, as I have written to 
 no one but yourself. May the God of mercies bless you. 
 
 The party remained at Fort Providence about 
 five months, awaiting the coming of spring to 
 enable them to proceed by Fort Chipewyan to 
 York Factor^', which they reached on July 14, 
 1822, having travelled in America, by land and 
 water, including the voyage on the Arctic Sea, a 
 distance of 5,550 miles. 
 
 In the month of October they arrived in Eng- 
 land, and were received by all classes of the people 
 with the enthusiasm which awaits conquering 
 heroes, and with the outbursts of grateful joy 
 which come from loving hearts when those dear to 
 them have returned from distant wanderings, after 
 having for a long time been given up and mourned 
 for as lost. 
 
 
 v.. 
 
1822 
 
 1822 
 
 ARRIVAL IN LONDON. 
 
 llo 
 
 lope we 
 
 ; end of 
 ctory, to 
 August, 
 g on the 
 It it may 
 beyond 
 here we 
 English 
 
 inburgh, 
 ritten to 
 3S you. 
 
 } about 
 *ing to 
 jan to 
 Illy 14, 
 ad and 
 Sea, a 
 
 a Eng- 
 people 
 luering 
 ful joy 
 dear to 
 s, after 
 ourned 
 
 ( 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 LETTER FROM MR. HOOD's FATHER DR. KICHARDSON's REPLY 
 
 THE PRAYER OF THE PIMXCESS ELIZAUPHII OF FRANCE 
 
 SPENDS THE WINTER IN LONDON VISITS DUMFRIES. 
 
 1822-1823. 
 
 When the expedition arrived in London, Dr. 
 Richardson enjoyed the happiness of meeting his 
 beloved wife, from whose affectionate society he 
 had torn himself within a year of their union. 
 
 The touching story of the privations and suffer- 
 ings which had been heroically endured, during 
 the retreat through the Barren Grounds, from the 
 shores of the Arctic Sea, and at the ruined Fort, 
 deeply moved the hearts of the British people ; 
 and the singular generosity of character displayed 
 by Dr. Richardson, combined with his persever- 
 ance and success as a naturalist, drew to him 
 many attentions from high quarters. 
 
 One of the most grateful recognitions was re- 
 ceived from the Rev. Dr. Hood, of Bury, Lancashire, 
 in a touching letter, dated October 22, 1822 : — 
 
 Will you permit the father of poor Robert Hood to ad- 
 dress you as a friend, and from an overHowing heart retur 
 
 I 2 
 
mmmmim^ 
 
 mmmm 
 
 116 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1822 
 
 
 ■If 
 
 i 
 
 )| 
 1/1 
 
 you liis most grateful thanks Ibr your exfraordinary kind- 
 ness to his dear son. I ani (piite overwhelmed with the 
 greatness of my loss and with the suddenness of the manner 
 in whi(;h it was commiuiicated to me i'rom a newspaper. 
 Alas! I feared that his frame was not sufficiently robust 
 to encounter the appalling hardships attending on Captain 
 Franklin's expedition, but he wotild engage in it. To you, 
 my dear sir, I am indebted fjir more tlian I can express, 
 for remaining at your own great hazard with my poor 
 Robert along with the fliithful Hepburn, and supporting 
 him when his strength failed, and especially for reviving in 
 his mind tliose principles of religion, which I trust lie had 
 never entirely forgotten. From wliat I understand, I fear 
 that at the time when that abominable villain deprived ray 
 poor boy of his precious life, he was so far exhausted as 
 not to have been able to survive imtil the arrival of relief, 
 even had not that dreadful event taken place. T shall be 
 obliged to you to inform me if this opinion be correct. The 
 dreadful sufferings which he must have endured during the 
 return from the sea-coast made me shudder to think of. 
 In a letter which he wrote me in July 1821, at the mouth 
 of the Coppermine River, he siiys, that he has no appre- 
 hension of want if obliged to return, because Indians were 
 appointed to collect provisions in various parts for the 
 supply of the expedition. Permit me to ask why this did 
 not take place. 
 
 Poor fellow, he informed me two years since that * Dr. 
 Richardson was a very acute and good man.' He little 
 suspected, at that time, how truly good you would prove to 
 him ! Oh, sir, my loss is very great, and I am nearly 
 broken-hearted. My dear, dear Robert, the pride of my 
 little family, to whom I looked as a chief source of consola- 
 tion in my declining years, is lost to me for ever in this life. 
 
1822 
 
 18-^2 
 
 LETTER TO ME. HOOD S FATHER. 
 
 117 
 
 V kiiul- 
 th the 
 manner 
 ■spapiT. 
 robust 
 Captain 
 To you, 
 2xj)rc's.s, 
 \y poor 
 )porting 
 
 V 
 
 pving in 
 
 he had 
 
 , I fear 
 
 ed ray 
 
 usted as 
 
 if relief, 
 
 sliall be 
 
 ct. The 
 
 ring the 
 
 link of. 
 
 mouth 
 
 I appre- 
 
 ns were 
 
 for the 
 
 l;his did 
 
 at *Dr. 
 le little 
 prove to 
 nearly 
 of my 
 lonsola- 
 his life. 
 
 But God's will be done! Tiirougli tlio extraordinary 
 kindness of Dr. Kichardson, I trust that ho will not be lost 
 in the next. 
 
 May (iod bless you and yours, and repay you that for 
 which I am utterly bankrupt. 
 
 Your sincere friend, 
 
 KlClIAUl) IIuoD. 
 
 To this letter Dr. RicliarJson replied : — 
 
 October 29, 1822. 
 Kkv. Sik, — I received your nffecting letter this morning, 
 and sit down immediately to reply to the queries contained 
 in it. My departed friend, I firmly believe, had never suf- 
 fered the principles of religion to be absent from his mind, 
 and we were throughout the whole course of the exjiedition 
 deeply indebted to Captain Franklin for the excellent ex- 
 ample he set us in the strict and regular performance of 
 his religious duties. But it was during our perilous marcli 
 across the Barren (xrounds that we unbosomed ourselves to 
 each other, and our conversation tended to excite in us 
 mutually a firm reliance on the Avisdom and beneficence of 
 the decrees of the Almighty. Our sufferings were nev'er 
 acute during the march, the sensation of hunger ceased 
 after the third day of privation, and with the decay of 
 strength, the love of life also decayed. Wo could calnilv 
 contemplate the approach of death, and our feelings were 
 excited only by the idea of tlie grief of our relatives. It 
 was of you that your talented son thought and spoke in the 
 latter weeks of his life. When obliged to abandon every- 
 thing else, he carried a Prayer-book, from which the Service 
 was daily read ; and I may add, as every anecdote of such 
 a son is interesting to a father, that he delighted in repeat- 
 ing the beautiful little prayer appended to one of Fenelon's 
 
lammm 
 
 118 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1822 
 
 H 
 
 iii* 
 
 
 I J:' 
 
 I 
 
 i\ 
 
 •J 
 
 i 
 
 Avorlca, the exact title of Avhich I forget, but it is a series of 
 short meditations or homilies for every day in the month. 
 
 The grievous disappointment we experienced in not find- 
 ing the supply of provision at Fort Enterjirise, solemnly 
 jn'omised to us by the Indians, arose partly i'rom the natural 
 iickleness of that people, which renders them exjjcrt in 
 finding reasons for changing an aiTangement however im 
 portant, but principally from two of their hunters having 
 been drowned by the oversetting of a canoe. As usual on 
 such an occasion, the rest threw away their clothing, brciko 
 their guns, and thus by their mode of expressing their grief 
 curtjiiled themselves of the means of procuring their food. 
 
 The extraordinary ability of your now blessed son must 
 appear from every page of Captain Franklin's narrative. 
 His talents shed a lustre upon the expedition. For such a 
 loss I can offer no consolation, but my prayer shall be di- 
 rected to Him who alone is able to pour balm on the broken 
 heart. With much esteem, I am, reverend sir. 
 
 Your very sincere friend, 
 
 John Richardson. 
 
 The prayer referred to as that which Lieutenant 
 Hood delighted in repeating, is said to have been 
 one of the Princess Elizabeth of France, appended 
 to a work of Fenelon, which, amongst others, had 
 been presented by a lady before the expedition left 
 England. Through the kindness of Mrs. Roe, 
 sister of Mr. Hood, we are able to insert it : — 
 
 What may befall me this day, O God, I know not. But 
 I do know that nothing can happen to me which Thou hast 
 not foreseen, ruled, wilh;d, and ordained from all eternity, 
 and that suffices me. I adore Thy eternal and inscrutable 
 
1822 
 
 series of 
 month, 
 lot find- 
 olemnly 
 ! natural 
 q)ert in 
 ver ini 
 i havinix 
 isual on 
 ;5, broke 
 eir grief 
 r food. 
 m must 
 irrative. 
 ' such a 
 be di- 
 broken 
 
 1S22 THE PRAYER OF PRINCESS ELIZABETH. 119 
 
 designs. I submit to them with all my heart through love 
 to Thee. I accept all, I make unto Thee a sacrifice of all, 
 and to this poor sacrifice I add that of my Divine Suviour. 
 In His name, and for the sake of His infinite merits, I ask 
 of Thee that I may be endowed with patience under suf- 
 fering and with the perfect submission which is due to all 
 which Thou vvillest or permittest. 
 
 Dr. Richardson spent the winter in London, 
 preparing the papers for Captain Franklin's nar- 
 rative of the expedition, which was published 
 early in 1823 ; and after spending the month of 
 May with Captain Franklin's friends in Lincoln 
 and Nottinghamshire, returned to Scotland. 
 
 DSON. 
 
 tenant 
 e been 
 )ended 
 's, had 
 on left 
 . Eoe, 
 
 t. Biit 
 lou hast 
 ternity, 
 rutable 
 
120 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1823 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 DR. Richardson's residence in Edinburgh — the zoological 
 
 APPENDIX TO THE NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN PARRT's SECOND 
 
 VOYAGE FRIENDSHIPS — LETTER TO HIS SISTER, MRS. CAR- 
 
 RUTHERS APPOINTED SURGEON TO THE DIVISION OF MARINES 
 
 AT CHATHAM. 
 
 1823-1824. 
 
 Towards the end of November 1823 Dr. Ricliard- 
 soii took up his residence in Edinburgh, but few 
 particulars are known regarding his quiet family 
 life and occupations during this season of retire- 
 ment from public duty. In his study he was 
 actively engaged with the preparation of the 
 * Zoological Appendix to the Narrative of Captain 
 Parry's Second Voyage of Discovery, made to the 
 Polar Seas during 1821, 1822, 1823.' This work, 
 descriptive of the mammalia and birds, was begun 
 at the close of 1823 and published early in 1825. 
 He was also looking forward to another botanical 
 excursion to America, and lost no opportunity of 
 making progress in the various branches of natural 
 history. 
 
 One of his near.est neighbours at this time, and 
 
1823 
 
 1823 
 
 FEIENDSHIPS. 
 
 121 
 
 a friend of congenial spirit, was Mr. Francis Boott, 
 then studying medicine at Edinburgh University. 
 He obtained his degree as doctor in 1824, and 
 shortly after settled in London, where he died on 
 December 25, 1863. Dr. Boott was a native of 
 Boston, in the United States, where he was bom in 
 1792. He was an able physician, but early retired 
 from practice to devote himself to his favourite 
 pursuit, the study of botany. His ' Illustrations 
 of the Genus Carex ' is a beautiful and valuable 
 work. The friendship formed in Edinburgh between 
 Dr. Richardson and Dr. Boott was only interrupted 
 by death. The sacred bond also included Robert 
 Brown, the greatest botanist of his age, kind of 
 heart, genial in his feelings, and purely benevo- 
 lent in his disposition ; and Sir William Jackson 
 Hooker, the promoter of science and all that is 
 good and enlightening, and many others remark- 
 able for their learning and uprightness. On 
 January 23, 1824, Richardson wrote to Boott: — 
 ' Many thanks, my dear sir, for the valued profile 
 of our mutual friend Brown. It is not more prized 
 by me as a faithful resemblance of a man whom I 
 admire than as a memorial of the kindness and 
 friendship of the donor.' 
 
 Mrs. Boott, referring to the time when the two 
 families lived opposite each other in Edinburgh, 
 says of Dr. Richardson : ' His modest, unpretend- 
 ing bearing would have led one to infer that his 
 fame had never extended beyond his own door- 
 
122 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHAEDSON. 
 
 1823 
 
 step. From the first hour my husband knew him, 
 he was impressed with feelings of deep respect and 
 high admiration, which he continued to cherish 
 through life. 
 
 *The Lauriston home was a pleasant, happy, 
 tranquil one, where pleasant and social little parties 
 often assembled. There we met Professor Jamieson 
 and other agreeable people.' Mrs. Boott describes 
 Mrs. Richardson as 'a most gentle, amiable, but 
 very delicate lady, presiding over her house with 
 an attention to all that could render it neat and 
 attractive.' 
 
 On December 16, 1823, in announcing to his 
 mother the death of a relative's wife, while her 
 husband and father-in-law were absent in London 
 on business, he adds : ' On how frail a tenure 
 mortal life depends, and with what assiduity ought 
 we to prepare ourselves for our appearance before 
 that Judge who may summon us into his presence 
 to-morrow ! " Deep crieth i7nto deep." I was 
 mourning little Janet's death, and now a dear 
 friend and a mother snatched from a numerous 
 family calls for the most heartfelt sympathy.' 
 
 Little Janet was a sister's infant chUd, the wife 
 of Mr. Charles Carruthers of Mousewald Place, in 
 Annandale. A few days previously he had written 
 to her the following letter : — 
 
 My dear Sister, — I sit down to condole with you on the 
 loss of our dear little Janet. The melancholy intelligence 
 came very unexpectedly upon us. I had hoj>ed, indeed, 
 
 
~1 " 
 
 ■■ 
 
 1823 
 
 lj;24 SURGEON TO THE MARINES AT CHATHAM. 123 
 
 from the hist accounts we got, that the poor little innocent 
 was recovering. The sweet-tempered thing was dear to us 
 all, but God in his merciful dispensations often interferes 
 to prevent our relying too much on earthly happiness. He 
 has left us to mourn our loss, but we ought at the sjime 
 time to adore His goodness. He has taken to Himself a 
 guiltless being, who had experienced only the happy dawn 
 of existence and undergone none of the sorrows which 
 arise in after life from broken aifections and still more from 
 the sins which beset the best of us. * Sufl'er little children 
 to come unto me,' says our blessed Kedeemer, and we 
 should not repine that He has called our darling to tlie 
 realms of everlasting happiness. Although the decrees of 
 God may, to our finite understandings, be inscrutable, yet 
 we know that the Almighty loves us as a father loves his 
 children, and that He who gave His only begotten Son as 
 a ransom for us, will not afflict us beyond what is good 
 for us. 
 
 On January 11, 1824, he wrote to his mother : — 
 
 I hope in the course of another year to receive an appoint- 
 ment for collecting objects of natural history in America. 
 The purpose of this appointment, if I succeed in obtaining 
 it, is to enable me to give a lull account of the animals and 
 plants within the limits of the Fur Trading Posts, and will 
 be unattended with any hazard. If I go out I shall be absent 
 from this country for two or perhaps three years, but will 
 be resident during all the winter at one or other of the 
 principal posts in the Fur Country, and have to travel in 
 quest of plants only in the summer, and then merely from 
 post to post. The arrangements, however, are not agreed 
 upon, and as they may not eventually take place, I do not 
 wish that my proposal should become public. 
 
• »WP 
 
 124 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1824 
 
 He had even then formed the plan of his great 
 work, 'The Fauna Boreali — Americana,' and was 
 anxiously longing for an opportunity of completing 
 the collections necessary for that undertaking. 
 
 In the 9r>r' •/ of 1 824, the situation of surgeon to 
 the division of Marines at Chatham became vacant, 
 and the prospect of being appointed to it gave him 
 great satisfaction, especially as leave of absence 
 would be gaV'w>L ' fc^r the necessary time to allow 
 him to accompli,) 7 '^ic contemplated Arctic ex- 
 pedition. He had jiivt wi: timed from a short visit 
 to Dumfries kIlu thi* virred, as we find him 
 writing to his mother, f^ciii ; iTiburgh, on April 20. 
 
 I arrived safely at home and found a notification of an 
 appointment as surgeon of the marine division at Chatham. 
 I shall proceed in the course of ten days to London, in 
 consequence, and enter immediately upon my duties. The 
 emoluments are a guinea a-day, with a house, coals, candles, 
 and a field-officer's allowances. It is a very good appoint- 
 ment, and is, I hope, the earnest of further promotion on the 
 
 staff. 
 
 I 
 
 Sir John Barrow's letter must have been, in no 
 ordinary degree, gratifying to Dr. Richardson. 
 
 Admiralty, April 17, 1824. 
 Dear Sir, — I have the pleasure to acquaint you that Lord 
 Melville has appointed you to the Chatham Division of 
 Marines, and that it will not prevent you from accompany- 
 ing Franklin, if so disposed, as the business may in your 
 Absence be done by deputy. 
 
 I am, dear Sir, very faithfully yours, 
 
 John Barrow. 
 
 
1824 
 
 1824 
 
 CAPTAIN parry's F^TE. 
 
 125 
 
 {jreat 
 
 was 
 
 jting 
 
 He lost no time in setting out to his new sphere 
 of duty. On May 4 he is in London, and at the 
 grand fete given by Captain Parry, on board the 
 ' Hecla,' to nearly 500 people of fashion, before 
 beginning his third voyage of discovery. The 
 festivities are described in the Memoirs of Sir W. 
 E. Parry : * Both ships were gaily dressed out, 
 and the proceedings varied by a concert on board 
 the " Hecla." Several of the best performers of 
 the day, Madame Pasta among the number, had 
 volunteered their services, and seemed to their 
 delighted hearers as really inspired for the occa- 
 sion, beyond their usual powers of pleasing. As 
 the twilight closed in, a novel and brilliant effect 
 was produced by coloured lamps hung amongst the 
 rigging and along the bulwarks of the vessels.' 
 ' It certainly was,' writes Captain Parry's sister, 
 ' a beautiful sight, and under other circumstances 
 we should have thoroughly enjoyed it.' 
 
 A few days later. Dr. Richardson began his 
 duties at Chatham, and for some time was so busily 
 engaged as to have little time for writing letters. 
 
 
126 
 
 LIFE OF 8IB JOHN BICHAKD30N. 
 
 1625 
 
 i. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE EXPEDITION SAILS FROM LIVERPOOL — RECEIVED WITH 
 
 GREAT KINDNESS AT NEW YORK AT ALBANY JOURNEY TO 
 
 NIAGARA — LAKE ONTARIO LAKE HURON ARRIVAL AT FORT 
 
 WILLIAM — FORT CHIPEWYAN — SLA\'E LAKE THE MACKENZIE 
 
 RIVER — BEAR LAKE RIVER FORT FRANKLIN. 
 
 1825. 
 
 Captain Franklin's plan for his second expe- 
 dition, as laid before Government, was to proceed 
 to the mouth of the Mackenzie River, and thence, 
 by sea, along the coast to the north-western ex- 
 tremity of the American continent, on the one 
 hand, and from the Mackenzie to the Coppermine 
 on the other. The plan was approved, and he 
 received orders to make the necessary prepara- 
 tions and take the command. Associated with 
 him were his friends Dr. Richardson, Lieutenant 
 Back, and Mr. E. N. Kendall, who joined the 
 party as assistant-surveyor. Mr. Thomas Drum- 
 mond was assistant natiuulist. In addition to his 
 duties as surgeon and naturalist, Dr. Richardson 
 was appointed to survey the coast between the 
 Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers, while Captain 
 Franklin was endeavouring to reach Icy Cape. 
 
^p 
 
 1625 
 
 18^5 
 
 THE PARTY AT LIVERPOOL. 
 
 127 
 
 Every precaution was taken to prevent a recur- 
 rence of the disasters which befell the first expe- 
 dition, and the party sailed from Liverpool for 
 New York on February 12, 1825. From the ex- 
 perience formerly gained. Captain Franklin and 
 the promoters of the journey had been enabled to 
 make arrangements for travelling as rapidly as 
 possible and obtaining sufficient supplies. The 
 position of afiPairs in the fur trading countries had 
 also assumed a most favourable character. 
 
 The Hud.son's Bay Company had now amalgamated with 
 the North-West Company, and were carrying on a peaceful 
 commerce throughout the length and breadth of the Fur 
 Countries. The Indians, well-treated and happy, acquiesced 
 in the absence of the ' fire-water,' which was no longer 
 carried to the north, and were beginning to listen to the 
 missionaries, as well as becoming gradually more amenable 
 to the influence of the traders, which has always been 
 beneficial when not perverted by commercial rivalry. 
 
 From Liverpool, Dr. Richardson wrote : * I have 
 only time to inform you of my safe arrival here on 
 Saturday night, and that we sail this morning at 
 ten o'clock, in the " Columbia," New York packet, 
 an excellent vessel with every accommodation. 
 The merchants of Liverpool have paid us the ut- 
 most attention, and seem to regret that our stay 
 here is so short that they are not able to show 
 us more.' 
 
 After a favourable voyage of twenty-seven days 
 they arrived at New York, and found the season 
 
r II 
 
 !l 
 
 128 
 
 LIFE OP 8IE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1825 
 
 h 
 
 ; ( 
 
 so early and the spring so far advanced as to give 
 them the prospect of a pleasant journey through 
 the interior. The following interesting account of 
 the reception which the party experienced at New 
 York, and of the journey to Great Bear Lake, is in 
 Dr. Richardson's own words : — 
 
 At New York we were received with much hospitality, 
 and I may say kindness, by the upper class of citizens. 
 "We spent a very agreeable week with them, and in the 
 manners and characters of the friends and acquaintances 
 we made could trace no resemblance to the portraits of the 
 national character drawn by travellers who have lately 
 given their observations to the world. I suspect that few 
 of these flying visitors had an opportunity of studying the 
 habits of the class of people to whom I refer, for although 
 the leading men are accessible enough in their public capa- 
 cities, the distinction of ranks seems to be preserved in pri- 
 vate intercourse more tenaciously in the republican United 
 States than in monarchical Britain. The pride of birth 
 reigns in full sway on this side of the Atlantic, tempered 
 however by good sense and concealed by the veil of good 
 breeding. The higher orders have in fact inherited many 
 feelings from their English ancestors more suitable to a 
 monarchical than to a republican form of government, and 
 possess, particularly the Federal party, a liking to English 
 measures and men which might easily be cherished into a 
 strong attachment. 
 
 We left New York in a steam-boat, and proceeded up 
 the River Hudson to Albany, landing, by the way, at 
 West Point, to visit the Military Academy established there 
 on a large scale. The Hudson is a magnificent river, and 
 much of its scenery pos-sessea a grand, almost Alpine 
 
 r 
 
1825 TRAVELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 129 
 
 character. We were entertained by the Governor of tlie 
 State, General De Witt Clinton, a i)olished gentleman of 
 great scientific attainments, and by Van Ranselaer, the 
 proprietor of a county which bears his name. We accom- 
 panied the governor to church, and the clergyman, the 
 Rev. Dr. Christie, a presbyterian, prayed in express terms 
 for the success and safety of the expedition. 
 
 At Albany, we hired three coaches with four horses each 
 to convey us to Lewistown, a distance of about 420 miles. 
 Our party consisted of five officers, four marines, and ]Mr. 
 Buchanan, the British consul, who came with us from New 
 York, and accompanied us during our journey through the 
 United States and Upper Canada, facilitating our progress 
 greatly by his intimate knowledge of the route, modes of 
 travelling, and manners of the inhabitants. The American 
 horses are spirited animals, and the coaches very light 
 vehicles, with accommodation for nine passengers in each, 
 so that we had some spare room ; but as our luggage was 
 heavy, and the roads extremely deep from the recent break- 
 ing up of the winter, it was necessary for the sake of 
 expedition to travel as we did. 
 
 Accustomed as we had been to the luxury of an English 
 inn, we found those in the United States inferior. They 
 are, however, equal or superior to the general run of inns 
 on the continent of Europe, and we never suffered from 
 the intrusion of people not of our party, but had always a 
 sitting-room appropriated to our use and separate bed- 
 rooms, the size of the inns on this line of route admit- 
 ting of this accommodation. After we struck off, however, 
 from the great western road to Buffalo, in order to go to 
 Lewistown on the Niagara, we found, as might be expected 
 from the smaller thoroughfare, less accommodation for so 
 large a party. 
 
130 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1625 
 
 1,1 
 
 Wo arrived at one of the smaller inns about midnighi 
 after the family had retired to rest, found the door on the 
 latch, and walked in, but experienced some difficulty, as it 
 was a frosty night, in getting the inmates to (juit their 
 warm beds to provide us with supper. Mr. Buchanan, 
 however, hit upon an expedient which answered admirably. 
 He sent our Highland piper into the long passiige leading 
 to the bed-rooms, and he had not marched twice along it 
 to the tune of the * Gathering of the Clans,' before the 
 landlord, his wife, and five or six female attendants, hurried 
 forth. They took all this in good part, said it was delight- 
 ful music, cooked some ham for our supper, with their 
 usual expedition, and spread clean sheets on the beds which 
 they had left, and which on our retiring to them we found 
 still warm. The bed-rooms we got were the best in the 
 house, and the good people, in resigning tliem to us, moat 
 probably shifted but poorly themselves lor the remainder 
 of the night. In travelling through the newly-settled 
 States, particularly in the spring, ham is almost the only 
 article of provision that can be got. It has the advantage, 
 however, of being cooked in a very short time. The mo- 
 ment we arrived at an inn, the spacious frying-pan was 
 placed on the large wood fire, and we never had occasion 
 to wait above twenty minutes for dinner or supper. 
 
 At another inn we witnessed a rather amusing display of 
 that boisterous attachment to equality which is so often 
 mistaken for liberty by those who have nothing at stake 
 and who know nothing about the matter. After we had 
 taken possession of our seats in the coaches and were about 
 to drive off, a man made a show of seating himself beside 
 us, but was told by the driver that they were not stage 
 coaches, being hired for the sole use of the party that oc- 
 cupied them. One of the dram-drinkers, of whom there 
 
1825 
 
 1825 
 
 THE FALLS OP NIAGARA. 
 
 181 
 
 idnighi 
 
 on the 
 
 ,y, as it 
 
 it their 
 
 chanan, 
 
 iiirably. 
 
 leading 
 
 ilong it 
 
 ore the 
 
 hun'ied 
 
 delight- 
 
 th their 
 
 Is which 
 
 re found 
 
 in the 
 
 us, most 
 
 ■mainder 
 
 y-settled 
 
 the only 
 
 Ivantage, 
 
 The mo- 
 
 -pan was 
 
 occasion 
 
 • 
 
 lisplay of 
 so often 
 ; at stak(; 
 • we had 
 ere about 
 ;lf beside 
 not stage 
 that oc- 
 om there 
 
 I 
 
 are always several lounging at the door of an inn, obsciTod 
 tliat in a free country we had no right to engage more scats 
 than we could fill, nor to prevent a citizen i'rom taking a 
 vacant one. This observation was not made directly to us 
 but to one of the bvstanders, who answered that if we were 
 extravagant enough to pay for what we did not use, no 
 person in a free country had a right to prevent us. This 
 produced a rejoinder, and when we drove off they seemed 
 inclined to decide by blows the cause of liberty of opinion. 
 
 In the meantime, the gentleman who wished to ride with 
 us had quietly taken a seat beside the driver. As this was 
 done without permission, Mr. Buchanan desired him to come 
 down. He did so, and approacliing the coach door, siiid to 
 the Consul in a humble tone, ' Governor, will you j)ermit 
 me to go only twelve miles to see my wife and iimiily ?' His 
 request was now complied with, but on reaching his desti- 
 nation he walked off without even bidding us good night. 
 
 From Lewistown we crossed the Nia. ira to Queenstctwn, 
 on the Canada side, and went about seven miles up the river 
 to visit the celebrated falls. Many have endeavoured to 
 describe them, and I think with very little success. I shall 
 not make a new attempt, but merely remark that notwith- 
 standing all I had read on the subject, and the various 
 drawings I liad seen, the grandeur of the scene lar exceeded 
 my previous conceptions of it. On comparison with this 
 all the other cataracts which I have seen dwindle into per- 
 fect insignificance. It is a stupendous monument of the 
 power of the Creator of the universe, who wields at will an 
 element that mccks the utmost strength of man. 
 
 From Niagara we proceeded to Fort George, situated on 
 Lake Ontario, at the influx of the river, and crossing the 
 lake landed at York, the capital of Upper Canada. After 
 spending twenty-four hours at this place, we proceeded in 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1825 
 
 !) 
 
 i\ 
 
 ii 
 
 
 ! ') 
 
 I'll 
 
 t 
 
 1. ,1' 
 
 hH 
 
 ll 
 
 carts by miserable roads and through a thinly settled 
 country to Lake Simcoe, which we crossed, and descending 
 the Natawasaga Kiver to Lake Huron, arrived in a few days 
 at Penetanguishene, a naval depot, situated in one of the 
 bays of the lake. The most advanced Canadian settlements 
 approach Penetanguishene, but the cleared spots are mere 
 patches in the desert, and the roads by which they commu- 
 nicate are only in some instances passable for horses, being 
 for the most part only to be traced by an Indian or ex- 
 perienced backwoodsman. It is in this quarter that the 
 Canadian Company have purchased from Government the 
 reserves, and I have no doubt but that through their 
 exertions it will be completely settled in a few years. 
 
 At Penetanguishene we were joined by twenty-four 
 Canadian voyageurs from Montreal, and on April 23, the 
 whole party embarked in two large canoes, which, toge- 
 ther with some stores, had been Ibrwarded from Lower 
 Canada the joreceding season. In these canoes we coasted 
 Lakes Huron and Superior, and arrived at Fort William on 
 May 10, having suffered a few days' detention, partly from 
 ice but principally from high winds. 
 
 Fort William, previous to the union with the Hudson's 
 Bay Company, was the principal depot of the north-west 
 traders. Here we exchanged our large canoes for four smaller . 
 ones adapted to river navigation, and separating into two 
 parties. Captain Franklin and I pushed forward in a 
 partially laden canoe, whilst Messrs. Back, Kendall, and 
 Drummond followed with the stores. We arrived on 
 June 15 at Cumberland House, which was our win- 
 tering quarters the first year on our former journey, and it 
 was also the residence, during last winter, of our seamen, 
 >N ho, with three boats and some stores under their charge, 
 left England in June 1824, in the Hudson's Bay ship. 
 
 ■•L 
 
1825 
 
 settled 
 ending 
 
 1825 
 
 FORT CHIPEWYAN. 
 
 133 
 
 being 
 
 their 
 
 toge- 
 
 They resumed their voyage this season on June 2, 
 and we overtook them on the 29th of the same month, in 
 time to assist them in reaching and crossing the lieiglit of 
 land which separates the waters flowing towards Hudson's 
 Bay from those which full into the Arctic Sea. Owing to 
 the unusual dryness of the season, we experienced much 
 difficulty in launching the boats through the small streams 
 leading to and from this portage, which is named the Methy 
 carrying-place, and particularly through the small Mothy 
 River, which is nearly thirty miles long, and, this season, 
 nowhere offered sufficient water to float the boats, ex- 
 cept in small pools with long almost dry fords inter- 
 vening. We had, in consequence, to carry the cargoes 
 nearly the whole way, either partially or entirely through 
 swamps, from Avhich at every step the mosquitoes assailed 
 us in myriads. The carrying-place itself is twelve miles 
 long over a high ridge of sand hills, and here the boats were 
 partly carried on men's shoulders au:l partly launched the 
 entire distance. Having completed this tedious and labo- 
 rious operation, during which a considerable numl)er of men 
 were disabled by swellings of the legs, we descended the 
 Athabasca IJiver, and reached Fort Chipewyan, on the 
 Lake of the Hills, on July 15. By referring to INIac- 
 kenzie's Voyages, you will perceive that it was from this 
 post that that enterprising traveller set out on June '^, 
 1789, on that memorable voyage to the Arctic Sea, in 
 which he discovered and navigated the river that bears 
 his name, and opened up to the fur trade a large tract of 
 productive country. 
 
 It was necess.'iry for Captain Franklin to remain at Fort 
 Chipewyan until the arrival of Mr. Back, in order that he 
 might discharge such of the Canadian voyageurs as were to 
 return to Canada this season, and to make other arrange- 
 
 \ 
 
134 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHAEDSON. 
 
 1825 
 
 l> 
 
 ' lli 
 
 ll 
 
 V 
 
 nienta ; but that the boats, which were now four in number, 
 an additional one having been borrowed from the Company 
 and heavily laden with upwards of two tons of pemmican 
 Ijesides other stores, might be no cause of delay after the 
 airival of the canoes, I went on with them on July 21. 
 The canoes, under Messrs. Back and Kendall, arrived at 
 Chipewyan on the 23rd. Drummond was left at Cumber- 
 land House, to enable him to botanize on the Saskat- 
 chewan. On the 25th, Captain Franklin, having sent back 
 a canoe with the voyageurs whose services were no longer 
 needed, set out after me with the remaining three canoes. 
 The boats reached Slave Lake on July 20, only two days 
 later than we arrived at the siime place, on the second 
 year of our former journey, in canoes: a liifference in speed 
 attributable solely to our accpiaintance w^ith the route and 
 mode of travelling and the previous arrangements so care- 
 fully made by Captain Franklin. After passing two days 
 under the hospitable roof of Mr. McVicar, who was so kind 
 to us after our former sufferings, I set out again, and coasting 
 the southern shore of Great Slave Lake, entered the Mac- 
 kenzie. The current of this stately river swept us rapidly 
 along, and on August 3, we arrived at Fort Simpson, 
 situated on the inHux of the Kiver of the Mountains, and at 
 seven in the morning of the Gth, landed at Fort Norman, 
 about 200 miles farther down. These two posts are thir- 
 teen days of winter travelling apart. At Fort Norman I 
 left a portion of the stores, a boat and a select crew for 
 Captain Franklin, and going on with the remainder ascended 
 the current of Bear Lake River, which joins the Mackenzie 
 about thirty miles below Fort Norman. Bear Lake Kiver 
 has a rapid current, the voyage down it being performed in 
 eight or nine hours, while its ascent occupies three or four 
 days. It is seventy-six miles long. We arrived at Fort 
 
^■■1 
 
 1825 
 
 MACKENZIE KIVER. 
 
 135 
 
 Franklin, then in progress of erection, on August 10. 
 Mr. Dease, a chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company, 
 who had come down with a party of men in the month 
 of June to make preparation for us, did not expect to 
 see us before September 25. Captain Franklin and his 
 party reached Fort Norman the day after I left it, and 
 sending Mr. Back up with the canoes and stores, he and 
 Mr. Kendall proceeded down the river in the boat with a 
 crew of seven men, including the Esquimaux interpreter. 
 On the third day they passed Fort Good Hope, in latitude 
 G7° 28', the last of the Company's posts, and in three days 
 more reached the sea. The river flows into the sea through 
 many channels, separated by low deltas, which are mostly 
 covered by spring floods. Whale Island of Mackenzie, the 
 limit of his voyage, is one of the outermost of these deltas, 
 but it is surrounded by the fresh water of the river, and it 
 was not until the boat had approached Garry's Island, 
 thirty miles seaward, that the clear siilt water was per- 
 ceived, separated from the muddy waters of the river by a 
 well-defined line. Captain Franklin landed on Garry's 
 Island exactly six month' .roni the daie of siiiling from 
 England, and it will excite the sympathy of his friends to 
 learn that he then displayed for the first time a silk flag 
 sewed by his lamented wife in her last illness, and delivered 
 with a presentiment, alas too true, that they were never to 
 meet again in this world. Garry's Island lies in latitude 
 69° 29' and longitude 135° 41' west, and from its summit 
 they saw many white and black whales and seals. 
 
 After remaining a day for the purpose of making astro- 
 nomical observations and enjoying the contemplation of a 
 sea clear of ice, they set out on their return, and arrived 
 at Fort Franklin on September 6. During their absence 
 we had given that name to our winter abode. They 
 
136 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 182S 
 
 
 saw several Esquimaux encampments recently deserted, but 
 were not so fortunate as to find any of the people of that 
 nation. Presents, however, of iron work were left at their 
 huts, and we have had the satisfaction of learning in the 
 course of this winter, through the medium of the Sharp 
 Eyes who frequent Fort Good Hope, that these presents 
 were found by the people for whom they were intended, 
 and have inclined thejn strongly in our favour. The ex- 
 pedition travelled, from the date of our leaving New York, 
 March 26, till our reunion at Fort Franklin on September 6, 
 including a survey of the north side of Bear Lake, which 
 I made in Captain Franklin's absence, 5,160 miles, of 
 which 596 were through the United States and the set- 
 tlements in Upper Canada. We shall resume our labours 
 as soon as the rivers are clear of ice, which will be towards 
 the end of June. At present the whole party are in good 
 health and high spirits, and sanguine as to their expecta- 
 tions cf success. 
 
 :w 
 
 'V4. 
 
 I ' .tt— ' . ' til 
 
IB2S 
 
 1825 
 
 LETTER PROM PENETANGUISHENE. 
 
 187 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE EXPEDITION AT PENETANGUISHENE, ON LAKE HURON 
 
 TIDINGS OF MRS. FRANKLIN's DEATH AN EARLY SEASON 
 
 MANNER OF TRAVELLING NUMBER OF THE PARTY — THE MAC- 
 KENZIE RIVER WINTER AMUSEMENTS AT FORT FRANKLIN 
 
 DOG-RIB INDIANS A WOLF BIRTH OF A CHILD DINNER ON 
 
 THE OCCASION — A BALL. 
 
 *-- 
 
 i 
 
 1825-1826. 
 
 We have given Dr. Richardson's lucid account of 
 the progress of the party until they settled down 
 for the winter at Fort Franklin, on Great Bear 
 Lake. A few extracts from letters which he wrote 
 from the stations at which the expedition halted, 
 supply additional information. On April 22, 1825, 
 they are at Penetanguishene, on Lake Huron, and 
 he writes : — 
 
 This is the most advanced naval post on the lakes, and 
 the establishment consists of a lieutenant, assistant-surgeon, 
 and five men, with a military detachment of an officer and 
 twenty men. The assistant-surgeon and military oflficer 
 are married to English ladies, who reside here amongst the 
 woods. The most advanced settlers, in Upper Canada, are 
 within a few miles 
 
Pi 
 
 OT 
 
 I 
 
 138 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1»23 
 
 \i 
 
 I* i< 
 
 I had written thus far when an express arrived with 
 letters for Captain Franklin, conveying the melancholy 
 tidings of Mrs. Franklin's death. Although this event 
 was in some measure expected, it has cast a gloom over the 
 party, and it will be long before Captain Franklin regains 
 his usual How of spirits. He bears his great loss with 
 Christian resignation, but he will feel it more acutely when 
 he returns to his desolate mansion in Devonshire Street. 
 The exertion necessary for carrying on the expedition will 
 occupy his mind for the present. 
 
 From Fort William, Lake Superior, lie wrote : — 
 
 Every exertion is being made in the interior to provide 
 abundance of provision on our route, and all the accounts 
 we have received are highly satisfactory, so that, compared 
 with our last journey, tliis promises to be a party of 
 pleasure. The season is unusually early, and we have 
 arrived here more than a month sooner than canoes loaded 
 like ours have ever done, and nearly a fortnight before any 
 of the light canoes for thirty years past. This gives us 
 great hopes of arriving in very good time at our winter 
 quarters. 
 
 Of his companions he remarks : ' Mr. Back you 
 know already ; Mr. Kendall is an exact picture of 
 Captain Franklin, in size, face and temper ; Drum- 
 mond is the most indefatigable collector of speci- 
 mens of natural history I have ever seen.' 
 
 From Lake Winnipeg, on June 6, 1825, he 
 mentions that he and Captain Franklin were push- 
 ing forward in order to overtake the boats sent 
 out from England in 1824, and adds : — 
 
 .V. 
 
1825 
 
 1825 
 
 MANNER OF TBA YELLING. 
 
 139 
 
 [ witli 
 
 choly 
 
 event 
 
 er the 
 
 egains 
 
 with 
 
 when 
 
 Street. 
 
 ' 
 
 As it may be amusing to you to know something of our 
 mode of travelling, I shall note down some of the details. 
 
 At two o'clock, or half-past two if the morning is dark. 
 Captain Franklin or myself call the guide, who, if the 
 weather will permit him to proceed, awakens the men. 
 They are on their legs in an instant, and every man 
 marches to the beach with his blanket under his arm. 
 Part of them put the canoe into the water and load her, 
 whilst others take down our tent, and roll up the bedding, 
 in which operation we assist. In twenty minutes, or at the 
 longest half an hour, we are all embarked ; and the men, after 
 their morning dram, which on this voyage we have always 
 had in our power to give them, strike up a cheerful song 
 and paddle away vigorously at the rate of about four miles 
 an hour. Every half-hour they lie on their paddles for 
 about two minutes to rest a little and light their pipes ; 
 hence these pauses are termed by them pipes. At nine 
 o'clock, we put ashore to breakfast. My occupation is to 
 fetrike a light, and I therefore jump ashore at once with my 
 fire-bag in my hand. Captain Franklin brings a handful 
 of dry twigs, or grass, or a piece of birch -bark. Two of 
 the men fetch dry wood; afire is speedily kindled; our 
 servant, who in the meantime had been filling the kettle, 
 hangs it to the trepied or tripod — three sticks, which 
 another man has by this time tied together and set up. 
 Others of the party are employed in landing the canteen 
 and basket, containing the cold meat, bread, tea, sugar, tea- 
 cups, plates, &c., and a piece of painted canvas being 
 spread, every thing is put in order. In about a quarter of 
 an hour after landing, the kettle boils and the tea is made. 
 Another quarter suffices Captain Franklin and myself to 
 swallow it. The guide and serv^ant, who have been em- 
 ploying their mouths as well as their hands, drink a sip of 
 
^^^ 
 
 140 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1825 
 
 tea, wash the dishes, and pack them up again. The whole 
 business is generally finished in three-quarters of an hour. 
 Whilst we are at breakfast the cook of the day warms the 
 men's pemmican, and they generally use so much greater 
 despatch, as to get a two minutes' nap in the sun. 
 
 After breakfast we proceed as before, paddling and al- 
 ternately singing and smoking. At three o'clock a pipCj 
 somewhat longer than usual, affords the men time to take a 
 mouthful or two of pemmican, and we lunch. At eight 
 o'clock, we put ashore for the purpose of encamping, and 
 use the same despatch as at breakfast. Whilst the crew 
 are unloading. Captain Franklin and I light the fire. As 
 soon as the baggage is secured and covered with painted 
 canvas, the canoe is landed and timied up. * Some of the 
 men bring wood, and others pitch the tent. For supper, 
 we have tea, cold meat, eggs, cheese, butter, itc, according 
 to the state of our larder. The men also boil their kettle 
 and chat a little while they are waiting for it. After sup- 
 per, we spread our beds, the servant makes a good fire, 
 hangs on a kettle with provisions for the morrow, and 
 retires to rest. The men's kettle is hung up at the same 
 time, and if the night is likely to prove rainy they sleep 
 under the canoe ; if fine, on the softest turf that is near. 
 After a hard day's work they are all asleep within little 
 more than an hour fi-om the time of landing. As we sleep 
 sometimes in the canoe during the day, we do not go to 
 bed till ten or eleven. Sixty miles is considered a good 
 day's journey, but two days ago we travelled about eighty, 
 having pad lied all night. This is frequently done when 
 crossing a lake, as the men rest when detained by wind. 
 
 From Fort Chipewyan he wrote, on July 20 : — 
 The gentlemen of the country have everywhere exerted 
 
1825 
 
 1825 
 
 THE ICACKENZIE BIVES. 
 
 141 
 
 
 themselves in providing for our party, and we have found 
 at the different posts various luxuries set aside for ourselves. 
 The present crews of the boats are eighteen men. Mr. 
 Dease, the gentleman employed in building our winter 
 residence and laying up provisions for us, has fourteen 
 more, exclusive of his wife and four children, the inter- 
 preter, his wife and children, so that, wdth the officers and 
 their servants, our party, during the winter, will consist of 
 fifty souls. For even a larger number the lake furnishes 
 an abundant supply of fish. We expect to reach Bear Lake 
 about August 18 or 20 — in ample time to commence the 
 autumn fishen* and make ourselves snug before the set- 
 ting in of the winter. We have hitherto come on well 
 and pleasantlv, and our prospects for the future look 
 bright. This letter will be sent by a return canoe, and may 
 perhaps reach you this season. My next, written from 
 Slave Lake, is not likely to come to hand before next autumn, 
 so that you have a long interval of silence to look forward 
 to. It is nothing, however, to the anxiety and delay I am 
 doomed to suffer, for your letters written within a month 
 of my leaving England cannot reach me till the beginning 
 of next summer, and your reply to this will meet me on my 
 return. 
 
 At Fort Norman, a few miles from the junction 
 of Great Bear Lake River with the Mackenzie, he 
 wrote : — 
 
 The Mackenzie River is a magnificent stream, deep 
 enough to float a first-rate man-of-war, and from one to ten 
 miles broad, according as it is firee or crowded with islands. 
 The current is very rapid and we descend it cheerily. As 
 far as we have come the country is pleasant, in some spots 
 picturesque, and everywhere well wooded. Our winter 
 
m. 
 
 142 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1825 
 
 i 
 
 quarters this year will not be so far north as Fort Enter- 
 prise, and every account we have received represents Bear 
 Lake and its environs as abounding in fish and game. Two 
 of our men who went with Mr. Dease this spring and have 
 come down to meet us, state that, at the time they came 
 away, from 100 to 500 fish of good quality were taken in 
 the nets daily. 
 
 From their winter quarters at Bear Lake, he 
 wrote to his mother, on September 6 : — 
 
 1 have the satisfaction of informing you that after six 
 months of constant but pleasant travelling, we have arrived 
 here, by the blessing of God, in perfect safety and with a 
 large stock of provisions and stores. Ovir house was nearly 
 completed on our arrival, and as we have plenty of car- 
 penters and smiths it will shortly be put in excellent order. 
 Our fishing yields daily thirty or forty large trout weighing 
 from twenty to fifty pounds each, and we have abundance 
 of venison at a short distance, so that we look forward to 
 good cheer throughout our stay in this quarter. There 
 are five officers of us, including Afr. Dease, the Hudson's 
 Bay gentleman, who had charge of our men previous to 
 our arrival, so that we do not want for society. The greater 
 part of our men, amounting in all to twenty-five, are 
 Scotchmen, and very well behaved. To amuse them we 
 have a bagpiper and a violin, and intend to be merry as 
 well as comfortable. The kindness of my Chatham friends 
 provided me with a fine large blanket of worked worsted, 
 which I have got sjife here, and find quite a luxury. Mar- 
 garet's bottle of pickles and that of Cayenne pepper have 
 also crossed all i.ho carrying- places in safety, and I intend 
 to open them, together with a bottle of cherry brandy from 
 Chatham, on Christmas Day. 
 
1825 
 
 1825 
 
 POET FRANKLIN. 
 
 143 
 
 are 
 
 I have been about 200 miles along Bear Lake since 
 my arrival, found plenty of rein-deer, and came back 
 to the house with a boat-load of provision. Captain 
 Franklin, with another party, has been down to the sea, 
 which is about eight days' journey from this. There were 
 many deer on the coast, some of which he killed, and he 
 saw no ice. He returned yesterday. Everything has favoured 
 us in our progress hitherto. We have met with nuich at- 
 tention at the different posts, and the country where our 
 winter residence is fixed is well wooded and abounds in 
 provision. From what Captain Franklin saw in his journey, 
 he is in high hopes of success next season, so that perhaps 
 we may not see each other after parting next Hummer till 
 we meet in England. If he reach the ship sent out to 
 meet him in Behring's Straits, it is not likely that he will 
 return to this station. I hope to hear from you by the 
 Hudson's Bay ship which sails in May, although the letters 
 will not reach me till spring ; and trust that they will 
 bring intelligence of the health and happiness of all the 
 iamily. Give my kind love to them all and to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Carnithers. The latter I hope will write and give me 
 a detail of the doings in her neighbourhood — how the 
 farmers thrive, and whether the miller's wife rejoices in the 
 clack of the mill — what enterprising young man of her 
 acquaintance has not thriven because his wife would not 
 let him — in short, all the gossip of Mousewald. If she 
 would add a little spice of the transactions on the high 
 road to Caerlaverock so much the better, as I do not find 
 my correspondents in that quarter over communicative. 
 Do not let her or any of the family who are kind enough 
 to favour me with a few lines stand upon the punctilio of 
 being first written to. It was only to-day that Captain 
 Franklin decided to send a despatch with an account of 
 
RWi 
 
 144 
 
 LIFE OF BIB JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1828 
 
 his discoveries.* The messenger departs to-morrow, and 
 as I have official letters to write, I have not time for many 
 private communications, and must make one letter serve 
 for several. 
 
 His letters from Fort Franklin are full of cheer- 
 ful sayings for the loved ones at home, whose hearts 
 were beating anxiously lest the disasters of the 
 former journey should be repeated. The second 
 expedition, however, was not man*ed by misfor- 
 tunes or privations. Mrs. Carruthers, from whom 
 he hoped to get all the harmless tittle-tattle of the 
 agricultural parish of Mousewald, in Annandale, 
 and some account of the family at Rosebank, his 
 mother's residence, was the sister Margaret whose 
 pickles and Caj^enne pepper were to season their 
 white-fish dinner at Christmas. 
 
 The following letter to her not only gives a 
 glimpse of the life at Great Bear Lake, but of the 
 kindl^% loving, and cheerful disposition of his 
 mind : — 
 
 Fort Franklin, February 6, 1826. 
 
 My dear Sister, — I received your letter of May 1, 1825, 
 on the 16th of last month, and am much obliged by your kind 
 remembrance. Intelligence from home is most gratifyir^^ 
 in this remote quarter, and the disappointment of n 
 having tidings by every opportunity proportionately severe. 
 Your letter was a great gratification to me. 
 
 Before leaving London, Captain Franklin's portrait and 
 mine were taken by Mr. Philips, one of the first artists in 
 that city, and I observe by the newspapers which we have 
 
1826 
 
 1826 
 
 LETTER TO MRS. CARRUTHERS. 
 
 145 
 
 r<'ceivt'(l thut tlicy luave bern hung up at tlie annual ex- 
 hil)ition of the Koyal Acadnmy, and mucli admired for the 
 style of painting and correctness of the likenesses. 
 
 The people in England seem to be going mad about 
 raih-oads, tunnels, steam-engines, air-engines, mines, an<l 
 diving-bells, and 1 sujipose the mania would extend to 
 
 Scotland, if there were cash enough in that coimtry 
 
 to j)lay the fool with. Fill up the blank which I have left 
 according to your taste, as I could not, on the spur of the 
 moment, hit upon an ejjithet that at once expressed the 
 romantic attachment which a Scotchmrui, in his wanderings, 
 ieels towards the land of his birth, conjoined with tlie 
 canny wisdom which prevents her from following the 
 vagaries of her flaunting sister of the south. An Knglisli- 
 man, ' foul fa' the loon,' has the impudence to call the land 
 of the mountain and flood, a ' beggarlie countrie,' which 
 puts me quite out of humour and ends my theme, and I 
 do not knov/ what subject to turn to next. Take a few of 
 our occurrences. 
 
 On the 26th ultimo, the party of Dog-Ribs that have 
 been encamped for some time on the borders of the lake, 
 struck their huts and moved off in search of a better hunt- 
 ing-ground. Nothing remarkable occurred upon this move- 
 ment except that the women, owing to the late scarcity 
 "f ))rovisions in the tribe, had not above two hundred 
 weight each to drag, and that none of the men made tlieir 
 wives drag them, although the sledges were so light, and 
 only tliree feet of snow on the land. The women per- 
 formed the march well, and with very little beating. 
 When tlie party set out, it was observed that the young 
 and be; Iful lady of that distinguished leader, Long-legs, 
 remai' behind. This highly-accomplished female arrived 
 as th arty were encamping in the evening, dragging her 
 
 L 
 
146 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1826 
 
 ■f 
 
 sledge, and bearing on her back a son and heir of lier 
 ilhistrious lord, of whom she had safely delivered heiself 
 in the morning. Mrs. Long-legs, with her usual activity 
 and adroitness, erected the lodge for her lord and master, 
 cut the fire-wood, and made the lire before the other 
 females had accomplished their tasks. 
 
 On Sunday last, a large black wolf caught a beautiful 
 silver fox in sight of the Fort. He was instantly pursued 
 by two Esquimaux on snow shoes, but notwithstanding the 
 hue and cry was duly raised, the felon escaped. 
 
 This day an audacious robbery was committed at noon 
 by a wolf, perhaps the villain whose misdeed we have men- 
 tioned, and Avho has been observed prowling in the purlieus 
 of Fort Franklin for some days. He attacked the fish 
 sledge drawn by two dogs, which had been daily in the 
 habit of coming from the fishery witlout a driver. He 
 took out fourteen fish, nine of which he ate upon the spot, 
 but the remainder, which he hid amongst the snow, were 
 recovered. He did not molest the do. s. It is conjectured 
 tliat this robbery was committed under the pressure of 
 hunger. The ' Gazette ' of this evening offers a reward for 
 his apprehension, and we have no doubt of our very 
 active police speedily giving a good account of him. 
 
 We are clad to learn that the fisheries established on 
 Great Bear Lake proved tolerably productive last season. 
 During the months of July, August, September, and 
 October, 18, 250 white fish, weighing on an average two 
 and a half pounds, were caught, and 1,843 trout, from 
 fifteen to forty pounds each. The daily rations of the 
 establishment of Fort Franklin amount to 220 white fiAt. 
 
 Last Tuesday, the lady of Peter Warren Dease, Esq., 
 chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company, resident at 
 Fort Franklin, was safely delivered of a daughter. 
 
1826 
 
 1826 
 
 A BALL. 
 
 147 
 
 
 :• of her 
 , beiself 
 activity 
 master, 
 le other 
 
 leaiitiful 
 pursued 
 huir the 
 
 at noon 
 ve men- 
 purlieus 
 the fisli 
 r in the 
 er. He 
 ;he spot, 
 w, were 
 jectured 
 5sure of 
 vard for 
 ir very 
 
 shed on 
 
 season. 
 
 er, and 
 
 ige two 
 
 t, from 
 
 of the 
 
 |j f..h. 
 
 e, Esq., 
 
 dent at 
 
 A party of friends met to celebrate this event. They sat 
 down in the grand hall of the Fort to a smnptuous enter- 
 tainment, comprising all the luxuries of the season. At 
 the head of the table, there was a large dish of white fish 
 excellently boiled ; at the bottom, a dish of equal mag- 
 nitude, of white fish, roasted ; and on each side a tureen 
 full of white fish soup. Owing to the mice having eaten 
 the flour, no bread was sported on this joyous occasion, 
 but the place of that unattainable luxury and of vege- 
 tables of every description was amply supplied by a bottle 
 of delicious bird-peppers. The travels of this bottle might 
 furnish an interesting article. 
 
 During the long winter, the spirits of the party 
 were kept up by cheerful amusements and regular 
 employment. Here is an amusing description of 
 a ball : — 
 
 We had a ball on the Monday after Christmas, and 
 another on the second day of the New Year, attended by 
 all the rank and fashion of Bear Lake. First in dignity 
 shone the lady of Peter Warren Dease, Esq., chief trader 
 of the Hudson Bay Company and superintendent of the 
 Post ; next came Madame Savante, her sister, the lady of 
 Felix, the voyageur; and thirdly, Wabisca the Fat, who 
 styles Boileau the Interpreter, lord and master. These 
 three, alike in manners and in grace, were the matrons of 
 the feast. The two lovely, though little, Misses Dease and 
 Miss Boileau also graced the ball with their presence. 
 There were also some Indian dames, decorous spectators of 
 the scene, their raven hair dri])ping Avith unguents pre- 
 pared from the marroAV of the reindeer, and their expanded 
 countenances ornamented with twin rows of ivory teeth, 
 gracefully contrasting with their lovely bronze features 
 
 L2 
 
148 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1826 
 
 whereon streaks of lampblack and rouge were liarmoniously 
 blended. 
 
 Nor were the beaux, of whom thirty figured in the dance, 
 less worthy of renown. There were who came from the 
 farthest Shetland, where the Komans heard the sun hiss as 
 he set in the sea ; and her sister Orkney also sent forth her 
 hardy sons, along with the red-haired Celts from Ross, 
 Inverness, and the Island of Isla, the eastern and western 
 extremities of the Highlands ; Caithness and Sutherland 
 contributed their quota, and the lowlands and borders did 
 not want representiitives there. The sons of Chalk-girt 
 Albion also came ; from coaly Northumbria, and southern 
 tin-producing Cornwall, they came ; from Yorkshire, skilled 
 in horses ; Cheshire, renowned for cheese ; and Lincoln- 
 shire for fens ; from Kent, the land of hops ; Bedford, of 
 lace ; and Leeds, town of smoke, they came. Canada also 
 sent forth her children ; the descendants of the light-heeled 
 race of France; and the red sons of the desert, and 
 seal-pursuing Esquimaux, stayed not away. Such and so 
 various were the nations that came, and 
 
 Much we marvelled Bear Lake's strand 
 Could marshal forth such various band. 
 
 And many times we plyed the flagons filled with odorous 
 punch and rosy wine, until the head growing heavier than 
 the heels, we retired to needful repose. 
 
 Playfully he requests his sister not to send any 
 niggardly sheets of Bath post, but a fuU flowing 
 sheet of foolscap, written in a close, neat hand, 
 and crossed with red ink if she pleased. 
 
 Tell me who has got married, who is to be married, and 
 
1826 
 
 1826 
 
 A BALL. 
 
 149 
 
 who ought to be married in Annandale, for, although I 
 hate scandal, there is nothing so amusing as a gossiping 
 letter ; it brings to remembrance so many persons and 
 things of bygone times. 
 
 Adieu, my dear Sister, 
 
 Ever yours affectionately, 
 
 John Richardson. 
 
 P.S. The wolf has been killed, and I intend to send its 
 skin home to the British Museum. 
 
p»""»i 
 
 150 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSOX. 
 
 1826 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 
 \\ 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR THE SUMMER EXCURSIONS THEY DESCEND 
 
 THE MACKENZIE — CAPTAIN FRANKLIN ADVANCES TOWARDS 
 ICY CAPE — DR. RICHARDSON PROCEEDS EASTWARDS TO THE 
 
 MOUTH OF THE COPPERMINE RIVER THE PARTIES RETURN 
 
 TO BEAR LAKE — ENGLAND. 
 
 1826-1827. 
 
 With the approach of summer, everj-thing was 
 got in readiness for another advance towards the 
 Arctic Sea. On June 12, the Doctor ^vrote to Mrs. 
 Richardson : — 
 
 This spring has been unusually fine, and fully a fortnight 
 earlier than it was at Fort Enterprise in 1821. We have 
 been abundantly supplied with provisions of late, and have 
 a good stock in store for summer use. Another excellent 
 boat has been built here, in addition to the three brought 
 from England, so that I shall have two boats with me in the 
 summer excursion. Captain F^ 'nklin and Mr. Back go to 
 the westward with a party of liiirteen men, also in two 
 boats, one of which is th(! new one. They hope to meet 
 Captain Beechy, in the 'Blossom,' at Behring's Straits, or 
 even on this side of Icy Cape, in which case they will return 
 to England by China and the East Indies. If they do not 
 see the ' Blossom,' or do not get to Icy Cape before a certain 
 date, they Avill return to this post and to England in the 
 
1826 
 
 IS26 PREPARATIONS FOR THE SUMMER VOYAGES. 151 
 
 summer of 1827. Mr. Kendall and I go to the eastward 
 towards the Coppermine River, and if the Indian report of 
 Captain Parry's ships wintering in that quarter be correct, 
 we shall most probably enjoy the great gratification of 
 meeting tliem, and shall then return to the IMackenzie lliver, 
 ^vh('re we will leave them and proceed home by way of 
 Hudson's Bay or Canada, wintering either at this post or 
 (Jreat Shn e Lake. If we do not see Captain Parry, we 
 shall come to Fort Franklin by way of the Coppermine 
 IJiver; and that we may travel as comfortably as possible, a 
 party of Canadians and Indians are ajijwinted to meet us 
 at the other end of this lake, which is within two days' 
 march of the Coppermine, and reach England in October, 
 1827, with Captain Franklin, if he come this way. 
 
 We have everything which we could desire to render 
 our voyage agreeable. The men are in high s])irits and 
 I'Uger to set out. My party are all English, except Uligbuck, 
 an Esquimaux. Captain Franklin has two Canadians in 
 liis crew, and Augustus, the Esquimaux, who formerly ac- 
 companied him. The boats are excellent of their kind and 
 com})letely equipped. In short, we can never be sufficiently 
 gratelul to Providence for the lavourable aspect of our 
 alfairs. Both ])arties are inst.ucted to conunence their 
 return on or beibre August 15th or 20th to avoid any 
 liazard whatever. 
 
 Vegetiition is making rapid strides at present, as well it 
 may ?it a season when the sun scarcely sets. We see his 
 l>eams over the trees at half- past ten in the evening, and I 
 can lie in bed at midnight and read the smallest print by tlie 
 light which passes through our pirchment windows. ]Many 
 plants are already in flower, and the mosfjuitoes become 
 troublesome. I set out to-morrow to exanune the tracks on 
 the borders of Bear Lake Iliver. Cajitain Franklin ibllows 
 

 ir 
 
 152 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1826 
 
 with the boats and the rest of the party on the 22nd. We 
 shall be three days at Fort Nomian, taking in provisions 
 and making ether arrangements, and will stop a day at 
 Fort Good Hope in our way down the river, the date of 
 arrival on the sea- coast being settled for July oth or 6th, 
 when we hope the ice will be breaking up. Everything 
 wears a favourable aspect, and trusting in the all-powerful 
 I>rotection of the beneficent Ruler of the Universe, who has 
 hitherto sustained us, we hope to return successful and in 
 Siifety. May the same Omnipotent Being guard and pro- 
 tect you, my dearest Mary, shall ever be the prayer of your 
 affectionate husband. 
 
 On June 25, the expedition reached Fort Nor- 
 man, and, after having taken in additional stores, 
 set out for the sea. At the expansion of the 
 Mackenzie River, where the different channels 
 branch off. Captain Franklin encamped to make 
 the necessary arrangements for the separation of 
 the parties. The evening was spent in kindly in- 
 tercourse with each other. 
 
 * We felt,' says Franklin, ' that we were only separating 
 to be employed on services of equal interest, and we looked 
 forward with delight to our next meeting, when after a 
 successful termination we might recount the incidents of our 
 respective voyages. The best supper our means afforded 
 was provided, and a bowl of pimch crowned the parting 
 feast. 
 
 * By six in the morning of the 4th, the boats were all 
 laden and ready for departure. It was impossible not to 
 be struck with the difference between our present complete 
 jtate of equipment and that on which we embarked on our 
 
.- 
 
 1826 
 
 1826 
 
 DK. EICHAEDSON'S EXPEDITION. 
 
 153 
 
 former disastrous voyage. Instead of a frail bark canoe, 
 and a scanty supply of food, we were now about to com- 
 mence tlie sea voyage in excellent boats, stored with three 
 months' provision. At Dr. Richardson's desire the western 
 party embarked first. He and his companions saluted us 
 with three hearty cheers, which were warmly returned; 
 and as we were passing round the point that was to hide 
 them from our view we perceived them also embarking.' 
 
 Captain Franklin • aspatched Dr. Eichardson on 
 this special service, in accordance with his instruc- 
 tions from Earl Bathurst, and before setting out 
 to the Avestward, delivered to him a letter in which 
 he says :— 
 
 I am directed, if I should have been able to accumulate 
 at the mouth of the Mackenzie liiver stores and provisions 
 sufficient, to despatch Dr. Richardson with Mr. Kendall 
 and five or six men in one of the boats to examme the 
 intermediate coast between the Mackenzie and Coppermine 
 Rivers. 
 
 The present amount of stores and provisions happily 
 affords me the means of fulfilling his lordship's directions ; 
 and as there might be some insecurity in a party going in 
 one boat along this portion of the coast, and it would not 
 contain sufficient provision for the voyage, I have caused 
 another boat to be built at Bear Lake in anticipation of 
 being able to furnish two for this service. 
 
 You are therefore hereby directed to take under your 
 charge Mr. Kendall and the ten men appointed to accom- 
 pany you, and to proceed in the ' Dolphin ' and ' Union ' to 
 examine the coast between the Mackenzie and Coppermine 
 Rivers; and on reaching the latter, you are to leave the 
 boats and proceed with your party to the Portuge r(.>ad, 
 
 i\! 
 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
154 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN EICHAKDSON. 
 
 182G 
 
 which communicates with that part of Great Bear Lake 
 tliat you visited last autumn and named Dease River. 
 
 Captain Franklin proceeded westward as far as 
 Return Reef, more than a thousand miles distant 
 from Fort Franklin. Dr. Richardson's party, doub- 
 ling Cape Bathurst and Cape PaiTj-, and passing 
 through the Dolphin and Union Strait, between 
 Wollaston Land and Cape Krusenstern, reached 
 the Coppermine River, thus connecting the dis- 
 coveries made during the former expedition, to 
 the eastward in Coronation Gulf, with those of 
 Captain Franklin, on this occasion, to the west- 
 ward of the Mackenzie. These surveys, conjoined 
 with Captain Beechy's, defined the northern out- 
 line of the American Contment from Behring's 
 Straits eastwards, through sixty degrees of longi- 
 tude, with the exception of 160 miles adjacent to 
 Point Barrow, which remains unexplored. 
 
 Dr. Richardson's party arrived at the mouth of 
 the Coppermine River, on August 8, and the fol- 
 lowing day ascended as far as Bloody Fall, where 
 the boats were drawn up and abandoned. They 
 then commenced their march along the bank of 
 the river to its bend at the Copper Mountains, and 
 thence straight across the hills in the direction of 
 the mouth of Dease River, which was reached on 
 August 18. 'On Sunday, the 20th,' says Dr. 
 Richardson, 'prayers were read, and thanks re- 
 turned to the Almighty for His gracious protection 
 and the success which had attended our voyage.' 
 
182G 
 
 1826 
 
 LETTER TO CAPTAIN FRANKLIN. 
 
 155 
 
 1 
 
 Several daj's of anxiety were passed here, the 
 part}- from Fort Franklin not having arrived with 
 the boat, and to walk round Great Bear Lake, a 
 distance of 300 miles, would have entailed much 
 fatigue and suffering, and could not have been 
 accomplished in less than three weeks. On the 
 evening of the 24th, the boat and several canoes 
 made their appearance, and the expedition reached 
 the Fort on September 1, having travelled, by land 
 and water, 1,980 statute miles in seventy days. 
 
 The western party arrived on September 21, 
 having travelled 2,048 statute miles, of which 610 
 Avere through parts not previously known. Mean- 
 time Dr. Richardson, eager to extend his geologi- 
 cal researches, as far as the season would permit, 
 had gone in a canoe to the Great Slave Lake, 
 after having written a despatch for Captain Frank- 
 lin : — 
 
 Fort Franklin, Great Bear Lake, September 4, 1826. 
 
 Sir, — I have the honour to acquaint you that in pur- 
 suance of your order, I proceeded with a detachment of 
 the expedition to examine the coast between the Mackenzie 
 and the Coppermine Rivers. 
 
 After separating from you on July 4, we pursued the 
 easternmost channel of the Mackenzie until the 7th of that 
 month, when finding that it distributed itself by various 
 outlets, of which the more easterly were not navigable for 
 our boats, we chose a middle one, and that night got into 
 brackish water with an open view of the sea in latitude 
 «;9° 20' north, and longitude 133° 24' west. On the 11th, 
 in latitude CO' 42' north, and lonLMtude 132° 10' west, the 
 
 ;\ 
 
 
•^T" 
 
 ^^iPB^^P 
 
 ^■i 
 
 ' 
 
 f 
 
 ' 
 
 
 15(5 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1826 
 
 water was perfectly salt, the sea partially covered with drift 
 ice and no land visible to seaward. 
 
 We experienced considerable difficulty in crossing the 
 estuaries of several rivers, which we deemed to be the 
 outlets of the shallow channels of the Mackenzie, that we 
 had left to the eastward, and suffered besides some deten- 
 tion from ice and bad weather, and it was not until July 18 
 that we got entirely clear of the widely-spreading mouths 
 of the jMackenzie and of a large lake of brackish water 
 Avhich seemed to receive one of the branches of that river. 
 The navigation across these wide estuaries was rendered 
 embarrassing from extensive sandy flats, which compelled 
 us to go occiisionally nearly out of sight of land, yet left us 
 exposed to a fretjuently dangerous surf, in boats too slight 
 to venture out into deep water, amongst heavy ice, in 
 stormy weather, and we gladly exchanged it for a coasting 
 voyage of the open sea. 
 
 We subsequently rounded Cape Parry in latitude 70° 18' 
 north and longitude 123° west, Cape Krusenstern in latitude 
 68° 40' north and longitude 114° 45' west, and entered 
 Coronation Gulf by the Dolphin and Union Strait, which 
 brought us "within sight of Cape Barrow and two degrees 
 of longitude to the eastward of the Coppermine, our sea 
 voyage terminating on August 8th, by our entering that 
 river. 
 
 With the exception of a few hours, on two or three days, 
 we had contrary winds the whole way, and latterly were 
 delayed and compelled to round every inlet of a deep bay, 
 by thick ice driving in from seaward and packing closely 
 on the shore ; but our crews, taking every advantage of wind 
 and tide, cut a passage with the hatchet, and by four days 
 of hard labour cleared this obstacle, the most troublesome 
 that occurred during our voyage along the coast. 
 
'I" 
 
 1826 
 
 LETTER TO CAPTAIN FRANKLIN. 
 
 157 
 
 ing the 
 
 Although we saw much heavy floe ice, some of it aground 
 even in nine fathoms water, yet none of it bor(^ maikH ol 
 being more tlian one season old, and from the heights of 
 land we could discern lanes of open water outside, so that 
 a ship, properly strengthened for such a voyage, coidd make 
 way through it with a favouring breeze. 
 
 Throughout the whole line of coast we had regular tides, 
 the flood setting from the eastward, and the rise and fall 
 ii'om twelve to twenty inches. In the Dolphin and Union 
 Strait the current in the heiglit of flood and ebb exceeded 
 two miles an hour. We found driit timber everywhere, 
 and a large portion of it on mjuiy parts of the coast lay in 
 a line from ten to fifteen, and in some places upwards of 
 twenty feet above the ordinary .spring tide water mark, 
 apparently thrown up by a heavy sea. The coast, in such 
 places, was unprotected by islands, and one would infer that 
 in some seasons at least, if not every year, there exists a 
 long fetch of open water. 
 
 We met several parties of Esquimaux, and had friendly 
 communications with them. One numerous horde that we 
 fell in w^ith at the mouth of the Mackenzie, encouraged by 
 the smallness of our numbers and the apparently dis- 
 tressed situation of the boats grounding on the flats of 
 the river, endeavoured to seize and plunder the ' Union.' 
 But the steady courage and humane forbearance of jVIr. 
 Kendall, and the cool determined conduct of both crews, 
 frustrated the attempt without injury to the natives ; and 
 we afterwards made presents and bartered with some indi- 
 viduals of the same party, who had not engaged in the affair, 
 and signified their disapproval of the conduct of their 
 countrymen. 
 
 At the first rapid in the Coppermine, we abandoned the 
 ' Dolphin' and ' Union' with their remaining cargoes of 
 
 l\ 
 
 i 
 
 \ 
 
 ,': 
 
^^ 
 
 "IF^P^IP" 
 
 «i« 
 
 le58 
 
 LIFE OP 8IR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 182r> 
 
 '\ 
 
 ,r ' 
 
 
 ])roviHion, iron-work, beads, &c., to tlie first party of Esqui- 
 maux that sliould chance to pass tliat way, and on August 
 10, set out by land with ten days' provision, and our per- 
 sonal luggage reduced to a single blanket and a few spare 
 moccasins, that we might travel as lightly as possible; and 
 further to reduce the men's loads, the tents were left 
 behind, and Mr. Kendall carried the astronomical instru- 
 ments. We reached the eastern end of Bear Lake, at the 
 influx of Dease River, on the 18th, and remained there 
 until the evening of the 24th, before the boat arrived to 
 convey us to the Fort. Boileau^the Interpreter, whom, as 
 the mos. trustworthy man, and partly at my own desire, 
 you had directed to take charge of the boat and canoe for 
 that service, was sent off from the Fort on the Cth of the 
 month with supplies of everything needful, and the strictest 
 injunctions from Mr. Dease to use diligence in getting to 
 the river. From a vague belief, however, that we should 
 never return, that he would make a needless voyage and 
 remain long waiting for us in vain, he loitered by the way, 
 and in consecpience, when the 20th of the month, the latest 
 day appointed for his arrival, had elapsed, I judged it 
 prudent to distribute the crews into hunting and fishing 
 parties to procure subsistence. In these operations they 
 were successful, and we also obtained supplies from a party 
 of Indians, so that we had abundance; but I was not able to 
 collect all my party again until the evening of the 28th. 
 We then embarked in a large canoe, and reached • the Fort 
 on September 1, afler an absence from it of seventy-one 
 days, the whole party in perfect health, and more fit, with 
 regard to bodily strength, to undertake a similar expedition 
 than they were at setting out. . . . 
 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 John Richardson. 
 
mm^ 
 
 ^'..W 
 
 1826 
 
 1826 
 
 LETTER TO MRS. RICHARDSON. 
 
 VA) 
 
 < 
 
 On September 28, he wrote to his wife : — 
 
 I am now on my way to Slave Lake, with the intention 
 of wintering in the hospitable mansion of my kind friend 
 McVicar. The trees have assumed the livery of autumn, 
 and the leaves are falling fast; but the sconery in its present 
 dres^ looks dclightlul, and the fall, as it is termed, is in 
 faet the only season of the year when, from the absence of 
 mosquitoes and other winged pests, travelling in this country 
 is pleasjmt. The weather, though occasionally cold, continues 
 fine in this quarter till the middle of October, when the 
 rivers and lakes are generally bound up in ice for the winter. 
 
 From Fort Eesolution, on Great Slave Lake, he 
 wrote to his mother, in November ; — 
 
 It will give you pleasure to learn that I am now in perfect 
 health, and on my return home, after having accomplished 
 all that was expected of me on this expedition. We have 
 experienced no privations ; on the contrary, from the 
 previous judicious arrangements, and the present good dis- 
 position of the Hudson's Bay Company's officers, we have 
 been supplied with everything necessjiry for our comfort. 
 I am at present living under the roof of my ho.spitfible 
 friend Mr. McVicar, from whom I experienced much kind- 
 ness on the former journey. 
 
 The expedition has this year surveyed the coast of the 
 Arctic Sea, from the mouth of the Coppermine Kiver to the 
 150th degree of longitude, and but little remains towards 
 the complete discovery of the nort/li-west passage. Tem- 
 pestuous weather, fogs, and much ice, the usual impedi- 
 ments to navigation in the Arctic Sea, added to the peculiarly 
 inhospitable and dangerous nature of the coast now sur- 
 veyed, and the numerous hordes and turbulent disposition 
 
 N> 
 
V 
 
 I 
 
 I' 
 
 160 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHAEDSON. 
 
 1826 
 
 of the Esquimaux who inliahiv it, renclered the voyage so 
 li.'izardous that the breasts of every member of the exjiedition 
 can be filled with but one sentiment of gratitude to the 
 Supreme Disposer of events, wlio graciovisly coiulucted us 
 in perfect fciifety through all the dangers wliich environed us. 
 
 To his wife he wrote : — 
 
 You will experience pleasure in learning that our friend 
 Ca])tain Franklin lias returned with his party in good 
 healtli, from a voyage full of peril and difficuUies, but more 
 successful than could have been hoped under such circum- 
 stances. He got more tlinn liulf way to Icy Cape, and 
 although he has not coni])k'ted tlie North-west Passage, 
 yet lie lias left so small r, portion of the coast unsurveyed, 
 t^'.at if Captain Beechy gets round Icy Cape he can scarcelv 
 fail in com])leting it. The search has extended over three 
 centuries, but now that it may be considered as accom- 
 j)lished, the discovery will, I suppose, be committed, like 
 Juliet, to the tomb of all tlie Capulets, unless something 
 more powerfid than steam can render it available for the 
 j)urj)Ose of mercantile gain. 
 
 From Great Bear Lake, on September 21, Cap- 
 tain Franklin wrote : — 
 
 Mv di;au liiciiAHDSON, — Tou can well imagine the heart- 
 felt pleasure I received on arriving here vMs morning and 
 tinding that you had executed your part of the service in 
 such an expeditious and very able manner. Wc unlbrtu- 
 nately .nissed Boisverd, and consequently I have not yet got 
 your cwn account of the voy;ige; but Mr. Kendall has sliown 
 me his journal, so that I am in ])ossession of all the material 
 circumstances as to your proceedings. We were saluted in 
 a somewhat similar manner to you by the Esquimaux, 
 
 [ 
 
1826 
 
 LETTER FROM CAPTAIN FRANKLIN. 
 
 161 
 
 ;ap- 
 
 '■ 
 
 1 
 
 tljough more rouglily, and by at least '2i'iO men, a portion 
 of tlie inmates of upwards of seventy tents. 
 
 We got out of tlie Mackenzie on the 7th of July, and on 
 the 9th were stopped by ice, unbroken from the shore, and 
 Ibllowed it up, as the separation took place, till August 4, 
 being often unable to advance a mile a day, and never more 
 than eight miles. In this tedious way we proceeded as f'lr 
 as the 141st degree. Beyond that the ice had removed so 
 as to admit of a passage for the boats, but we were visited 
 l)y constant fogs, and detained eight days at one spot by a 
 gale of wind, and so dense an atmosphere as to oljscure 
 every object more distant than a few hundred yards. The 
 coast, too, was so low and flat as to be unapproachable 
 nearer than two or three miles, and we could only effect 
 a landing in one point, though we fre(iuently attempted it 
 l)y dragging the boats through the nnul. At all other 
 times, we were compelled to put up on the naked reefs in 
 front of the coast, sometimes without water or wood. In 
 such a situation v;e were placed on August 10, 17, ..nd 18> 
 about half way to Icy Cape, being detained V>y a heavy 
 gale. 
 
 The crews were now suffc^ring from exposure to wading 
 in the water (whenever we re(iu:ied to land), wluch w.s 
 generally about the freezing j)oint, while the temperature 
 of the air seldom exceeded .'UI". It became, therefore, 
 necessary to revert to the clause in my instructions as to 
 returning, if there was a doubt of our getting to Kotzebuc; 
 •Sound. There was certaiidy every room for doubt as to 
 our getting to that place befure the severe weather set in. 
 The coast, too, was an extremely hazardous one for navigat- 
 ing under any circumstances, and especially so in the foggy 
 weather we almost invariably had ; and when we launched 
 
I)J 
 
 i 1 
 
 ■;'•■ i 
 
 i 
 
 162 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1827 
 
 from one place, we could form no idea when we might 
 again be able to find another, on which, by any effort, 
 we could land. The icy gales, too, were beginning to set 
 in, and both Mr. Back and myself considered that further 
 perseverance would be unpardonable rashness. But the 
 necessity of returning gave all of us the deepest concern, 
 for our boats were in perfect order, the crews very zealous, 
 and we had abundance of provision. Subsequent events 
 justified the propriety of this determination, for we had 
 scarcely turned before we had a succession of stormy 
 weather. In the meantime, the Esquimaux were gather- 
 ing again about the Mackenzie, and between them and the 
 Indians I much fear some serious misfortunes would have 
 befallen the party, had we been even two days later. 
 
 Ours has been a voyage of increasing anxiety, and ever 
 since we entered the Mackenzie we have suffered in no 
 small degree from having heard of the disposition evinced 
 by the Esquimaux to attack you ; and on arriving at Fort 
 Good Hope, wc heard a report of the chief having been 
 killed, and of course concluded it was you. Thank God, 
 all is now well, and I feel convinced that the British public 
 will be perfectly satisfied with what has been don^. I 
 am in hopes Beechy will pass round Icy Cape. If so, I 
 shall consider the passage as ascertained. As for Parry, 
 the ice we saw precludes every hope of his success, and in 
 fact westward of the Mackenzie, there is but one harbour 
 into which a ship could safely enter. 
 
 In the montli of December, Dr. Richardson set 
 out for Carlton House, where, on April 5, 1827, 
 he was joined by Mr. Drummond, the assistant 
 naturalist. The collections which the latter had 
 
 i*iis«;#«i*ik^-;Mi 
 
182: 
 
 1827 
 
 AFFECTION OF AUGUSTUS. 
 
 163 
 
 made on the mountains during the absence of the 
 expedition in the north, amounted to nearly 1500 
 species of plants, 150 birds, 50 quadrupeds, and a 
 considerable number of insects. From Carlton Dr. 
 Richardson proceeded to Cumberland House, where 
 Captain Franklin arrived, on June 18, and the 
 friends had the pleasure of meeting again after a 
 separation of eleven months. The Esquimaux in- 
 terpreter, Augustus, also came to this post, in 
 order to gratify a desire which he had of seeing 
 the doctor once more before he left the country, 
 leaving accompanied them to Norway House, where 
 '■e was to wait to see Captain Back, the faithful 
 creature shed tears at parting, which, ' I have no 
 doubt,' says Captain Franklin, ' proceeded from a 
 sincere affection — an affection which, I can venture 
 to say, was mutually felt by every individual.' 
 
 After a pleasant journey through Canada and the 
 United States, Captain Franklin and Dr. Richard- 
 son reached New York, and sailed for England on 
 the 1st of September, arriving in Liverpool on 
 the 26th, after an absence of two years, seven 
 months and a.-half. Captain Back, Lieutenant 
 Kendall, and Mr. Drummond, with the rest of the 
 British party, returned by Hudson's Bay, and ar- 
 rived at Portsmouth on October 10, bringing the 
 sad news that one excellent man had died from 
 consumption, and another had been drowned while 
 trying to save one of the boats which was rushing 
 down the Pelican Fall in Slave River. With the 
 
 M 2 
 
mm'mui 
 
 164 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1827 
 
 exception of these losses, the gallant and indefa- 
 tigable band of explorers returned in safety, having 
 added extensively to the geographical knowledge 
 of the North American coast, made important ex- 
 periments in magnetism and the effects of the 
 Aurora Borealis on the needle, and secured large 
 collect^'ons of natural history, especially in the 
 department of botany. 
 
 ■ \ • 
 
 I, 
 
 ; t<t«^|iti^..«M<««H)K>)<< *■-. — ' ■ 
 
mm >iwii. 
 
 wx.^ ^ "-rj^im^ ..^.imUf.rf ■■■ I 1 
 
 1827 
 
 defa- 
 a-ving 
 ledge 
 it ex- 
 f the 
 large 
 I the 
 
 
 182S 
 
 DUTIES AT CHATHAM. 
 
 165 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 DUTIES AT CHATHAM MELVILLE HOSPITAL PROPOSES A\()- 
 
 THEK EXPEDITION TO NORTH AMERICA DEATH OF MRS. 
 
 RICHARDSON PLAN OF SEARCH FOR CAPTAIN JOHN P.OSS 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT DECIDES NOT TO SEND A SEARCHING 
 PARTY. 
 
 1827-1832. 
 
 On September 29, 1827, Dr. Richardson arrived 
 in London, where he resided for a short time while 
 preparing his portion of the narrative or the 
 expedition and the scientific appendices to it, con- 
 sisting of topographical and geological notices, 
 meteorological tables with remarks, and observa- 
 tions on solar radiation. 
 
 In 1828, he had returned to his official duties at 
 Chatham, and every spare hour was devoted to his 
 great work, ' The Fauna Boreali-Americana, or 
 Natural History of the Arctic Regions.' There was 
 little time for writing letters, and it is only occa- 
 sionally that glimpses of his life, at this period, 
 are obtained. Meantime, Melville Hospital had 
 been erected at Chathnm, and he became cliief 
 medical officer. On June 80, Mi\^. Richardson 
 wrote : — 
 
mm 
 
 166 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 182S 
 
 k} 
 
 The new Hospital is at last finished, and the patients 
 were moved in yesterday, but we shall not be able to take 
 possession of our house for four months. It is much hirger 
 than the present one, and in a more retired situation. Our 
 nei^rhbours will consist of the purveyor, his wife, and the 
 assistant-surgeon, so 1 think that within our gates we shall 
 be able to make a very snug party for the winter evenings. 
 
 The cares connected with bringin^^ the new hos- 
 pital into working order did not, however, lead 
 him to relax his scientific and literary work. 
 The first volume of the * Fauna ' appeared early in 
 1829. 
 
 The autumn holidays of this year were spent 
 pleasantly. After a steam-boat voyage to Leith, 
 several happy days were passed in Edinburgh 
 with relatives and old friends, followed by a visit 
 to Professor Hooker of Glasgow, who was busy 
 with the 'North American Flora.' With his mother, 
 amidst the scenes of boyliood's bright days, the 
 time whicli ^ mained glided swiftly away. 
 
 Referring to Dr. Richardson's visits to his father. 
 Dr. Joseph Dalton Hooker of Kew says : — 
 
 Having read the narrative of both journeys during my re- 
 covery irom a serious illness, and having every ])articular of 
 them impressed on my mind, I regarded liim as wniething 
 more than man. I used to follow him all over the house 
 oiforing my services in openinj his boxes and carrying his 
 bundles of plants, so a mutual understanding sprang up 
 between us. If we did not converse nmch, it was not 
 because I had not nuich to say to him, but he was naturally 
 
mm 
 
 ■■■i 
 
 182S 
 
 1830 
 
 PEOPOSES ANOTHER EXPEDITION. 
 
 167 
 
 I' 
 
 1. 
 
 reserved, and the subject on which I longed to cross-question 
 liini, MiiheVs death, had been interdicted to Uil by tlie 
 strict injunctions of my parents. He did give me various 
 little insights into canoe voyaging, hunting and camping, 
 and told me some good stories, as how his hardy botanical 
 collector, Drummond, had frightened away a grizzly bear 
 by shaking his tin botanising box full of stones under his 
 nose when it was about to liug him. 
 
 On September 21, Dr. Richardson arrived a<:!^ain 
 in London, accompanied by his sister Josephine, 
 Mrs. Richardson meeting them there, to enjoy a 
 few days' sight-seeing, previous to resuming his 
 scientific studies and the routine duties of Mel- 
 ville Hospital. 
 
 The difficulties, which prevented Sir John 
 Franklin, in the summer of 182G, from completing 
 the survey of the Arctic coast, westward of the 
 Mackenzie river, did not seem to Dr. Richardson 
 to be insurmountable. In 1830, he brought the 
 subject under the notice of Mr. Hay of the Colonial 
 Office, and offered his services if the Government 
 .should resolve to send out another expedition. 
 
 ' The details are very simple,' he wrote : ' two officers 
 with twenty men would travel from Canada to Bear Lake 
 in one summer. They could there winter and build lK>ats, 
 and the second summer would suffice, not only to enable 
 them to complete the examination of the coast, but to make 
 such progress on their return as would ensure their reacliing 
 England by tlni Hudson's Bay ships the following year. If 
 greater economy be required, the party may be reduced 
 one-hah", for by using certain precautions in the construction 
 
168 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1831 
 
 of tlie boats, and a light defensive armour sufficient to turn 
 an arrow, any hostile attempts of the natives would be frus- 
 trated. Indeed I have practically showii that ten men are 
 sufficient to navigate two boats along an equal extent of 
 Arctic coast, and I have in this instance considered the 
 larger number to be preferable, solely because it would be 
 sufficiently imposing to prevent any unpleasjuit collision 
 whatever, and do away with the necessity of repressing the 
 natives Ijy violence.' 
 
 To this proposal, Mr. Hay replied, 'If any 
 expedition of the descrij>tion to which you refer 
 should be set on foot, the Secretary of State would 
 naturally apply to you, but at present, I see no 
 prospect of such a project being undertaken by the 
 Governmeut.' 
 
 In I80I, dark clouds began to break over him. 
 He had left his parental home so early that of all 
 his brothers, Peter, who was near the same age, 
 only had been a companion and very dear to him. 
 In the month of August, he died suddenly in 
 Edinburgh. 
 
 Mrs. Richardson began also to droop, and 
 thousfh a clianjje to Tunbridsre Wells was to some 
 extent beneficial, she gradually lost strength. On 
 the evening of Christmas she died, at the early 
 age of thirty-six. * Her character was marked by 
 a sincere and humble but cheerful piety — a faith- 
 ful discharge of her duties, a meekness of demea- 
 nour and purity of thought and conversation, 
 combined with firmness of purpose, and by the 
 
 \ 
 
1832 PROPOSES TO SEARCH FOR CAPT. JOHN ROSS. IGD 
 
 '^ 
 
 % 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 constant exercise of Christian charity and kindness 
 to alL' 
 
 In 18:32, great fears began to be entertained for 
 the safety of Captain John Eoss. Accompanied 
 by his nephew, he had sailed, in 1820, in a small 
 vessel called the * Victory,' which through the 
 munificence of Sir Felix Booth he had been en- 
 abled to fit out, with the intention of seeking a 
 passage through Regent's Inlet, but no tidings 
 of them had readied England. 
 
 Dr. Richardson's sympathy was aroused, and he 
 endeavoured to stimulate the Admiralty and the 
 public to take some interest in their fate. The 
 appeal was in vain. He then wrote a letter to the 
 Secretary of the Geographical Society, which, after 
 the lapse of several weeks, w^as read, along with 
 some other communications on the same subject, 
 and excited attention. The Admiralty and Colonial 
 Oiiice were applied to, but the Secretary of the 
 A Admiraltv said that nothino- could be done, as the 
 ^ ' Victory ' must have gone to pieces, and all her 
 c^'ew perished during the ilrst winter. 
 
 Xot willing to be baffled in his humane attempt, 
 and having been made acquainted, in confidence, by 
 Sir Felix Booth with the route which Captain Koss 
 intended to pursue, he addressed a letter to Mr. 
 Hay, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies, solicit- 
 ing the Government to send him out with a relief- 
 party. The i^roposal was at first entertained, and 
 he began to make the necessary preparations. He 
 
 \ 
 
170 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1832 
 
 ^ 7 
 
 [:■/ 
 
 I. 
 
 selected twelve marines, who were blacksmiths, 
 carpenters, or other artisans, and could all pull an 
 oar. One of them had received a good education, 
 anl was an able draughtsman. John Hepburn 
 was to go out to take charge of the winter house. 
 Writing to his* mother, on May 20, he says : — 
 
 You will no doubt be a little alarmed at the idea of my 
 again leaving home, but there will be little hazard, and my 
 route lies through a country with which I am well ac- 
 quainted. Besides I go out under much more favourable 
 circumstances than I did before, having now the command 
 of the party, which will be well equipped and amply fur- 
 nished with provisions by the Hudson's Bay Company. I 
 am busy making preparations, as the ship in which I go 
 flails from Gravesend on the 0th of June. We touch at 
 Stornaway, in the island of Lewis, so that I shall have an 
 opportunity of writing to you from that place. 
 
 On May 2-3, he experienced the disappointment 
 of being informed by the following note from the 
 Treasury that the Government had given up all 
 idea of sending the expedition : — 
 
 Mr. Ellice desires me to inform you that he has had a 
 farther discussion with Sir James Graham, and Lord 
 Althorp, on the subject of your proposed Expedition ; that 
 they consider all chance of saving any of Captain Ross's 
 companions hopeless ; and that they do not see in the other 
 objects of the Expedition sufficient public grounds to war- 
 rant the risk and expense. 
 
 Notwithstanding official opinion, Captain Ross 
 and his men were saved, but by God's help and 
 their own bravery. 
 
 J 
 
 .■<^> 
 
-►». 
 
 1832 
 
 CAPT. BACK 8 EXPEDITION. 
 
 171 
 
 We know, from various sources, that the opposi- 
 tion to the sending" of a soarchin<jf p^^i'ty came 
 from the Admiralty. In a letter to Dr. Rieliard- 
 son ft'om the father of Commander James Clark 
 Ross, who accompanied his uncle in the ' Victory,' 
 he says : — 
 
 I have had a communication "with Sir James Graham, 
 and seen Mr. Barrow on the subject, ■without the U^ast pros- 
 pect of any assistance being obtained from the Admiralty. 
 It is indeed only through the Hudson's Bay Company that I 
 have any hopes of receiving intclhgencc of them, in the 
 event of tlieir having met with any serious accident, which 
 is now too mucli to be apprehended. 
 
 At this time, Dr. Richardson was requested by 
 the Lieutenant-Governor of the Hudson's Bay 
 Company to give his opinion as to the most eligible 
 route of an expedition from the trading posts. He 
 recommended that by the Great Fish River, as 
 combining the utmost economy with the best 
 chance of obtaining intelligence of Captain Ross, 
 and unfolded in detail the plan of search. 
 
 Though a season was lost, the attempt to ascer- 
 tain the fate of the missing seamen was not 
 abandoned. A public subscription was begun and 
 pushed forward with great zeal by Captain (now 
 Rear- Admiral Sir George) Back, who was appointed 
 to command the expedition with the concurrence of 
 Government, which eventually gave pecuniary aid 
 also. 
 
 Captain Back descended the Great Fish River in 
 
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172 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 18S2 
 
 1884, and surveyed the coast on both sides of its 
 estuary, touchin<j a point of the Arctic St.'a, thir- 
 teen degrees of longitude eastward of Sir John 
 Franklin's Point Turnagain. Having received an 
 express from England, informing him of the safe 
 return of Captain Ross, he had only geogi*aphical 
 research to plead for extending his voyage further, 
 and this the advanced and stormy season, and tlie 
 condition of his boat, rendered inexpedient. 
 
 The * Victory ' had been set fast in the ice, and 
 finally abandoned, in Victoria Harbour, near the 
 seventieth parallel of latitude, and on the (Opposite 
 side of Refrent's Inlet to the Strait of the Fun* 
 and Hecla. Three winters were spent in the vessel 
 and a fourth on Fury Beach, after abandoning her. 
 The pai-ty at length escaped in good health, in 
 1838, in their l)oats, and fortunately reached a 
 whaler in Lancaster Sound. On returning from 
 his long absence Captain John Ross received the 
 honour of knighthood. The efforts which Dr. 
 Richardson made to stir up the Government and 
 people of Great Britain to send out a searching 
 party were fully justified. 
 
 il 
 
1832 
 
 MEDICAL DUTIES. 
 
 173 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 l\ 
 
 MEDICAL DUTIES — SECOND MARRIAGE lOlIN FRANKMN HORN 
 
 LETTER FROM MRS. OPIE TO MRS. RICHARDSON LETTER 
 
 TO CAPTAIN BEAUFORT ON THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE 
 
 CAPTAIN DEAUFORT's REPLY APPOINTED PHYSICIAN TO 
 
 HASLAR HOSPITAL HOSPITAL REFORMS — INSPECTOR OF 
 
 HOSPITALS — MRS. RICHARDSON's DEATH. 
 
 1832-1815. 
 
 De. Richardson had no time to brood over his 
 disappointment at having failed in his efforts to 
 induce the Government to send him in search of 
 Captain Ross and his companions. Scarcely had 
 his preparations for the expedition been suspended 
 when cholera appeared in the barracks of the 
 Marines at Chatham, keeping him closely confined 
 to his official duties, and requiring both skill and 
 energy to check its progress. So unremitting was 
 his attendance at Melville Hospital, while the 
 epidemic continued, that the medical officers and 
 nurses said they thought he never slept, for he was 
 in and out at all hours by day and night. Towards 
 the end of July, it had so far abated that he 
 wrote : * In the course of ten days I mean to 
 take a change for a few weeks, most likely into 
 
174 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1832 
 
 h 
 
 ii 
 
 i( , 
 
 Lincolnshire, to visit Captain Franklin's relations, 
 who have kindly invited me.' 
 
 While on this visit he became engaged to Mary 
 Booth, the only daughter of John Booth, Esq., 
 of Stickney, Ingoldwells, a niece of Sir John 
 Franklin. Their union was looked forward to 
 with much pleasure by all the relatives, and espe- 
 cially by Sir John Franklin, who thus wrote from 
 Patras, where his ship, the * Rainbow,' was lying in 
 September : — 
 
 I cannot fully convey to you the very deep interest and 
 pleasure which your letter gave me. There is no person 
 for whom I have so great a regard as yourself, and none, 
 except my dear wife and child, whom I love more affec- 
 tionately than my niece Mary Booth. The prospect there- 
 fore of your being united to her gives me very true h.appi- 
 ness. By some mistake the last packet came without letters 
 from any member of my own family. The intelligence 
 therefore contained in yours came most unexpectedly upon 
 me, and even drew tears of delight as I read your letter. I 
 instantly put up a prayer to the Almighty for his blessing 
 on your mutual wishes. Often, indeed, have I sighed for 
 the enjoyment of that calm retirement and course of piety 
 which you have already had, and have the prospect of liv- 
 ing in. The hurry and bustle of mixed society and the 
 round of visiting into which I was plunged will never re- 
 turn, as both my dear wife and I hope, and we shall have 
 on our return the happiness of your united society and of 
 others of similar tastes and pursuits. May God grant that 
 we may each live to enjoy the happiness that seems to be 
 promised to us ! 
 
 1^ 1 
 
■^■^^■^^'■^•'W 'm " m w.— w— i<w^»H 
 
 1833 
 
 HIS MABBIAOE. 
 
 175 
 
 
 The marriage was celebrated early in 1833. On 
 February 8, he wrote to his mother from Oxford: — 
 
 If you received a Lincoln paper which was addressed to 
 Josephine, you will know that I had the happiness of re- 
 ceiving the hand of my dear Mary on Wednesday week at 
 Ingoldwells. She desires to use the privilege of her new 
 relationship to you in uniting with me in kind love to 
 yourself and all my sisters, and to the husbands and families 
 of the married ones. 
 
 The quiet life at Chatham, and the medical 
 duties of Melville Hospital, i)resent few incidents 
 worthy of record. When not officially engaged, 
 his time was occupied in preparing the ' Fauna,' 
 or in other scientific studies. 
 
 On November 5, a little boy was born, and named 
 John Franklin. 
 
 In his wife he found a cheerful companion, 
 deeply imbued with the same spirit of piety. 
 Scarcely had she recovered from the long illness 
 which followed the birth of her child, when she 
 wrote to one of her sisters-in-law : ' I am so well 
 and happy I can scarcely help jumping for joy. I 
 have been to take up my district, and intend to be 
 as active as possible in it, whilst God allows me 
 so much health and strength.' 
 
 The summer holidays, this year, were spent in 
 Scotland, where, at the meeting of the British 
 Association, in Edinburgh, they met with Arago, 
 Mrs. Opie, and others distinguished in science and 
 literature. 
 
 \ 
 
176 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1«36 
 
 The following letter, from Mrs. Opie to Mrs. 
 Eichardson, dated September 12, 18'34, is charac- 
 teristic of the writer : — 
 
 I am sorry indeed to tliink that I shall not see thee 
 and thy dear kind lm^'l):lnd again in Edinlmrgh, but I will 
 not imagine for a moment that we are not to meet again 
 .somewhere on tiiis side the grave, — and as I know where 
 to find you, depend on it I shall make my appearance at 
 Melville Hospital un de ces jours, tliat is, if 1 live and do 
 well, and visit London as usual next spring. 
 
 In the meantime, to remind you of one vho can never 
 forget you nor the obligations whicli she owes you, I intend 
 to desire my publishers to send thee my last work, — a 
 little volume of ' Lays lor the Dcnd.' I think they may 
 suit thee, because, if I rend thee right, thy mind is seriously 
 and piously disposed, and relishes the things of eternity full 
 as nuich as those of time. Is it too much to ask to hi-ar 
 from thee when you are ou'^e more settled at home jind 
 delighting yourselves in your dear child's winning ways ? 
 
 Farewell ! never on so short an acijuaintance did I say 
 fiirewell, a long farewell, with so much reluctance. 
 Thy ever obliged and attached friend, 
 
 Amelia Opie. 
 
 Early in 1836, Dr. Richardson addressed a letter 
 to Captain Beaufort, the Admiralty hydrographer, 
 on the subject of the North-west Passage, and the 
 survey of those parts of the Arctic coast of America 
 which remained unexplored : — 
 
 To those who meet every generous undertaking with the 
 question cuibonol it may be replied (said he) that the di.s- 
 covery of the continent of North America, ])regnant with 
 consequences beyond human calculation, the Hudson's Bay 
 
>36 
 
 1836 
 
 LETTER TO CAPTAIN BEAUFORT. 
 
 177 
 
 :> 
 
 fur trade, the Newfoundland cod-fishery, and the Davis' 
 Straits whale-fishery, nurseries for seamen, arc the direct 
 results of expeditions which sailed in quest of a north-west 
 passjige. But it is not on the existence of this passiige that 
 my argument for new expeditions of discovery rests; for 
 were it even pr(»ved that, contrary to the opinions of tlje 
 ablest officers who Iiave sailed the polar seas, no practicable 
 channel for sliips can be found, still 1 hold it to be the duty 
 of those who direct the councils of the Britij*h Empire to 
 provide for tlie exploring of every j)art of His Majesty's 
 dominions. This would be merely an act of justice to the 
 various tribes that have a claim on England for protection. 
 The deadly feuds between the Esquimaux and the neigh- 
 bouring Indians can be terminated only by the extinction 
 of one of the parties or by European interference; and 
 should our repeated visits to those remote coasts be the 
 means of carrying thither the blessings of peace and shed- 
 ding the light of Christianity on the benighted inhabitants, 
 it would, in my opinion, be an ample recompense for all 
 the exertion which England has made and all the expense 
 she has incurred. • 
 
 Havinjr sho^vn how small an extent of coast 
 remained to be explored, lie pointed out in what 
 manner it could be done by a party wintering at the 
 east end of Great Bear Lake, and descending tlie 
 Coppermine River in June. In mentioning the 
 principal points to be attended to, he added, ' I 
 have not said that it is necessary to obtain the 
 concurrence and cordial co-operation of the Hud- 
 son's Bay Company, since that enlightened body 
 has never failed to lend its powerful and indis- 
 
 N 
 
178 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1836 
 
 peiisable assistance to an enterprise patronised by 
 Government and havinfif science for its aim.' 
 Cai)tiiin Beaufort replied : — 
 
 My (Ic.ir IJicljardson. — I am exceedingly obliged to yon 
 for your wry beautiful ' Fauna,' and only regret that, having 
 got to the end of your labours and no great probability of 
 your set'king i'or fresh materials, your pen, which has con- 
 veyed so much knowledge and ])leasure to the world, will 
 now be allowed to moulder away in idleness. 
 
 I have to thank you also for your excellent letter to me 
 about the Arctic fnrd incnrfitiUi. I carried it i'orthwith to 
 the (ieographical Council, where it was read and admired, 
 and ordered to be printt'd — and I had it read again at the 
 ev(>ning meeting. Sir .John Franklin made a good speech 
 u])on the subject, and I have just been urging him to write 
 a letter on the same plan and let it be printed with yours. 
 
 A committee has l>een formed in order to report on the 
 best means of doii g something, and Sir John Barrow says 
 lie will do his best to forward the afiair with government, 
 though I am much afraid we shall have his warm support 
 only as far as the Xorth-West Pas.s:»ge. 
 
 Anionj^ the select number of friends whose 
 society they enjoyed at this time, were Dr. Davy 
 and his wife, who came to Chatham in 1885, and 
 resided in Fort Pitt. This intimacy was kept up 
 as long as Richardson lived, and was the source of 
 much mutual enjoyment during the latter years of 
 his life, when they dwelt only a few miles apart. 
 
 On June 5, 1836, another child was bom, and 
 named Josephine Fanny. A few weeks later their 
 joy was changed into mourning by the death of 
 
 • 
 
 [ 
 
1 -38 
 
 PHYSICIAN TO HASLAR HOSPITAL. 
 
 179 
 
 little Franklin. They resi«,'ne(l him to the Tionl in 
 faith ; yet, lonjr after, the yearning's of tlu»ir hearts 
 were towards the darlinj; so earlv takt'n. 
 
 In the month of Auj^nst, the}- visited Mrs. 
 Richardson at Dumfries, travellinir hv wav of Bir- 
 min<diam and the Westmoreland lakes. Maiiv of 
 the dear ones who sat around their moth»'r's table 
 in 18154, had been removed by death, and the family 
 meetin«if bnmj^ht with it sorrowful romembranees. 
 The visit, however, was one of real enjoyment. His 
 ' Fauna Boreali -Americana,' the labour of many 
 years, had been linished, and there was time f<)r a 
 season of recreation. 
 
 Early in 18:}8, the Admiralty appointed him 
 Physician to the Royal Hos2)ital at Haslar, near 
 Portsmouth. * I conj^ratulate you very sincerely,' 
 the Director-General of the Medical Department 
 of the Navy wrote, * and hope the appointment 
 will be agreeable to yourself, as I am sure it will 
 be beneficial to the service.' 
 
 He promptly entered on his new duties, which 
 kept him quite as much occupied as those at Mel- 
 ville Hospital. At this time, Dr. Josei)h Dalton 
 Hooker was preparing to accompany Sir James Ross 
 on his voyage of discovery to the Antarctic Regions, 
 and frequently visited Dr. Richardson at Haslar. 
 
 * I daily accompanied hirn.'says Dr. Hooker, ' in his hospitid 
 rounds, and was greatly taken by liis manner towards liis 
 patients. His words of accost, wlietlier of recognition, 
 sympathy or congratulation, were wonderfully few and 
 
 N 2 
 
tm^mmm 
 
 mmmmmmmmifm^t 
 
 180 
 
 LIFE OP 8IR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1839 
 
 jtitliy, and Ik; liaJ n clever >vay of questioning, tliat tlrew 
 from tlie i)atient nuidi more information tlian licapitarently 
 Koupiht, and from wliich he could judjre how far his orders 
 liad been attendud to ])y his subordinates. In his tiimily 
 circle lie was very genial and gentle.' 
 
 His efforts to induce the Admiralty to introduce 
 necessary reforms in the Hospital management 
 were unwearied. Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, 
 says : — 
 
 It was chiefly to his exertions that the great and bene- 
 ficent cliange made in the treatiuent of lunatics in the 
 Naval hosj)itals was due. He had made, I ])elicve, several 
 earnest reports to the Admiralty on the desirableness of 
 introducing the milder mode of treatment, which was 
 steadily making its way in county and private asylums, into 
 the Naval Hospital at Hasiar, but without success. 
 
 Wlule on a visit at my house, I ])roposed to liim to go 
 and in.spectthe Middlesex County Asylum at I Ian well, then 
 under the able superintendence of Dr. Conolly. During 
 our examination, we made the acquaintance of Mrs. ^lactic, 
 matron of the establishment, and received irom lier a 
 variety of interesting details, relative not only to the suc- 
 cess of the treatment, but to the number ol' keepers em- 
 ployed, the expenditure, and other particulars -wliich 
 afforded him great assisfcince in draw^ing up a new report 
 in which he showed that the milder system was not only 
 the most efficient, but that it could be carried out at less 
 expense. The consequence was that the Board ol' Admi- 
 ralty gave directions for its introduction, and every one 
 who lias witnessed the difference in the appearance and 
 behaviour of the patients, cannot fail to regard the change 
 
 i 
 
^m" 
 
 1839 
 
 l«4()-43 
 
 INSPECTOR OP HOSPITALS. 
 
 181 
 
 as one ofproat importance, not only in a medical, hut in a 
 liumnnu point of view. 
 
 Dr. Riehurclson establishcMl and adhoroil to tlu» 
 rule that the medical otHeers should visit and pre- 
 scribe for the patients l)efore breakfast, niakin«:^ 
 them comfortable as early as possible, and keepin*; 
 the nurses and assistants on the alert. He was 
 ready for family prayers at half-past ei}^ht o'clock, 
 and generally made the seasons of exercise subser- 
 vient to some kindly purpose of visitin*^ an invalid 
 friend, or jirescribinjjf for persons whose jneans did 
 not allow of their havin<jf rey-ular medical attend- 
 ance. Much of the time devoted to scientific 
 pursuits was j^ained from the ni^^ht, or the days 
 when his official duties were lighter than usual. 
 His life was varied, from time to time, by visits to 
 scientific friends in London, attendinj^ the meet- 
 ings of the British Association, and a summer or 
 autumn ramble in the country. 
 
 On August 22, 1840, he was promoted by the 
 Admiralty to the rank of Inspector of Hospitals, to 
 be attached to that at Haslar. 
 
 After the completion of the * Fauna,' he pro- 
 duced in succession, * A Report on North American 
 Zoology,' ' The Mammalia of Captain Beechy's 
 Voyage to the Pacific and Behring's Straits,' *■ A 
 Paper on the Frozen Soil of North America,' 
 'Observations on Solar Radiation,' ' Plates of Rare 
 Fishes,' and, in 184'], 'The Ichthyology of New 
 Zealand.' 
 
182 
 
 LIFE OF RIR JOUN RICHARDSON. 
 
 184) 
 
 
 Meantime, tlie funiil)' circle luis been cnliir;;in«;, 
 John, Beatrice and Wiilinjj^hani liaving been «,'iven 
 to tlicni in addition to Josephine. 
 
 Dnrinj,' IHlt, Mrs. Richardson's health, which 
 had never been very good, bejj^an more visibly to 
 decline, and after the birth of a little boy, named 
 Edward, in Febrnary ISi."), she never rallied. A 
 severe attack of fever followed her ctmKiiement, 
 leavinj^ her in a state of extreme weakness, and on 
 April 1(^, God to(>k her to Himself to receive the 
 reward of i>erseverance in well-doinjj and faith in 
 her Saviour. 
 
 The character of Mrs. Richardson was estimable 
 in the highest degree. Though often an invalid, 
 she was ever cheerful and contented. Self-denying 
 care for her husband's comforts and hearty interest 
 in his labours, aifection for her children, attention 
 to her h(aisehold duties, charity to the poor, com- 
 passionate helping of the sick, above all, firm faith 
 in the Saviour, and love to the ordinances of 
 religion were conspicuous during her married life. 
 
 Mrs. Davy, of Ambleside, who knew her well, 
 thus writes : — 
 
 It was in tlie year liS3r> that I first became acquainted 
 with Mrs. liichardson at Chatham, where our liusbands 
 had medical aj)pointments in the service of the army and 
 navy resj)ectively. I well remember the first day Mrs. 
 liichard.son and I met, which was soon after om* arrival 
 i'rom abroad. We had a pleasant bond in our previous 
 acquaintance with, and high regard for, her honoured uncle, 
 
 i 
 
1845 
 
 CHARACTER OF MRS. RICHARDSON. 
 
 183 
 
 Sir John Franklin, .'ukI in the Ptranjre land, i\n t«i socirty, 
 tiuit Chatliain was tiicn to nic, I <an hardly siy iiow at- 
 tractive I ti.'lt lier Hnnny countonaMco and cordial ^MT'ctiii}^. 
 VVu soon became intimate friends. Kach dl" uh juid iittic 
 ones concerning whom we had much to kiv. Slu- jiad a 
 (juick iinder.st4mdin<,', and was remarkahly ready in giving 
 and receiving synijiathy. She had no Jiistidiousnt'ss or 
 exclusiveness as to sociity. These, 1 helieve, her g»'fiial 
 nature would, in any case, have hindered, hut she douhtless 
 I'elt them l(n'l)idden hy her strong Christian faith and the 
 large charity it tends to fi>ster. 'lo the [toor she did nut 
 merely give alms hut loving-kindness. She experienced 
 much of the trial oi' infirm health hotii hefc^re and tluring 
 the time we lived near to one another, and .'iorrow visited 
 her home in its sjiddest Ibrm by the death of two yt>ung 
 children, one an infant, the other a boy of nearly three 
 years, who was very precious to the hearts and Impes of 
 both his parents. Her accej)tance of these sorrows was 
 tenderly instructive. I have never known so entire an 
 ac<|uiescence in the will of God amidst trying dispeiiSiitions, 
 or any one whose cheerful return to the business of lite, 
 after having been sorely stricken, seemed so natural. En- 
 tirely happy in her wedded union, she rejoiced over it, not 
 only with aHection.ite but gratelul joy. As neighbour 
 friends, we parted in the spring of 1HJJ?<, when the Kichard- 
 sons removed to llaslar, and I did not see Mrs. liichardson 
 again, but we olten exclianged letters, and hers were so 
 like herself that they were always welcome to me and 
 much missed when they came no more. 
 
184 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1845 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 DR. RICnARDSON AT CAMBHinCE — MEDICAL DUTIES — KNIGHT- 
 HOOD — HOSPITAL REFORM — SIR EDWARD PARRV HECOMES 
 
 CA1*TAIN SUPERINTENDENT FEARS FOR THE SAFIITY OF SIR 
 
 JOHN FRANKLIN LETTER TO SIR EDWARD PARRV — LETTER 
 
 TO HIS MOTHER THIRD MARRIAGE — DEATH OF HLS MOTHER 
 
 Di:. RAE — LETTER TO MRS. FLETCHER — IN LONDON SAILS 
 
 FROM LIVERPOOL. 
 
 184.j-ir.48. 
 
 !i 
 
 In June, 1 845, Dr. Richardson went to Cambridge, 
 to be present at the meeting of the British Asso- 
 ciation, and read a paper on the Ichthyology of the 
 seas of Chira and Japan. 
 
 Somewhat later, the ' Eclair ' arrived at Ports- 
 mouth, from a cruise on the coast of Africa, with 
 a malignant type of fever raging on board, and all 
 his energies were put foi*th for the relief of the 
 sufferers. Instead of conhning them within the 
 narrow limits of the infected vessel, he recom- 
 mended the sick to be removed to a wing of the 
 hospital, in hopes that fresh air and proper treat- 
 ment might restore them to health. In his des- 
 patch to the Admiralty, he said : — 
 
1845 
 
 1845 
 
 KNIGHTHOOD. 
 
 185 
 
 I 
 
 Notwithstanding the extraordinary mortality that has 
 swept off so large a proportion of the crew of this vessel, I 
 entertain no fears of her being the means of introducing 
 epidemic disease into this comitry, and were the sick placed 
 in well-ventilated wards with fresh bedding and the other 
 means of cleanlmess afforded by an hospital, I anticipate 
 no farther risk to the attendants, than would occur in 
 wards set apart for cases of typhus fever. 
 
 Meantime, at the suggestion of Sir John Barrow, 
 the Earl of Haddington, First Lord of the Admi- 
 ralty, applied to the Prime Minister to obtain for 
 him the honour of knighthood, in acknowledgment 
 of his services as an Arctic explorer and naturalist. 
 In reply to a letter from Sir John Barrow, Dr. 
 Anderson of Haslar wrote, that Dr. Richardson, 
 who had been attacked with spasms of the heart, 
 had resumed his duties, adding : * The honour 
 which is intended to be conferred on him, will, I 
 am sure, be most gratifying to every officer in the 
 medical department of the naval service ; and the 
 circumstance of the distinction having been pro- 
 posed by yourself, who are so capable of judging 
 of his merits, will greatly enhance the value in the 
 estimation of us all.' 
 
 In his Autobiography, Sir John Ban*ow says : — 
 
 I may mention an incident which marks an amiable 
 stamp on the cluiracter of the individual in question. 
 While the title was in progress, intimation was conveyed 
 to me that Dr. Richardson had been attacked with severe 
 paralysis. I wrote immediately to Ilaslar Hospital to in- 
 
 ^ 
 
 <. / 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 ^ 
 
186 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1846 
 
 quire after him ; the answer Avas that it was only a fainting 
 fit, occasioned by stooping too long, and tliat he was then 
 quite well. It turned out that he was eniployiiiL' hini-«elf 
 in stooping to plant flowers and ever-greens round the 
 grave of his late wife, whom he had recently lost. Another 
 trait may be mentioned. Having himself made no appli- 
 cation nor expressed any desire to be knighted, Lord Had- 
 dington asked me if I was sure it would be acceptable. 
 'That.' I siiid, 'shall be ascertained.' On seeing him, 
 I asked if knighthood would be agreeable, })rovidtd it 
 could be obtained. His answer to me Avas, ' As a mark of 
 a}»j>robation from the Government, for my services, it could 
 not be otherwise, but it would have been much more so, 
 had it been granted in the life-time of my beloved wife.' 
 These are pleastmt traits of strong domestic afl'ection, and 
 correspond, as I have been informed, with the whole tencur 
 of his life. 
 
 He was knighted by Her Majesty on February 
 11, 1840, and in August, 1850, was made an or- 
 dinary member of the military division of the third 
 class, or Companions of the Bath. 
 
 In the month of April, 184G, Sir John Richard- 
 son pointed out, in a despatch to the Director- 
 General of the medical department of the navy 
 the inconvenience of having the hospital at Haslar 
 governed by a Captain- Superintendent, and the 
 necessity of leaving the entire control, as at Mel- 
 ville and other hospitals, in the hands of the chief 
 medical officer. He showed that both efficiency 
 and economy would be thereby gained. The post 
 of Captain- Superintendent, however, was not abo- 
 
 
 \ 
 
1846 
 
 1847 FEARS FOR THE SAFETY OF FRANKLIN. 187 
 
 lished; but he had the f,a'atification of leaniin*^ 
 that Sir Edwjird Parry, a man of con<^enial mind, 
 was to fill it ; and during the whole time of his 
 com*^.and they cordially co-operated in improviny^ 
 the establishment. 
 
 Early in 1847 many began to feel anxiety re- 
 garding the expedition under Sir John Franklin, 
 and the Admiralty lost no time in consulting those 
 best qualified to judge of the dangers to which the 
 crews might be exposed, and the proper steps to 
 be taken in case of disaster. Sir John Eichard- 
 son's opinion was asked, and given with precision 
 and judgment. In a letter to Sir Edward Parry 
 he says : — 
 
 Sir John Franklin's plans were to shape liis courso in 
 the first instiince lor the neighbourhood of Cape Walker, 
 and to endeavour to get to the westward in that parallel, 
 or, if that could not be accomplished, to make his way 
 southwards to the channel discovered on the north coast of 
 the Continent, and so into Behring's Straits. Failing suc- 
 cess in that (piarter, he meant to retrace his course to 
 Wellington Channel and attempt a passjige to the north- 
 wards of Fairy's Island. And if foiled there also, to 
 descend Kegent's Inlet and seek the passiige discovered by 
 Dease and Simpson. 
 
 With respect to the strong appreliensions that have been 
 expressed in regard to the siiiety of the expedition, 1 agree 
 with you in thinking tliat they are premature. The expe- 
 dition was prepared to pass two winters in the Arctic Sea, 
 and until next November shall have passed without tidings, 
 1 see no well-groimded reason for more anxiety than that 
 
 f 
 
188 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1847 
 
 which was naturally felt when it sailed from this country, as 
 an enterprise of peril, though not greater than that which 
 you have repeatedly encountered yourself, and on one oc- 
 casion lor the same length of time, and returned in safety. 
 
 The case will, however, be very different if the next 
 winter sets in without satisfactory tidings of the expedition, 
 and in contemplation of the possibility of such an event, it 
 may be adviwible to take some precautionary steps this 
 season. 
 
 I concur in the opinion that it would be useless and 
 hazardous to send an) thing short of a second well-appointed 
 expedition to trace the course of the missing ships, and I 
 can suggest no plan superior to the one you have purposed 
 of encouraging the whalers, by an adequate reward, to 
 fixamine the shores of Lancaster Straits and Wellington 
 Uound. 
 
 The boat expedition from Hudson's Bay to the Welcome 
 and bottom of Kegent's Inlet, now in progress, will procure 
 intelligcMce of the ships should they have visited that 
 neighbourhot)d. 
 
 There remains the contingency of the ships having pe- 
 netrated some considerable distiince to the south-west of 
 Cape Walker, and having been hampered and crushed in 
 the channels of the xVrchipelago, which, there is every 
 reason to believe, occupies tho space north of Wollaston 
 Islands and south of Bank's Land. Such accidents are seldom 
 so sudden but that the boats of one or both ships with 
 provisions can be saved, and, in such an event, the survivors 
 would either retrace their way to Lancaster Straits or make 
 for the Continent according to their nearness, and Sir John 
 Franklin and his officers are fully aware of the localities 
 where they might best seek relief from the Indians or ser- 
 vants of the Hudson's Bay Company. 
 
T 
 
 1847 
 
 1847 
 
 LETTER TO HIS MOTHER. 
 
 189 
 
 It is possible, however, tliat the shipwreck may be so 
 complete as to leave the party, or such of them as escaj)e 
 to the shore, without the means of crossing to the main, 
 yet with provisions thrown upon the beach suificient to 
 support them for a season. Or a few miglit escaj)e and 
 associate themselves with the Avundering hordes of Ksijui. 
 maux. To rescue such individuals or to obtiiin tidings of 
 the lost ships — "Wollasfon Land, Victoria Land, the neigh- 
 bouring islands and channels, might 1x3 visited by boats. 
 Under no circumstimces could this be effected, even in j)art, 
 earlier than August 1848, and tlien only through aiTange- 
 ments made immediately with the Hudson's Bay Company 
 and tlie aid of a favourable season. 
 
 He then unfolded, in liis letter, a plan of relief 
 by an expedition descending the Mackenzie Eiver 
 in boats, and searching the line of coast to which 
 the ship-wrecked crews would naturally endeavour 
 to make their way ; during the second summer, if 
 the weather and ice permitted, exploring also the 
 channels between WoUaston and Victoria Lands. 
 
 AVhile many had gloomy forebodings. Sir John 
 Richardson clung tenaciously to the hope that his 
 friend would return. To his mother, who was on 
 her death-bed, he wrote in April : — 
 
 I fear that you must have heard of a paragraph in some 
 of the papers mentioning my being appoint jd to conduct 
 another Polar expedition. There arc no well-grounded 
 apprehensions for the safety of Sir John Franklin, but the 
 Admiralty have thought it advisable to take some precau- 
 tions, and I am busy pre|ijiring a (juantity of pemniican 
 and other provisions to be sent out to Hudson's Bay in 
 
 k 
 
 v\ 
 
190 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1847 
 
 ,: 
 
 ' 
 
 June, and forwarded through the country in boats. Should 
 nothinj^ ])e licard of Franklin's Expedition in the winter, 
 I sliall go out next spring, not for the purpose of making 
 dipcoverios, but to follow our former tracks and carry the 
 provisions to the ships, if on the north coast of the Ame- 
 rican continent. 
 
 On June 15, 1847, the Hudson's Bay Company's 
 ships sailed from the Thames, canying the boats, 
 men, and stores for Sir John Richardson's expe- 
 dition to the shores of the Arctic Sea, during the 
 following summer, if, before spring, no news of 
 Sir John Franklin reached England. He cherished 
 the hope, how^ever, that there would be no neces- 
 sity for going in search of his friend, and thus 
 wrote : — 
 
 I really do not feel the anxiety and excitement which 
 would be inseparable from the certainty or even great pro- 
 l)ability of my having to look for them in another quarter 
 of the globe; but God orders all for the best, and Avhatevcr 
 be the result, in this case I shall consider as a plain indi- 
 cation of my line of duty. 1 did not put myself forward 
 or make the oflTor from any prompting of vanity ; but my 
 opinion was sought for, and my offer to go folloAved as a 
 part of the plan Avhich I thought to be most advisable. 
 Should Sir John Franklin not return this autumn, the cir- 
 cumstances Avill be greatly altered; and a strong desire to 
 contribute to his relief and that of his party (which I do 
 not at present feel, because I do not think their safety to 
 be compromised) will then stimulate me to exertion, and 
 make my going a much inferier evil to what my lingering 
 at home and shirking such a duty would be. 
 
 IB WW i^'a MfllUJ WB I— 
 
Bi 
 
 1847 
 
 1847 
 
 MARRIAGE. 
 
 101 
 
 I 
 
 His marriajxe with Mary, the vouiijjest daiisrhter 
 of Archibald Fletcher, Esq., of Edinburf^h, was ce- 
 lebrated in the church at Grasmere on Aii;^ust 4th : 
 after which he spent some time on the Continent, 
 examininj^ especially Pastor Fliodner's Institution, 
 near Dusseldorf, for the training of nurses, in 
 which he was much interested. 
 
 They retiunied to Haslar in the first week of 
 September. 
 
 At this period. Sir Edward Parry was Captain 
 Superintendent of the Hospital, and the many 
 l)oints of interest which he and Richardson had in 
 common, especially their knowledge of Arctic 
 affairs, and affection for Franklin, made the inter- 
 course between the two families most cordial and 
 intimate, while their influence as chiefs of the 
 administrative and medical departments was most 
 beneficial to the establishment. 
 
 A few days after his mother's death, which oc- 
 curred at the end of October, he yisited Mrs. 
 Fletcher and Mrs. Dayy at Lesketh How, near 
 Ambleside. He was meditating on Franklin's 
 return, and in one of his letters from that lovely 
 spot says, ' We may soon expect the first of the 
 whalers of the season, and, about the middle of 
 November, Sir John Franklin in their rear.' 
 
 The last of the whalers came without brinjjinnf 
 any tidings of the * Erebus ' and ' Terror.' Ap- 
 prehension for the safety of their crews increased, 
 and Sir John Richardson felt it necessary to com- 
 
 A 
 
102 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN EICHARDSON. 
 
 1847 
 
 plete the preparations for his journey. The merry 
 ^roiip of children, too young to realise what was 
 before them, except as an exciting adventure, of 
 which * finding uncle Franklin ' was the ejid, had 
 gone to bed, one evening, after listening as usual 
 to an amusing tale read by their father. When 
 all was quiet, he communicated to his wife, in a 
 low and touchingly mournful voice, the almost 
 certain necessity of his departure, which made her 
 conscious that she would indeed be unworthy of 
 the confidence reposed in her, were she to increase 
 the load that pressed on his heart by any expres- 
 sion of weakness which it was possible to conceal, 
 and the burthen was in some degree lightened to 
 both after the worst had been made known. 
 
 Towards the close of the year. Sir John Richard- 
 son recommended the appointment of Dr. John 
 Rae, a chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company, 
 to be second in command. He had lived long in 
 Eupert's Land, knew how to turn the natural pro- 
 ducts of the country to advantage, was a skilful 
 hunter, ' quick in devising expedients for temper- 
 ing the severity of the climate, an accurate ob- 
 server with the sextant and other instruments 
 usually employed to determine the latitude and 
 longitude, or the variations and dip of the mag- 
 netic needle, and had just brought to a successful 
 conclusion, under circumstances of very unusual 
 privation, an expedition of discovery fitted out by 
 
 > 
 
 L 11^. 
 
1847 
 
 1848 
 
 DB. BAE. 
 
 193 
 
 J 
 
 the Hudson's Bay Company, for the purpose of 
 exploring the limits of Regent's Inlet.* 
 
 On reading in the Times newspaper a letter 
 from Dr. Rae describing his journey, Sir John 
 Richardson said, ' I have found my companion, if 
 I can get him.' He was immediately communi- 
 cated with, and at once expressed his willingness 
 to go as second in command. Lord Auckland, the 
 First Lord of the Admiralty, had also discovered 
 Dr. Rae's ability. A ready assent was therefore 
 obtained to the proposal that Dr. Rae should 
 accompany him. 
 
 The choice was altogether a happy one. Dr. 
 Rae not only possessed the highest qualifications 
 for the duties to which he was appointed, but was 
 a most congenial companion. His soul was in the 
 work. Six winters after the crews of the ' Erebus ' 
 and ' Terror ' had perished, he was destined by 
 Providence to find the relics of the deceased, 
 which satisfied the Admiralty that the members of 
 the Franklin Expedition had all died, and obtained 
 for himself and party the 10,000?. promised to any 
 one who should find and relieve the missing 
 mariners, or bring correct intelligence of their 
 fate. 
 
 The following letter to Mrs. Fletcher, written by 
 Sir John Richardson, on January 14, 1848, contains 
 a statement of his motives for undertaking the 
 search : — 
 
194 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1843 
 
 I cannot allow your birtlKl<ay to pass without congratu- 
 lating you on the event, and expressing a wish that tho 
 yearly recurrence of the day may witness your enjoyment 
 of all the blessings which, in the expansive benevolence of 
 vour heart, you so warmly desire for others. Since the last 
 anniversary of your birthday, I have had the happiness of 
 becoming connected with you, and acquired the privilege 
 of expressing a deeper interest in your welfare than one 
 who was bound to you by a less important or less valued 
 trust 
 
 The prospect of our temporary separation is very sad to 
 mc, and 1 do not like to dwell upon it; but my going is a 
 point of duty which I cannot conscientiously evade, unless 
 I were convinced that another person could cany out 
 my plan of search in the way that I have conceived it. 
 But there is no one now alive who is accjuainted with the 
 track but myself; and no one who is so bound by the ties 
 of friendship and affection to do his utmost to find Franklin, 
 if he should unhappily be in a situation in which he and 
 his party cannot help themselves. 
 
 About the middle of February, he, along with 
 Lady Richardson, were the guests of Lady Frank- 
 lin, then living in Charlotte Street, Bedford Square. 
 Here he received a note from the Admiralty, dated 
 February 21, acquainting him that up to Septem- 
 ber 27, 1847, no intelligence of Sir John Franklin's 
 expedition had reached the Sandwich Islands, and 
 all hope of tidings of the missing ships by way of 
 the Pacific came to an end. Mrs. Fletcher was 
 also in London, and her Journal contains the 
 following entry : — 
 
184S 
 
 1848 
 
 IN LONDON. 
 
 105 
 
 We (lined with Lady Franklin on Fobruary 24, to meet 
 the liichardsons who wore staying with her. A larger 
 jwirty assembled in the evening, among whom M'as Thomas 
 Carlyle, whom we were glad to meet again. He was sitting 
 close by me, and chatting j)Ieasmtly, when Dr. lioott came 
 into the room and advane(!d towards me, with even more 
 than usnal brightness in his iino conntonance, saying : 
 ' Louis Pliilijipe has fled, and France has declared herself a 
 Republic' There was a dead silence. Carlyle threw him- 
 self back in his chair, clasped his hands, biu'st into a loud 
 laugh, and letl the room. We did not see him again. The 
 rest of the ])arty gathered round Dr. Boott to hear every 
 particular which he had collected from the evening i)apcrs. 
 
 On March 2, the Richardsons, accompanied by 
 Mrs. Fletcher, returned to Haslar, and as the pre- 
 parations for the journey were b^" that time nearly 
 completed, Sir John was able to be much in the 
 family circle, though the serious illness of his 
 children's faithful nurse occupied much of his time 
 and thoughts. Mrs. Fletcher has noted down in 
 her journal : * It is only necessary to see the in- 
 variable cheerfidness and goodness of Sir John 
 Richardson in his own house, and his attention to 
 those most dependent on his kindness, to form a 
 true value of his admirable character. I saw him 
 at a time of great excitement, just about to leave 
 his happy home and part with all he most loved on 
 earth, to fulfil what he considered a sacred duty.' 
 
 March 25 was fixed as the day of sailing from 
 Liverpool, and early in the morning of the 20th 
 
 o 2 
 
?r 
 
 "> 
 
 ' i 
 
 196 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN BICHABDHON. 
 
 1B48 
 
 he left Haslar, to the sorrow, and with the blessings 
 of all around him. We pass over the affecting scene 
 of parting with her who had so recently cast in 
 her lot with his, and the children on whom he 
 fondly doted. To his sister Mrs. Wallace he wrote : 
 * I pray God to bless you and your large family. 
 If you bring them up in the fear of the Lord, you 
 do more for them than if you left them a fortune. 
 Let religious instruction be a main employment 
 with you. A few clear words on that subject from 
 a mother are remembered in after years, and may 
 by God's blessing be the means of saving an im- 
 mortal soul.' 
 
 After a few days he was on the broad Atlantic, 
 eager to reach the Arctic Sea and examine, during 
 the brief polar summer of that year, the coast 
 between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers, 
 and the south coast of Wollaston's Land, in hopes 
 of aiding his long absent friend and the crews of 
 the * Erebus * and * Terror.' 
 
■■ 
 
 1848 
 
 197 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE 'EIIEBUS' and 'TERROIi' SIR JOHN RICHARDSON AT NEW 
 
 YORK — JOURNEr THROUGH CANADA LETTER FROM LAKE 
 
 ERIE — FROM LAKE SUPERIOR FROM LAKE WINNIPEG CUM- 
 BERLAND HOUSE — LETTER FROM METHY PORTAGE — ON THE 
 
 MACKENZIE RIVER EARLY APPROACH OF WINTER — MARCH 
 
 TO BEAR LAKE — ARRIVAL LETTERS FROM FORT CONFI- 
 DENCE — LETTER FROM DR. RAE. 
 
 1848. 
 
 On May 19, 1845, the 'Erebus' and 'Terror,' 
 under the command of Sir John Franklin, sailed 
 from England, and reached Whalefish Islands, 
 near Disco, early in July. They were seen, for the 
 last time, by the ' Prince of Wales,' whaler, on 
 the 26th of that month, making for Lancaster 
 Sound. 
 
 A year and a half later, fears for the safety of 
 Franklin began to be expressed, and the Admi- 
 ralty, at the close of 1847, despatched vessels to 
 meet him with supplies at Behring's Straits ; two 
 ships were sent in 1848 on Franklin's route, and 
 Sir John Eichardson was despatched through Eu- 
 pert's Land to the coast of the Arctic Sea. 
 
198 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 ;i 
 
 These were the hej^innings of a series of search- 
 ing expeditions, persevered in, year after year, 
 until tidings were obtained. 
 
 Sir John Richardson and Dr. Rae landed at 
 New York on April 10, and after having ascer- 
 tained the rate of the chronometers, they started 
 for Alban} and Troy, proceeding by way of Lake 
 Champlain to Montreal, where the canoe-men, en- 
 gaged for them by Sir George Simpson, had been 
 ordered to rendezvous. From Montreal, the route 
 lay through Lakes Ontario, Erie, St. Claire, and 
 Huron, to Sault St. Marie, where, being in ad- 
 vance of the season, they were detained for several 
 days by ice at the outlet of Lake Superior. 
 
 When off Halifax Harbour, on April 7, he 'vvrote 
 to his eldest daughter : — 
 
 Forty years ago, on tliis very day, I entered the navy, 
 j;nd I have liad a varied and arduous course by sea and 
 land in the progress of my long service. It will gild the 
 evening of life if I see my children growing up around me, 
 beloved by their connections, ac(|uiring knowledge steadily, 
 and above all, devoting themselves imreservedly to the 
 service of God. Be sure, my dearest Josephine, that 
 there is no peace unless the heart be right M'ith God, and 
 as love to Him is incompatible with any self-indulgent 
 feeling, He tries those whom He loves, in various ways, 
 until He has brought them wholly to Himself. It is my 
 prayer that you may meet Him and co-operate with His 
 Holy Spirit in this gracious work. God bless you, my dear 
 daughter, and may you set a good example to your younger 
 sister. 
 
lp«i 
 
 1848 
 
 f search- 
 er 3^ear, 
 
 ndecl at 
 ^ ascer- 
 
 stai*ted 
 of Lake 
 aen, en- 
 ad been 
 le route 
 ire, and 
 
 in ad- 
 several 
 
 ' ^vrote 
 
 le navy, 
 sea and 
 
 ?ild the 
 
 md nie, 
 
 steadily, 
 to the 
 
 e, tliat 
 
 od, and 
 
 diligent 
 
 ? Avays, 
 is my 
 
 ith His 
 
 ly dear 
 
 oiinger 
 
 1848 
 
 LETTER FROM LAKE ERIE. 
 
 190 
 
 
 To his little daupfhter, six years old, he thus 
 wrote, from Buffalo, Lake Erie, on Good Friday: — 
 
 ^lY DEAREST Beatuice, — I aui now travelling on the 
 great American Lakes, and liave leachcd the town or city 
 of BiilFalo, not far i'rom the miu^htv Falls of Xiaixara. I 
 intend to continue my voyages on these lakes, till I reach 
 Fort William on Lake Superior, and shall then have gone 
 over one (juarter of the circumference or round of the 
 earth. The earth, my dear little child, turns once com 
 pletely round in twenty-lour liours, presenting each sj)ot 
 in succession to the sun. If the circle it makes, in turning, 
 be divided into twenty-four parts, each part is e(iual to an 
 hour of time ; or, if it be divided into oGO degrees, each 
 hour includes fifteen degrees, and six hours are equal to 
 ninety degrees, which is the longitude oi' Fort William 
 west of Greenwich. When it is ipur o'clock in the after- 
 noon with you, it is ten o'clock in the morning there. 
 
 You are not old enough to understand this, but Jose- 
 pliine will comprehend it, and ende-ivt)ur to explain it to 
 you ; and should you liave access to a globe, mannna will 
 show you, by turning the globe round iVom west to east 
 towards a candle, how each spot on the earth is liglitened 
 by the sun in succession. You will perceive by this, my 
 dear ciuld, that the light of the sun, powerful, brilliant, 
 and warm, is not everywhere present at once, ])Ut comes to 
 us in succession, and alternating Avith night; but God, the 
 Creator of the sun and the earth, with all its inhabitants, and 
 of the entire universe, is everywhere present at the same 
 instant of time. His eye sees every action and thought, asJ 
 clearly in tlie night as in the day, and not a withered leaf 
 can fall from a tree in the pathless Ibrcsts of this vast 
 country but by His permission. Unless your papa was 
 
200 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 under the constant guardianship of His providence, his 
 long journey would be a wild and vain attempt ; and as He 
 bids us pray regularly for assistance from His Holy Spirit, 
 not only for ourselves, but for all that are dear to us, and 
 for all mankind, I beseech you, my dear child, never to 
 forget to pray, morning, evening, and at noon-day^ for 
 your papa. 
 
 You, mamma, Josephine, John, Willingham, and Edward, 
 are constantly in my thoughts, and are always objects of 
 my prayers. May the all-kind God grant my petitions 
 and yours, if agreeable to His will. This letter is to be for 
 Josephine as well as you. Be kind sisters one to another, 
 and love your brothers. 
 
 From Hudson's Bay House, Michipicoten, Lake 
 Superior, he wrote to his eldest son, John, on 
 May 7 : — 
 
 My dear Boy, — This being the largest piece of fresh 
 water in the world, is frequently called the King of Lakes. 
 It occupies nearly as much space as the whole of England. 
 At present it is not much frequented, except by straggling 
 tribes and families of Indian hunters, and tlie fur traders 
 passing to and fro between their posts, which are generally 
 as far distant from each other as London is from West- 
 moreland. To speak more correctly, this was the case a 
 few years ago, but OAving to the discovery of copper on 
 both sides of the lake, its watCxS are now more frefpiently 
 navigated. Two small steamboats now come \\ in the 
 summer to the American mining stations on the south side 
 of the lake, and on Grand Isle, or to the Canadian mines 
 at Mamainse Point, which we passed yesterday at noon. 
 
 I 
 
1848 
 
 1848 
 
 LETTER FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. 
 
 201 
 
 idence, his 
 and as He 
 oly Spirit, 
 to us, and 
 , never to 
 n-daj , for 
 
 d Edward, 
 objects of 
 ■ petitions 
 5 to be for 
 o another, 
 
 n. Lake 
 ohn, on 
 
 of fresh 
 Lakes. 
 
 England. 
 
 niirfflins: 
 traders 
 
 enerallj 
 West- 
 case a 
 
 per on 
 juently 
 in the 
 th side 
 mines 
 noon. 
 
 ' It is more than 100 miles from the spot at which I now 
 write, which is in Michipicoten Bay. 
 
 We travel in two canoes, each manned by eiglit voy- 
 ageurs, that is, travellers or sailors. As soon as the day 
 begins to break, the guide, that is, the chief voyageur, who 
 directs the others and points out the route, summons the 
 party to rise, and we are all instantly on foot, every one 
 engaged in rolling up his blankets, and trudging as quickly 
 as possible to the beach, from our sleeping place. 
 
 The guide and another man, called the ' gouvernail,' or 
 helmsman, in the meantime put the canoe into Lhe water, 
 and as soon as all the luggage is properly stowed, we 
 embark and paddle awa}'. If the weather be fine and 
 the wind moderate, the voyageurs begin to sing, and en- 
 liven their labour in that way, one man singing, and the 
 others joining in a chorus. 
 
 At the present time of the year, it happens to be light 
 about half-past three in the morning, and we are generally 
 away from our encampment by four o'clock. We continue 
 on our route till about eight or nine, when we put ashore on 
 the first favourable spot that occurs, land the canteen, con- 
 taining the tea-kettle, plates, knives, and spoons, teapot 
 and teacups, make a fire with wood, which aboimds every- 
 where, cutting down three or ftmr trees for the purpose, 
 and having cooked and eaten breakfast, we again embark 
 and proceed on our voyage. The time allowed for break- 
 fast is one hour. 
 
 At two o'clock we again put ashore, for half-an-hour, to 
 dine, this time eating cold provisions. At seven, or half- 
 past seven, we encamp for the night. The Avhole oi' the 
 lading is brought to shore, and the canoes themselves are 
 taken out of the water, to be dried and repaired, if neces- 
 
 
202 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 184S 
 
 :| 
 
 sary. A tent is pitched, and if the ground be uneven, the 
 floor is hiid with small flat branches of Canadian fir, which 
 make a fine elastic carpet. This is covered with an oil- 
 cloth, and our beds, rolled up, are placed for seats. 
 
 In the meantime, some of the party have cut firewood for 
 the night, and placed the kettle in a proper situation. The 
 iryingpan is made ready, and, in about an hour, we have 
 tea, ham and eggs, with biscuit and butter; no bad fare 
 after a long day's voyage. Supper being ended, we enjoy 
 ourselves a little at the fireside, talking to the voyageurs, 
 or to one another, and one of the men, whose business it 
 is, unrolls the beds, and we retire for the night, after having 
 read or written what is necessary. 
 
 I carry my Bible and Prayer-Book with me, and abo an 
 excelleuu book by Bishop Wilson, which I find a great 
 help to my devotions ; and, my dear son, I can assure 
 you, from experience, that every care or danger is easily 
 borne, when we ac({uire the habit of recurring to God for 
 aid, and every pleasure sweetened, when we acknowledge 
 that Ave owe it to Ilis bounty. In our own strength we 
 can do nothing, and it is only by Ilis permission that we 
 succeed in any attempt that we make. 
 
 The whole of the country bordering the lake is thickly 
 covered with wood, and much of the land is rocky and 
 unfit for agricultural purposes. It seems, however, to be 
 a remarkably rich mineral district, and this may be the 
 means of bringing a considerable population to some parts 
 of its shores in a few years. If any of my accounts of my 
 journeys should give you a desire to see these wild coun- 
 tries, and try this mode of tjavelling through them, re- 
 member that your desire will be most likely gratified by 
 becoming an engineer. Some of the Koyal Engineers are 
 
 i 
 
184S 
 
 1848 
 
 WINTRY WEATHER. 
 
 203 
 
 leven, the 
 fir, which 
 th an oil- 
 I. 
 
 ewood for 
 on. The 
 , we have 
 bad fare 
 we enjoy 
 oyageurs, 
 usiness it 
 er having 
 
 id abo an 
 1 a great 
 an assure 
 is easily 
 D God for 
 nowledge 
 ength we 
 that we 
 
 s thickly 
 )cky and 
 er, to be 
 be the 
 me parts 
 8 of my 
 Id comi- 
 lem, re- 
 ified by 
 2ers are 
 
 generally employed surveying or making observations on 
 the confines of Canada, and a party ol' them, under Captain 
 Lefroy, are established at Toronto, the capitid of Canada 
 West, for that purpose. 
 
 I have little chance of receiving your letters, my dear 
 boy, till I am on my return home, but I shall be glad to 
 meet them as harbingers of welcome on my way back. 
 Adieu. I commend you to the protection of your Hea- 
 venly Father, beseeching Him to take you into His tender 
 care. 
 
 On the ice breaking up at the outlet of Luke 
 Superior, they resumed their journey, arriving at 
 Fort William on May 12, and the water-shed of 
 the St. Laurence and Winipeg Valleys on the 
 18th. The season was cold and wintry, and on 
 reaching Norway House, Lake Winipeg, he thus 
 wrote to Lady Richardson on June 5 : — 
 
 Our detentions and the wintry weather have been by no 
 means pleasant, but I have endeavoured to repress all im- 
 patience to advance ilister than circumstances permitted, 
 and try to submit to the will of Him who orders all for the 
 best. My companion, Mr. line, is the same cheerful person 
 that I considered him to be at first ; but, to equalise the 
 lading, we travel in different canoes, and our days are con- 
 sequently solitary. The many hours I spend alone will, 
 I trust, be of vital service to me in bringing me into closer 
 communion with God. The motion of the canoe prevents 
 me from writing, and the weather has very generally been 
 such that I can neither read nor write. It is a great con- 
 solation to me, at such times, to offer up jtetitions lor you 
 and the children, and for all my friends and connections. 
 
 H 
 
 A 
 
ninv 
 
 204 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICEARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 ii 
 
 I do not forget to pray for my enemies, though I am not 
 conscious that I have one. 
 
 They reached Cumberland House on June 13, 
 having travelled 2,880 statute miles after leaving 
 New York on April 11. Deducting the time lost 
 by ice obstructions, the journey was remarkable 
 for speed. It was also arduous, the ascent to the 
 summit of the water-shed between Lakes Superior 
 and Winipeg, by the Kamenistikwoya River, being 
 made by about forty portages, and the descent to 
 the Winipeg by a greater number. Scenes of pic- 
 turesque beauty were passed, from time to time, one 
 of which was the Thousand Islands' Lake, which 
 forms the funnel-shaped outlet of Lake Ontario. 
 ' The round-backed, wooded hummocks of granite, 
 which constitute the more than thousand islets of 
 this expanse of water, are grouped into long vistas, 
 which are alternately disclosed and shut in, as we 
 glide smoothly and rapidly among them in one of 
 the powerful steamers that carry on the pa-ssenger 
 traffic of the lakes.' 
 
 Early in the morning of June 14, the pai-ty left 
 Cumberland House, and two days later reached 
 Beaver Lake. The season was now ' striding on- 
 wards rapidly, and the tender foliage was trembling 
 on all sides in the bright sunshine.' 
 
 Cheerily they pushed on, encom*aged by the 
 tidings that Mr. Bell, who had charge of the 
 boats and stores, though long delayed by the ice, 
 was now making good progress. 
 
1848 
 1 1 am not 
 
 June 13, 
 r leaving 
 time lost 
 markable 
 it to the 
 Superior 
 ^er, being 
 iscent to 
 es of pic- 
 time, one 
 :e, which 
 Ontario. 
 ■ granite, 
 . islets of 
 ig vistas, 
 in, as we 
 in one of 
 
 assenger 
 
 •arty left 
 
 reached 
 
 ling on- 
 
 •embling 
 
 by the 
 e of the 
 the ice. 
 
 1843 
 
 METHT PORTAGE. 
 
 205 
 
 The woods, says Sir John Richardson, in his ' Narrative 
 of the Journey,' bein*; now in full but still tender foliage, 
 were beautiful. The graceful birch, in particular, attracted 
 attention by its white stem, light green spray, and pendent 
 golden catkins. Willows of a darker foliage lined the 
 river bank, and the background was covered with dark 
 green pines, intermixed with patches of lively aspen, and 
 here and there a tapering larch, gay with its minute tufts 
 of crimson flowers, and young pale green leaves. The 
 balsam poplar, with a silvery foliage, though an ungainly 
 stem, and the dark elder, disputed the strand, at intervals, 
 with the willows, among which the purple twigs of the dog- 
 wood contributed effectively to add variety and harmony 
 to the colours of spring. 
 
 On June 18 the party reached the Churchill 
 River, the boundary between the Chipewyan and 
 Cree Indians. The navigation was impeded by 
 portages; still they sped on, and reached Isle a 
 la Crosse Fort on the 24th, to learn, with joy, 
 that the boats and stores were still four days in 
 advance. 
 
 At Methy Portage, Sir John Richardson and 
 Dr. Rae overtook the boats. Here an unexpected 
 delay occurred, owing to the transport horses be- 
 longing to an Indian settler having all died of 
 mun*ain during the former autumn. 
 
 I had used every exertion, he wrote, to reach the sea- 
 coast some days before the appointed time, expecting to be 
 able to examine Wollaston's Land this season. This hope 
 was now almost extinguished. The portage occupied nine 
 
 A 
 
 
 y 
 
I 
 
 IS 
 
 206 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 184S 
 
 days from the time of Mr. Bell's arrival ; but, with the 
 assistance of horses, we could have passed it easily in 
 three, and saved nearly a week of summer weather, most 
 important for our future operations, besides liusbanding 
 the strength of the men. The transport of the four boats, 
 being made on the men's shoulders, employed two days 
 and a half of our time. 
 
 While these operations were being i)erformed, 
 he wrote to his two daughters on July 3 : — 
 
 My dearest Josephine and Beatrice, — I am now seated 
 on the ground, near a small lake, about seven miles from 
 one end of this long and, to the men, laborious portage, and 
 four from the other. The hot sun beats through the tent 
 and raises the temperature, while the mosquitoes crowd in 
 at the other side, which we cannot keep shut, owing to a 
 fresh breeze of wind which disorders the fastenings. I 
 am, therefore, called off every moment from my pen, to 
 remove the tiny creatures, that are increasing fast in size 
 at the expense of the blood they draw from my veins. 
 
 God said he would send His fly to drive out the Amo- 
 rites from before the people of Israel. A short experience 
 of travel in this country teaches one how small a cause may 
 destroy the comfort of men, and also gives the lesson, 
 that comforts so easily destroyed are not worth the wise 
 man's aim. The future is to be his object. The present 
 world has its duties, which bring their reward ; but the 
 various illnesses, deprivations, and disquietudes to which 
 we are exposed, teU us plainly, that whoever builds his 
 hopes of happiness on any foundation but sincere love to 
 God and His law, builds on a sandy soil. They who are 
 constant in praying for His Holy Spirit to guide them in all 
 
184S 
 
 1848 
 
 THE ELK RIVER. 
 
 207 
 
 their ways, are the most certain to have real enjoyment in 
 this life. 
 
 Most of the feelings which embitter the mind arise from 
 some petty rivalries or discourtesies, and the sure prevent- 
 ive is that divine spirit of love and forgiveness, which is 
 generated by a love to God. My dearest girls, cultivate 
 the domestic virtues. Be obedient and attentive to your 
 mamma and govemess. Write often and kindly to your 
 brother John, and be very tender with Willingham and 
 Edward. I shall be happy to receive minute accounts of 
 all your doings from both of you. One of your shortest 
 letters would be a great treasure to me at Fort Confidence, 
 and I hope you will, from time to time, write out fully how 
 you spend your time and of all the occurrences in the vale 
 of Easedale. 
 
 God bless you, my dear children. Kiss your little 
 brothers from papa. 
 
 On July 3, the whole of the baggage and the 
 boats were brought to the banks of Little Lake, 
 and on the 6th, everything having been carried 
 over to Clear- Water River, the canoe-men set out 
 on their return to Canada, and the expedition re- 
 sumed their journey. They proceeded rapidly, 
 and on the 9th entered the Elk or Athabasca 
 Eiver, a majestic stream, between a quarter and 
 half a mile in breadth, with a considerable cur- 
 rent, but without rapids, the speed attained by 
 the boats being six geographical miles an hour. 
 It is the most southern branch of the Mackenzie, 
 and may be considered its source. 
 
 At the Athabasca Lake, they met the Mac- 
 
 v\ 
 

 208 
 
 LIFE OP SIE JOHN EICHAEDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 Vi 
 
 ■\ 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 kenzie River trading boats, under Mr. McPherson, 
 who informed them wliat means he had taken for 
 supplying the expedition with provisions during 
 their winter residence at the north end of Great 
 Bear Lake. 
 
 Once afloat on the Mackenzie, they pushed for- 
 ward with all possible speed, never landing, except 
 to cook the necessary food; and during darkness, 
 fogs, or when the men required a few hours' sleep, 
 the boats were allowed to flout with the current, 
 trusting that it would carry them clear of shoals 
 and low islands. On through the Narrows, where 
 this magnificent river is a mile and a half broad, 
 and fifty feet deep in mid-cluinncl, they reached 
 Point Separation ; and, in compliance with his in- 
 structions. Sir John Richardson buried a case of 
 pemmican, with a memorandum fur the boat party 
 of the * Plover,' should they reach the Mackenzie 
 from Behring's Straits. In September, 1849, Com- 
 mander Pullen, with two boats from the ' Plover,' 
 found the depot safe. 
 
 Point Separation was the spot at which the 
 western exploring party, under Sir John Franklin, 
 and the eastern, under Sir John Richardson, sepa- 
 rated to fulfil their allotted tasks during the former 
 expedition, and a slight feeling of honest disap- 
 pointment was felt by the latter when he thought 
 of the way in which he and his companions in 
 danger and daring had been treated by the House 
 of Commons. * In performing these duties at this 
 
1848 
 
 1848 
 
 THE ARCTIC SEA. 
 
 201» 
 
 Plierson, 
 ;aken for 
 s during 
 of Great 
 
 shed for- 
 g, except 
 larkness, 
 rs' sleep, 
 
 current, 
 3f shoals 
 vs, where 
 If broad, 
 
 reached 
 :h his in- 
 1 case of 
 oat party 
 Mackenzie 
 49, Com- 
 * Plover,' 
 
 lich the 
 Tranklin, 
 on, sepa- 
 le former 
 it disap- 
 
 thought 
 mions in 
 le House 
 
 s at this 
 
 place,' he says, m his * Boat Voyage through Ru- 
 pert's Land,' — 
 
 I could not but recall to mind the evening of July 3, 
 1826, passed on the very same spot, in company with Sir 
 John Franklin, Sir George Back, and Lieutenant Kend.ill. 
 We were then full of joyous anticipation of the discoveries 
 tliat lay in our several paths, and our creAvs were elated 
 with the hope of making their fortunes by the Parlia- 
 mentary reward promised to those who should navigate the 
 Arctic Seas up to certain meridians. When we puslied 
 off from the beach, on the morning of the 4th, to Ibllow 
 our separate routes, we cheered each other with hearty 
 good will and no misgivings. Sir John's voyage lell some 
 miles short of the Parliamentary distance, and he made 
 no claim. My party accomplished the whole space be- 
 tween the assigned meridians ; but tlie authorities decided 
 that the reward was not meant lor boats, but for ships. 
 Neither men nor officers made their fortunes ; and, 
 what I more regretted, my friend and companion. Lieu- 
 tenant Kendall, remained in that rank till the day of his 
 death, notwithsUmding his subsequent important scientific 
 services. 
 
 On the present occasion, I endeavoured to stimulate our 
 crews to an active look-out by promising ten pounds to 
 the first man who should announce the Discovery ships. 
 
 The estuary of the Mackenzie was reached on 
 August 4, when a tumbling sea drove them to 
 leeward, and a succession of stormy weather was 
 experienced. Here Sir John Richardson fell in 
 with the Esquimaux, but could obtain no informa- 
 tion of the missing ships. 
 
h 
 
 210 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 184 S 
 
 ! 
 
 I 
 
 
 Tlio expedition, after a journey of 4,500 miles 
 from New York, liad now entered the fi(*ld of 
 search, which comprised tlie examination of tlie 
 coast from the mouth of the Mackenzie to the 
 Coppermine River, and Wio shores of Victoria and 
 Wollaston Lands lyinj^'* opposite. 
 
 On Au<^nst 1 1 they entered the green sea, then 
 coasted eastwards, endeavouring to gain infor- 
 mation wlienever the Escpiiniaux were seen, and 
 depositing provisions according to instructions. 
 In a few days packs of drift-ice were seen, and 
 stormy head-winds retarded their progress. After 
 ahnost incredible efforts to advance through the 
 ice-floes which obstructed their way, it became 
 apparent that the boats must be abandoned. The 
 disappointment was great. Sir John Richardson 
 had hoped to deposit the boats and stores up the 
 Coppermine River, beyond the range of tlie Esqui- 
 maux, so as to be available for a voyage to Wol- 
 laston Land during the followin"* summer. If left 
 on the coast, the boats were certain to be found 
 and destroyed. 
 
 The 1st and 2nd of September were employed 
 in preparing to cross the country to their winter 
 quarters at Great Bear Lake. How solemn that 
 Sunday morning, when, after breakfasting, the 
 party united at six o'clock, and Sir John read 
 prayers before beginning their journey ! Baffled 
 in their enterprise, they were about to turn from 
 the ice-bound sea, which held, firmly locked up. 
 
^. 
 
 18-lS 
 
 1848 
 
 UNCOMPOETABLE QUARTERS. 
 
 211 
 
 k500 miles 
 [le fi('l(l of 
 ion of tlio 
 izio to the 
 ictoriu unci 
 
 n sea, then 
 ^iiin infor- 
 
 seen, and 
 structions. 
 
 seen, and 
 .'ss. After 
 irontifh the 
 it became 
 ned. The 
 !iichardson 
 res up the 
 the Esqui- 
 e to Wol- 
 er. If left 
 
 be found 
 
 employed 
 eir winter 
 lemn that 
 sting", the 
 lohn read 
 Baffled 
 turn from 
 ocked up, 
 
 the secret of the niissin*; ships and the struijii^le 
 of their crews for life. 
 
 Havin;^ committed their way unto the Almij^'hty, 
 the party set out, carry inj^ thirteen days' pro- 
 visions, cookinc];' utensils, hatchets, astronomical 
 instninients, a f»»w ])noks, the amniunition, two 
 nets, lines, a portable boat, and other necessaries, 
 the load of each man beiny: calculated to weiirh 
 sixty or seventy pounds. Wearily they marched 
 on over hills covered with snow and tlirouL,'h half- 
 frozen swamps, the discomfort bein^^ fre(piently 
 augmented by the freezing of their clothes, which 
 were wet in crossing streams, a branch of the 
 Kendall River having taken them up to the waist. 
 
 Our course, says Sir Jolin, iu his journiil, was sliapod 
 directly across tlic country lor Doaso's Ilivfr, and as wo 
 uscoiuled the high ^grounds, the fog became more dense, so 
 that by noon we could not see beyond two or three yards. 
 We steered by the compass, Mr. liac leading, and the rest 
 following in Indian file. 1 ke[)t rather in the r^'ar, to pick 
 up stragglers; but though we walked at a much brisker 
 pace than usual, there was little k)itering. Tiie danger of 
 losing the jvirty made the worst walkers })ress forward. 
 On the hills the snow covered the ground thickly ; and it is 
 impossible to imagine anything having a more dreary as- 
 pect than the lakes which frequently barred our way. We 
 did not see them until we came suddenly to the brink of 
 the rocks which bounded them, and the contrast of the 
 dark surface of their waters with the unbroken snow of 
 their borders, combined with the loss of all derinite outline 
 in the fog, caused them to resemble hideous pits sinking to 
 
 P2 
 
wjTT 
 
 212 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 /;■ 
 
 1/ 
 
 it 
 
 an unknown depth. The country over whicli we travelled 
 is composed chiefly of granite; and after walking till half- 
 past five, without perceiving a single tree or the slightest 
 shelter, we came to a convex rock, from which the snow 
 had been swept by the wind. On this we resolved to 
 spread our blankets, as it was just big enough to accom- 
 modate the party. There being no fuel of any kind on the 
 Bpot, we went supperless to bed. Some of the party had 
 no rest, and we heard them groaning bitterly ; but others, 
 among whom were Mr. Rae and I, slept Avell. AVe learned 
 afterwards that a clump of Avood grew within a mile and 
 a lialf of our bivouac ; but even had we been apprised of 
 its existence, we could scarcely have found it in the fog. 
 Several showers of snow occurred in the day, and some 
 fell in the night. 
 
 On the afternoon of September 15 the weary 
 journey was ended, the expedition having safely 
 reached the winter station at the north side of 
 Great Bear Lake, and found that Mr. Bell's 
 party had the houses nearly finished. On the 
 17th all met in the hall, and Sir John read di- 
 vine service, the fishers, employed about five miles 
 distant, having come in to join in the Sunday 
 worship. These services were kept up during the 
 long winter, and regularly attended, even by th3 
 Roman Catholics from Canada. 
 
 The day after the party arrived at Fort Confi- 
 dence, he wrote to Lady Eichardson : — 
 
 The whole party, thank God, got here safely yesterday, 
 but I regret to say without hearing any tidings of the Dis- 
 
 
^. 
 
 1848 
 
 1848 
 
 GKEAT BEAR LAKE. 
 
 213 
 
 we travelled 
 ing till half- 
 the slightest 
 ch the snow 
 
 resolved to 
 li to acconi- 
 
 kind on the 
 ic party had 
 
 but otliers, 
 We learned 
 
 a mile and 
 apprised of 
 
 in the fog. 
 ', and some 
 
 he weary 
 ing safely 
 li side of 
 Ir. Bell's 
 On the 
 read di- 
 five miles 
 Fi Sunday 
 uring the 
 n by thj 
 
 rt Confi- 
 
 yesterday, 
 >f the Dis- 
 
 covery ships, or having it in our power to render assistance 
 to their crews ; or rather, I hope that our not having been 
 privileged to do this may be a favourable omen, and that 
 they have either effected a passage in higher latitudes th^n 
 those we followed, or returned to England by the way in 
 which they cfime out. 
 
 We reached the sea on the 3rd of August, and were soon 
 afterwards beset by upwards of three hundred Esquimaux, 
 who were very importunate in their demands ; but the 
 strength of our party, well armed with gims, kept them 
 within bounds, and we parted, after a troublesome interview 
 of some hours, on terms of friendship. They are the most 
 expert and determined thieves I ever met with, and suc- 
 ceeded in abstracting a few things from one of the boats 
 which had no officer in it. After this we advanced along 
 the coast, which is fully described in the ' Narrative of the 
 Eastern party of Franklin's Expedition,' and remained a 
 few days at Point Atkinson, in the neighbourhood of a 
 small party of Esquimaux, who were assembling there to 
 chase the whale. With these people we were on very 
 friendly terms, traded with them for sea trout, and made 
 them many presents ; but even they could not resist the pro- 
 pensity to steal. 
 
 The weather continued good, and our voyage pleasant 
 imtil we entered the Union and Dolphin Straits, wliich 
 we found packed with ice, which rendered the air cold ; 
 and on August 23, winter fairly set in, with hard frost 
 and much snow which remained on the ground. The 
 frost bound all the pieces of ice together, and we could no 
 longer push our way among them. On September 3, all 
 hope of doing so with success was abandoned, being at 
 that time in Icy Cove, a narrow inlet not marked on 
 
•T^^^m^m^ 
 
 \ 
 
 \' 
 
 >' 
 
 u 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 i.. 
 
 «l 
 
 (f: 
 
 < i 
 
 the map, but situated about nine miles to the north of Cape 
 Kendall. 
 
 We left the boats at this place, and set out for Bear Lake 
 by way of the Coppermine. On the same evening we 
 reached Back's Inlet, and made our beds under a high cliff, 
 where we slept soundly. Next day we came to the banks 
 of a wide and deep river falling into the inlet, and should 
 have found much difficulty and lost much time in crossing 
 but for the aid of a friendly party of Esquimaux, who ferried 
 us across with tlieir kaiyaks, two and two together. Some 
 of these men had seen Deaseand Simpson's party, and they 
 cfime to us without fear. They were fine manly fellows 
 with open countenances, indicating content and cheerful- 
 ness. Their dress was neat and clean. Their women, on 
 the other hand, were dirty, had much inferior countenances, 
 and looked all the worse .*'or the extremity of their fears, 
 which they could not or did not attempt to conceal. 
 
 Having rewarded these kind people to the extent of our 
 power, and more highly than they expected, we resumed 
 our journey, and next day crossed the Richardson by help 
 of Lieutenant Halkett's portable boat, and the same eve- 
 ning encamped on the banks of the Coppermine. There 
 we had hoped to be met by a party of hunters whom I had 
 appointed to be here in the first week in September, but 
 the bad weather which arrested our progress on the coast 
 prevented them from leaving Bear Lake, as I have learned 
 since my arrival. We therefore continued the ascent of 
 the Coppermine to the Kendall, which we crossed on a 
 rafl and directed our course to Bear Lake. 
 
 The following day we had a very thick fog, and having 
 to cross some high hills covered with snow, we found no 
 firing, and, wher evening closed in, lay down on a rock, — 
 
"""^ 
 
 184S 
 
 rth of Cape 
 
 Bear Lake 
 evening we 
 a high cliff, 
 
 the banks 
 and should 
 in crossing 
 »vho ferried 
 'er. Some 
 '. and they 
 ily fellows 
 1 cheerful - 
 women, on 
 intenances, 
 heir fears, 
 eal. 
 
 ent of our 
 s resumed 
 >n by help 
 same eve- 
 e. There 
 liom I had 
 nber, but 
 the coast 
 e learned 
 ascent of 
 sed on a 
 
 tl having 
 found no 
 I rock, — 
 
 1848 
 
 LETTER TO LADY RICHARDSON. 
 
 215 
 
 Mr. Rae and I side by side on our plaids, with our two 
 blankets, and an oil cloth over us. Under this covering 
 we passed a comfortable night, though some of the men, 
 whose blankets were of smaller size, lared worse. On this 
 day the party in search of us lost their way, and did not 
 recover their proper course ibr three days. Wo were more 
 fortunate, and steering by compass were able to advance in 
 weather that would stop an Indian. On the following day 
 we came to a fine clump of wood, and were fully recom- 
 pensed, by the excellence of our night's encampment, for 
 the badness of the preceding one. We had plenty of pro- 
 visions, geese, partridges, and venison, and greatly enjoyed 
 our warm supper. 
 
 The following day we were seen by a party of Indians, 
 more than five miles off, who raised a signal smoke, know- 
 ing, by having seen the party in quest of us, who we were. 
 Our route was altered in order to join them, and we pur- 
 chased a full supply of excellent deer-meat, besides hiring 
 one of their number as a guide. lie led us iu three days 
 more to Fort Confid€nce, by better, though not more direct, 
 paths tlian we should have chosen for ourselves. 
 
 The whole march was thirteen days, and I tliank God 
 that I have suffered no inconvenience from the exertion, 
 but, on the contrary, feel myself more able for a journey of 
 similar extent than when I set out from the boats. Many 
 instances of God's favour during the past voyage have been 
 manifest to me, and I have had daily occasions for thanks- 
 giving. 
 
 On the whole, I have been in a most comfortable and 
 happy frame of mind. Mr. Kae has taken the labouring 
 oar and managed it well. The Fall Boat, as it is called, or 
 the boat bringing our things from Norway House, being 
 
216 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHAEDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 the last of the season, has not yet arrived, and I am with- 
 out further intelligence from home of a later date than that 
 which I received at Sault St. Marie. How much I long 
 for a few lines of your well-known hand to look upon. 
 
 Dr. Rae has kindly supplied the following inter- 
 esting details : — 
 
 I shall pass over our journey through the inland rivers 
 of the Hudson's Bay territory, and come at once to the boat 
 voyage along the coast, from the Mackenzie to the Copper- 
 mine River, which was a very trying one, on account of the 
 ice which was packed close on the shore. Whenever we 
 had an opportunity of making observations for latitude and 
 longitude, we found that the former survey of the coast had 
 been made with correctness. — 
 
 When we were forced to abandon our boats in conse- 
 quence of the young ice^ which was not strong enough to 
 bear our weight", we were thirteen days' journey, for laden 
 men, from winter-quarters on Bear Lake ; and as we did 
 not know, from personal experience, the quantity of game 
 likely to be found on the route, and were aware that the 
 men could kill nothing for themselves either with net or 
 gun, we had to take fuP allowance for the whole time, and 
 Sir John, at first, insisted on carrying a part. 
 
 When fully equipped and ready to start, he read prayers 
 in a most impressive manner outside the tent ; and our ap- 
 pearance, with gun on shoulder and loads on our backs, re- 
 minded me much of what I had read of the Covenanters of 
 old, when they \. :)rshipped in the glens and on the hill- 
 sides, prepared at a moment's notice either to fight with or 
 flee from their persecutors. The season of the year was 
 the worst possible for travelling over a rugged country. 
 There had been much rain, some snow and frost, but not 
 
1848 
 
 1848 
 
 LETTER FROM DR. RAE. 
 
 217 
 
 I am with- 
 than that 
 uch I long 
 upon. 
 
 ng inter- 
 
 Mnd rivers 
 o the boat 
 e Copper- 
 unt of the 
 never we 
 itude and 
 coast had 
 
 in conse- 
 nough to 
 for laden 
 s we did 
 of game 
 that the 
 b net or 
 ime, and 
 
 prayers 
 
 our ap- 
 icks, re- 
 mters of 
 the hill- 
 with or 
 ear was 
 Jountry. 
 i)ut not 
 
 sufHcient of the latter to make the soaked ground hard 
 enough to bear our weight, so that the labour of walking 
 was very great. 
 
 Sir John once and only once seemed to suffer from fatigue 
 on the journey. We had been up a hill full of half-frozen 
 holes of water, when he was seized with spasm of the heart 
 and with cramps, which he thought would prevent his con- 
 tinuing the day's walk, but he recovered in a short time 
 and was able to proceed. Our flour being nearly expended, 
 we had little to live upon but pemmican, which did not agree 
 with Sir John ; and he would not use the whole of the little 
 cake which was baked for us each day by Albeit, but in- 
 sisted on my taking the half, and it was only by stratagem 
 that I could get him to have any other diet than I took 
 myself. Fortunately, we were soon able to get a few ptar- 
 migan, ducks, and geese, and at last a deer, so that the 
 change of food quickly restored him to perfect health. 
 
 On September 16, he -wrote to his eldest daugh- 
 ter : — 
 
 My dearest Josephine, — During the long and arduous 
 voyage which I have now happily finished, by God's bless- 
 ing, I have daily, and several times in the day, prayed 
 earnestly that He would extend His protecting care to you 
 and your sister and brothers. I trust He has heard my 
 prayers and that you are all safe ; and moreover that you 
 show your sense of Ills continued mercy and watchful, 
 ever-present eye, by docility and kindness to those who 
 have the rule over you, and diligence in performing your 
 appointed tasks. I hope, should He spare uz to meet again, 
 to give you an account of many instances of His good Pro- 
 vidence which we experienced in our voyage ; and I feel 
 
 ^1 
 I 
 
 1 
 
m 
 
 
 218 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 i" 
 
 that, without His sustaining hand, I should not now be 
 seated, at my ease, in a comfortable room, writing this 
 brief letter to you. May God ever bless you, my dear 
 child. 
 
 ' ^\e party at Fort Confidence consisted of forty- 
 two persons, and the Indians were certain to be 
 attracted, in considerable numbers, to the winter- 
 ing-place of the expedition. To lessen, therefore, 
 iju u.'j! tilty of procuring sufficient food, Sir John 
 sent t Z' i^iiteen of the party to winter at the 
 fishing stc'^-icn on Big Island, Great Slave Lake 
 (ivo i;f thoi ..'ing intrusted with letters for 
 England), to is. . j la Crosse, where the wife of 
 one of them resided. The resources of the Fort 
 were considered ample to maintain the remainder, 
 and the winter was expected without anxiety. To 
 secure abundance, however, he thought it pru- 
 dent to continue a fishery at the west end of 
 Great Bear Lake, lest the take near the Fort 
 should fail. 
 
 I 
 
1848 
 
 219 
 
 t now be 
 
 iting this 
 
 my dear 
 
 of forty- 
 n to be 
 
 winter- 
 lerefore, 
 5ir John 
 
 at the 
 e Lake 
 ters for 
 wife of 
 he ForL 
 lainder, 
 itj. To 
 it pru- 
 end of 
 le Fort 
 
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 AT FOUT CONFIDENCE — WINTEII EMPLOYMENTS STATE OF THE 
 
 INDIANS NE.VS FROM ENGLAND DR. RAE APPOINTED TO 
 
 CONTINUE THE SEARCH — THE RETURN JOURNEY — ARRIVAL 
 RECEPTION AT HASLAR. 
 
 1S4S— 1849, 
 
 On September 20, Sir John received letters from 
 his family in England, and immediately wrote 
 to Lady Richardson : — 
 
 The Fall Boat has broiiglit us ample supplies. In order 
 to bring our necessities \Yithin the resources of the vicinity, 
 I sent a^vay half the men of our establishment, and Iiave 
 now received penmiican enough to put us out of tlie reach 
 of want, even though the season should prove unusually 
 bad, of which I have no apprehension at present. 
 
 Keindeer are numerous. The Indians are healthy and 
 active ; supplies come in steadily, and Ave have abundance 
 of goods to pay for them. I am thankful to God, whose 
 providence in ordinary events can be more distinctly traced 
 in a land like this, than in the complicated uuizes of civilised 
 life. 
 
 My public despatch and letter to you will have informed 
 you, in brief tenns, that 1 examined the whole line of coast 
 
 vM 
 
 I 
 
220 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 mentioned in my instructions, with the exception of Wol- 
 laston and Victoria Lands, which we could not approach for 
 ice. Mr, Kae, with one boat, and a crew of active volun- 
 teers, of his own selection, will perform this service next 
 summer ; and to save government ilirther expense, I shall 
 myself return to England as quickly as possible, taking all 
 the English party with me to Norway House. I shall 
 return by way of Canada, as it will be necessary for me to 
 remain some days at La Chine to arrange the accounts. I 
 hope to take my passage from Boston in one of the October 
 steamers. 
 
 I have a series of magnetic observations to make which 
 will fully occupy my time during the stay here, and I in- 
 tend to cross the lake, on the ice, after the snow is gone — 
 that is, in the end of April or beginning of May. If I keep 
 my health as well during the comparative inactivity of 
 winter as I have done during the voyage and overland 
 march, 1 have nothing more to desire, except to find all 
 well when I return home. 
 
 Their winter-quarters and employments are 
 described in the following letters, written in the 
 form of a journal, and begun on October 3, 
 
 1848:— 
 
 Since I sent off my last letter, we have had a fortnight 
 of unusually mild weather for the time of the year in this 
 district. The snow disappeared even from the hills, a 
 considerable quantity of rain fell, and the marshes became 
 almost impassable. The untimely frosts, in August, cut off 
 the usual supply of cranberries, and other fruits which this 
 country produces. Not that they altogether failed, but 
 they are much less abundant than usual, and of inferior 
 quality. 
 
1848 
 
 1848 
 
 WINTER AT FOET CONFIDENCE. 
 
 221 
 
 n of Wol- 
 proach for 
 ve volun- 
 vice next 
 se, I shall 
 taking all 
 I shall 
 for me to 
 cunts. I 
 i October 
 
 ke which 
 and I in- 
 s gone — 
 If I keep 
 tivity of 
 overland 
 • find all 
 
 ts are 
 in the 
 ber 3, 
 
 )rtnight 
 ■ in this 
 hills, a 
 became 
 cutoff 
 ch this 
 d, but 
 Qferior 
 
 On the disappearance of the snow, the deer, which liad 
 begun to draw towards Bear Lake, returned to the north- 
 ward, and our supplies of venison have consequently become 
 scanty. Fish are also scai'oe. 
 
 In no part of the world does the supply of daily food 
 appear to proceed more directly from the Almighty. The 
 agency of man is much more limited than in civilised lil'e, 
 where, from the multiplicity of concurring agents, we are 
 apt to lose sight of the good providence of God. Here, on 
 the other hand, our supply of daily food is like the manna 
 in the wilderness. Unless the wild beasts are driven to 
 their usual haunts by the weather proper to the seas(m, and 
 the frost sets in at the usual period, the hunter's skill avails 
 not, and we also lose what is called the Fall fishery. The 
 petition, therefore, ' give us this day our daily bread,' is 
 felt here in its full importance. 
 
 Indeed, if this expedition should be unproductive of 
 public advantage, it will, I trust, produce the personal 
 benefit of bringing me into closer communion with God. I 
 have so many petitions to ofier lor you, the other dear ones 
 at home, and the rest of my absent Iriends, and so much 
 reason for thankfulness for the numerous providential oc- 
 currences of the voyage, that I must be dull indeed were 
 my devotional feelings not rendered more fervent. 
 
 October 7. — 1 have been busy for the last four days in 
 putting some instruments for observation on magnetism in 
 adjustment, and shall have full occupation, during my stiiy 
 here, in attending to them. I have had a small observatory 
 built, in front of the house, so that I have a very short way 
 to walk from the fireside. 
 
 I may us well give you a short descriptive sketch of our 
 residence and routine of life, which, I expect, will be very 
 
 A 
 
I 
 
 I . 
 
 
 I ' 
 
 222 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 little varied till iioxt s])rin;j;. Fort Confidence is situated 
 on a rising bank, about thirty I'eet fi*oni the borders of the 
 lake, on the north side of the bay, into which Dease's River 
 ialls. A large island, opposite to the house, divides the 
 entrance of the bay into straits, the northernmost, on which 
 the fort stands, being about three-quarters of a mile wide. 
 The island rises gently to the height of about one hundred 
 and twenty feet in the centre, and is well wooded on our 
 side. The wood, within a mile of the house, has been mostly 
 cut down for firing or building purposes. Dease's liiver 
 is about three miles distant. 
 
 When Mr. Bell arrived hero, in the middle of August, 
 to prepare our winter-quarters, he found none of the build- 
 ings erected by Dease and Simpson remaining, except a 
 house for the labourers, and two chinmeys of the dwelling- 
 house. All the rest had been burnt down by the careless- 
 ness or wantonness of the Indians. Ills first care was to 
 build a good-sized store-house of squared logs, let into 
 grooved posts at the four corners, roofed with the same, the 
 interstices being filled with tempered clay well beaten in. 
 The dwelling-house w^is next commenced on a ground plan 
 of forty feet by fourteen, having a dining-hall in the centre, 
 measuring sixteen by fourteen feet, and the remaining space 
 divided into a store-room, and three sleeping apartments. 
 
 The chimneys are built of stone and clay, and project 
 into the several rooms, occupying a good deal of space. We 
 have floors and ceilings of planed boards, the walls being, 
 like those of the store, of squared logs daubed with clay. 
 Each of the sleeping-rooms has a glazed window, but the 
 hall windows are only of parchment. We have well-made 
 tables, beds, and convenient shelves in our apartments, and 
 the carpenters are now busy framing chairs. In fact, we 
 
 b'^.. 
 
 ifl 3 wrjtf ? w ga 
 
1848 
 
 1848 
 
 LIFE AT THE FORT. 
 
 22.'J 
 
 s situated 
 ors of the 
 sc's Kiver 
 ivides the 
 on which 
 
 nilo wide. 
 
 ! hundred 
 d on our 
 
 ion mostly 
 
 o's Kiver 
 
 " August, 
 ho build- 
 except a 
 JwelJing- 
 
 careless- 
 '<i was to 
 
 let into 
 mme, the 
 eaten in. 
 Lind plan 
 e centre, 
 ing space 
 ments. 
 1 project 
 ice. We 
 s being, 
 ith clay, 
 but the 
 ill-made 
 nts, and 
 <Uct, we 
 
 ^ 
 
 arc provided witli everything ossontial toromfort, including 
 a good supply of tea-cu[)S, plates, and cooking utensils. 
 
 Tlie hall is not only our break last and dining-room, but 
 also the jilacc of resort of the Indians when they come to 
 the house. This is the custom, or I .should have been 
 incline<l to build a detached room for tlu; natives. Our 
 nund)ers aru likely to he increased by a few old and infirm 
 Indians, wIk) are sure to become j)ensioners on the esta- 
 blishment in the course of the winter. 
 
 Noveiithcr 2. — INIy library, as you know, is a very small 
 one, but it is a great solace. Most of the books were chosen 
 by your.self, and J thank you, dear, ibr making .so good a 
 selection, which will bear recurring to again and again. 1 
 fi'cl the advantage of having only a few books, in that one 
 reads with more care and deliberation. It is owing to this 
 that I have felt 8hakespere's beauties more than I ever had 
 time to do before. I have read through the one volume 
 copy of his jilays your mother gave me, with great pleasure, 
 .since coming to Fort Confidence, and shall do so again, at 
 least once a month, during my stay. 
 
 ^ly alter tea treat, at present, is from your copy of 
 Bacon's ' Essays ' and Cowper's ' Task.' The retuin of our 
 messenger from Fort Simpson may be described in Co\v[H'r's 
 words, from his ' Winter's Evening on the Arrival ol the 
 Post,' with a veiy slight alteration : — 
 
 He oomcs, the IutuM of a noisy world, 
 With snowy boots, strai)p'd waist, and f'mzi'n locks, 
 News from all nations lumbering at his hack. 
 True to his charge, the close-pack'd load behind, 
 Yet careless what he brings, his one concern 
 Is to conduct it to the destined Fort ; 
 }jut oh the important budget, who can say 
 What are its tidings ? 
 
m 
 
 
 )i 
 
 
 »i 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 ',i 
 
 11 
 
 , J 
 
 224 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 November 4. — On Monday, two men, with an Indian, 
 are to set out with the packet for Fort Simpson, and we 
 shall count the days imtil tliey return. The temperature 
 fell last niglit to twenty-seven degrees below zero, the 
 was beautifully clear, the aurora borealis brilliant, and to- 
 day we have a bright Gun. Winter has set in without any 
 mistake, and we want only a little more snow, to make the 
 sledges run smoothly over rough ground, to complete our 
 comfort in these resjiects. 
 
 I register the temperature every hour, the height of the 
 mercury in the barometer, the winds and weather, and the 
 position of the magnetic needle, from seven in the morning 
 till midnight, Mr. Kae assisting me. This, with observa- 
 tions on the magnetic force, and observations of the stars 
 to regulate the chronometers, furnishes both of us w* 
 sufRcient occupation. 
 
 I am now writing aller our dinner hour. The cloudless 
 sky and the clear bright fire tell of a cold evening. A, 
 beautiful moon — the half-full — sheds a chilly light over the 
 scene, and I think of those beloved ones, who have her light 
 in their evening, but to whom she is now set, or setting. 
 When I offer up my nightly prayers for you all, I hope that 
 you are in the enjoyment of sound midnight repose, and 
 when I repeat my petitions in the morning, you are all 
 about your noon-day occupations. There is a satisfaction 
 in looking at the silvery satellite which I know you must 
 have been contemplating only a few hours previously, but 
 my heart is most strongly drawn towards you when I pray 
 that we may all be united hereafter in that heavenly union 
 which fears no separation. 
 
 On October 26, Sir John Eichardson thus wrote 
 to Mrs. Fletcher : — 
 
 
1848 
 
 1848 
 
 THE HARE INDIANS. 
 
 225 
 
 n Indian, 
 n, and we 
 Tipcratiire 
 0, the 
 t, and to- 
 thout any 
 make the 
 iplete our 
 
 ht of the 
 , and the 
 
 morning 
 observa- 
 the stars 
 
 us AV' 
 
 cloudless 
 ing. A, 
 over the 
 ber light 
 
 setting, 
 ope that 
 ose, and 
 
 are all 
 sfaction 
 )u must 
 sly, but 
 I I pray 
 7 imion 
 
 wrote 
 
 I rt'qucatod Mary to ii)f«irm tlioso intcrostod in my 
 movements of tlio progross I was making, and I sluill not 
 therefore trouble you witli a repetition of tiie outline of my 
 route. 
 
 I know that you always feel a lively interest in anything 
 relating to the welliire of tlie great family of mankind and 
 its progress towards t'l'eedom and happiness ; but the people 
 by whom 1 am now surrounded cannot be mini to have 
 made a single step as yet on the road to civilisation. They 
 are free enough. Every m;ui does that which is right in 
 his own eyes, the only restraint on his actions being the 
 desire of standing well in the opinion of his neighbours; for 
 I believe that the Hare Indians, of whom I write, have no 
 religious worship; nor have I been able to learn that they 
 have any distinct idea of a Deity, nor how lar they are pos- 
 sessed of a conscience of right and wrong. 
 
 The men hunt or fish, and a- a good hunter is esteemed 
 by his tribe, the more generous oi the young men are stimu- 
 lated by a desire of excelling in tlie art ; but, as in other 
 communities, there are many indolent people among them 
 also, who are content to be looked down upon, while they- 
 live by the labours of the more active. The women dress, 
 for clothing, the skins of the animiils that are slain, construct 
 the huts or tents, and draw or carry the baggage in their 
 migrations. One cannot suppose that their mode of life or 
 motives of action could ever have been more rude or 
 simple. 
 
 The traders have as yet introduced few new wants among 
 them. Guns have replaced their bows and arrows, and in 
 addition to the ammunition which they require and pur- 
 chase with skins or meat, they j)rocure now and then a 
 small piece of blue or scarlet cloth or a blanket. These 
 
226 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 IS48 
 
 ■if,i 
 
 \ 
 
 it 
 
 r 
 
 i 
 
 are actually not more useful to them than their leather or 
 fur dresses, but they look gayer in their eyes. 
 
 They are not provident. Indeed custom prevents their 
 being so to any extent, as a successful hunter must share 
 his game with those in the same encampment, should they 
 be in \vant. When animals are scarce they are exposed to 
 famine, and many years seldom pass without some tleaths 
 from this cause. When they havo abundance they are 
 merry enough* are great mimics, and enjoy a joke heartily; 
 but they are very timid, and give way to causeless alarms. 
 A strange footstep will strike terror into a whole encamp- 
 ment. 
 
 An incident of tliis nature occurred on the lake Avliile 
 Dease and Simpson Avere residing on the sj)ot where our 
 house is built. An Indian, bringing a packet of letters for 
 these g(!ntlemen, not knowing exactly where the fort was 
 situated, was looking lor it in an arm of tlie lake at some 
 distance. Several families of Dog-ribs, a section of the 
 Ilare Indians, encamped in the ncighboui-hood, saw the 
 track of a southern snow-shoe, and observed the fire of this 
 solitary man. Their fears magnified his single track into 
 the trail of a war-party, and tliey fled instantly toAvards the 
 fort, abandoning everything they had, and burrowing at 
 night imder the snow. 
 
 None of the Indian tribes in this quarter consider it a 
 virtue to speak the truth. They almost invariably tell a 
 lie at first, even among themselves, and the fact has to be 
 gathered from subsequent conununications. This habit 
 soon causes a rumour of a trifling accident to swell into 
 some dreadful calamity. 
 
 From what I have seen of the Indians, I am confirmed in 
 the belief that a simple mode of living aud few wants do 
 
IVI^HP 
 
 lo48 
 r leather or 
 
 :ivents their 
 must share 
 should they 
 i exposed to 
 some deaths 
 ce they are 
 ke heartily; 
 „'less alarms, 
 ole encamp- 
 
 ) lake while 
 t where our 
 jf letters for 
 the fort was 
 lake at some 
 ction of the 
 od, saw the 
 e fire of this 
 e track into 
 towards the 
 Lirrowing at 
 
 L'onsider it a 
 riably tell a 
 let has to be 
 This habit 
 swell into 
 
 confirmed in 
 ew wants do 
 
 1S48 
 
 MISSIONARIES AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 127 
 
 
 not produce innocence, and that, as the Bible informs us, 
 the thoughts of man's heart are evil continually, if uncon- 
 verted by the Gospel. Arcadian innocence and haj)pines8 
 exist only in the imaginations of the poets. The nnssion- 
 aries have as yet not advanced farther than Isle a la Crosse, 
 about one tliousand miles to the south of this pUice, but the 
 Hare Indians, Dog-ribs, Copper Indians, and other tribes in 
 this district, are branches oi' the Chipewyan stock, of whom 
 the converts at Isle a la Crosse are composed, and of whose 
 natural disposition the Itonian Catholic missionaries speak 
 well. 
 
 Perhaps these virtues are tiie first-fruits ol' the tcacliing 
 of the missionaries, and I should like to si^e the torch of 
 truth carried into the dark regions of the north. The Ks- 
 (piimaux on the coast would, I am convinced, readily 
 receive instruction, and I should rejoice were the Moravians 
 to take them in hand. When I was ibrmerly in this country, 
 missionaries had not penetrated farther than the colony at 
 lied River, which may be said to be conij)arativcly on the 
 confines of Canada, as a bi-monthly post has been established 
 between it and the Upper Province. 
 
 Then most of the gentlemen and a large jiroportlon of 
 the servants were living with natives, and only a small 
 number, when they retired from the service, took tlu' Wv)men 
 home with them. Now they marry, and the condition of 
 these wonu'U has been raised. They are all sent to the 
 schools at Ked Kiver, and are much le.-s disqualilied than 
 ibrmerly for taking their station in the civilised world 
 when they follow their husbands thither. 
 
 My latest English news left you in London, on tlie eve of 
 the threatened meeting on Kennington Cuiinnon. I trust that 
 it was not held, and that no riots ensued. By the return 
 
 q2 
 
P%1— i MI"j i ..^M,-^ » 
 
 "fiWii^MT^^iWBV^ 
 
 i^mmm^mm 
 
 in 
 
 mm 
 
 228 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1848 
 
 I 
 
 i 1 
 
 of the messenger who takes this to Fort Simpson (only 
 twenty-five clays' march off, and we look for him, therefore, 
 in six weeks after he leaves us), I hope to hear that you 
 travelled safely and comfortably to Lancrigg, and that Mary, 
 with her charge, speedily followed ; that you enjoy your 
 *■ Examiner ' as you inhale the balmy air flowing through 
 the open window into the pleasantest of drawing-rooms, and 
 discuss the revolutions of Euroj)e, as is your wont, with all 
 the freshness of youthful hope. 
 
 Every day was teeming with events when I left England, 
 and in January, or earlier, I expect to receive a quarter of 
 a year's intelligence at once. You may judge of my anxiety 
 to get my packet, but I do not look for it without fear. I 
 have many treasures on earth and my heart strays towards 
 them, convinced though I am that God orders all for the 
 best, and that lie sends trials to Ilis people only in love. 
 
 Though we have none of the husbandman's hopes and 
 fears in this region, our seasons of plenty and scarcity are 
 no less influenced by the weather. God's providence rules 
 it all, and He governs by his frosts and snow the migration 
 of the deer and fish, as surely as He does the young blade 
 of wheat by the genial weather in spring. The past summer 
 was an unfavourable one here for vegetation. The frost 
 and snow in August destroyed the blue-berries and other 
 fruits. At Fort Simpson, the potatoes attained no greater 
 size than that of small plums. 
 
 We have had snow lately, which has driven the deer 
 into our vicinity, and the hunters have a good many laid 
 up for us, at the distance of about two days' journey, but 
 there is not yet sufficient snow to enable the sledge to bring 
 them in. Meantime we have plenty. The temperature 
 for a month past has been unusually mild for the season. 
 
1848 
 
 1848 LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER BEATRICE. 
 
 221) 
 
 pson (only 
 n, therefore, 
 
 ir that you 
 1 that Mary, 
 
 enjoy your 
 ing througli 
 -rooms, and 
 
 nt, witli all 
 
 ;fr England, 
 I f|uarter of 
 my anxiety 
 )ut fear. I 
 lys towards 
 s all for the 
 y in love, 
 i hopes and 
 scarcity are 
 dence rules 
 e migration 
 oung blade 
 ast summer 
 The frost 
 s and other 
 I no greater 
 
 n the deer 
 I many laid 
 )urney, but 
 Ige to bring 
 emperature 
 e season. 
 
 To his second daughter he wrote on Nov. 5 : — 
 
 My dearest Beatrice, — Having written to John and 
 Josephine, I cannot let this packet go without a letter for 
 my little Beatrice, and it has so happened that the letter is 
 dated on papa's birth-day. Three-and-twenty years have 
 passed since papa spent one of his birth -days on this lake, 
 and many changes of kingdoms and families have occurred 
 in that interval of time. It is a long period to look for- 
 ward to, my dear little child, and to you, I fancy, it looks 
 like a life-time, but I look back upon twenty-five years as 
 a dream of the night. 
 
 So is it always. Time appears long in childhood and 
 youth, and too short as we advance in years. It is a pre- 
 cious treasure, a talent committed to us by God, and it 
 greatly concerns our eternal happiness that we make a 
 good use of it. Yet there are none of our possessions of 
 which we are so careless. It is given to us to prepare for 
 eternity, and that ought therefore to be our chief care, and 
 we ought to set apart a due portion of it to praying to God. 
 reading the Bi^ .e, and other religious exercises. 
 
 A proper division of time to our several labours pre- 
 vents waste. First pray to God, and rise early that you 
 may have sufficient leisure to do it without interfering with 
 the breakfast hour or other regulated occupations of the 
 household. Then get your lessons and do your tasks. 
 Work first, play afterwards. This will sweeten your hours 
 of recreation. You cannot amuse yourself ])leasuitly if 
 the thought of a lesson omitted is coming continually into 
 your mind. Put everything in its proper place, and you 
 will know where to find it again without loss of ti..e. 'Let 
 everything be done decently and in order ' is the advice of 
 St. Paul ; and if my little girl follows the precept, and 
 
PB^W^PW^^ras 
 
 230 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1849 
 
 ?> < 
 
 >l 
 
 loves God and His Christ, she will be a good child, loved 
 here and happy hereafter. 
 
 I send you a little sermon, because you are a little girl : 
 but you are bigjrer and older than Willy and EdAvard, and 
 I would, therefore, have you to be kind to them. Mamma 
 told me in her last letter that you intended to write to me. 
 Perhaps I may receive your letter by the next packet, 
 which will arrive in the middle of winter, and it will be a 
 nice Christmas gift. I am living so far to tlie north that the 
 sun docs not rise here at Christmas; but the Sun of Right- 
 eousness has risen for all quarters of the world, and His 
 glory will fill the whole earth. Adieu, my dear Beatrice. 
 May God bless you, is the prayer of your affectionate 
 father. 
 
 On January 21, 1849, he wrote to Lady Richard- 
 son: — 
 
 It is now time to seal up my letter, which is the last I 
 shall have an opportunity of sending until I am within the 
 humanities, I should perhaps say amenities, of a post-office. 
 I shall, however, from time to time, set down my cogita- 
 tions for your perusal on a wet day, such as "Westmoreland 
 only knows, when the verdure of Easedale glows with a 
 brighter green under its invigorating bath. I long greatly 
 to have a peep at your golden fern, as it reflects the rays of 
 the western sun, and still more for a quiet saunter with 
 you along the Poet's Walk. When one strikes the key-note 
 of home, it has the effect of the tune of ' Lochaber ' on a 
 Highland emigrant. 
 
 I have sent to Lady Franklin a sketch of Mr. Rae's 
 intended proceedings next summer, and trust that if (which 
 God forbid) nothing should be heard of the Discovt ry 
 ships this year, she will be satisfied that this quarter has 
 
mmH^ 
 
 1841) 
 hild, loved 
 
 little girl : 
 hvard, and 
 MamirjH 
 ■ite to me. 
 xt paclvet, 
 
 will be a 
 th that the 
 
 of Right- 
 
 and His 
 
 ' Beatrice, 
 
 ffectionate 
 
 Richard- 
 
 the last I 
 .vithin the 
 lost-office. 
 ly cogita- 
 raoreland 
 vs with a 
 g greatly 
 le rays of 
 nter with 
 key-note 
 )er ' on a 
 
 Ir. Rae's 
 if(which 
 iscovtry 
 liter has 
 
 1849 
 
 A BIRTH. 
 
 2n 
 
 lieen rigidly searched. Were it not for the dear ones 
 I left behind, I should scarcely feel myself to be an 
 unit of the great European family, and I could almost 
 fancy at times, when in my solitary room of an evening, 
 that I have never been anvtliinff but an inhabitiint of 
 
 ml O 
 
 these wilds. 
 
 March 25. — Wo have received about 2,000 pounds' 
 weight of venison and two musk cows, so that we are 
 amply provided with provision for the remainder of the 
 season, and can minister to the wants of the Indians. The 
 fishery totally failed, and the Indians, who had been living 
 but indifferently Ibr some time, foimd it necessary to move. 
 About ten days since they came in a body to the fort and 
 received rations from the store, with a supply for their 
 journey on the following day. Two of our fort himters 
 who had left their wives at the fishery, came to take 
 them to their hunting-grounds, where, having b-ien success- 
 ful, they had a small store of venison. 
 
 One of these, a yoimg and very small woman, was con- 
 fined of her first child in the morning, just as th(^. party 
 began to move off from their rude huts of pine-tree branches, 
 constructed in the snow a few hundred yards from our 
 house. The new-born infant was wrapped in a deer's skin 
 and stuck in a hole made in the snow, as the softest bed 
 that could be found. When the intelligence reached the 
 fort, one of the women went for it and dressed it by my 
 fire. This event delayed the mother's departure an hour 
 or two, Avhen she set out, taking her infant on her ba<;k 
 and dragging her household goods on a sledge. She was 
 not even permitted to walk on the well-beaten track made 
 by the party who had gone before, as she would have 
 thereby destroyed -the luck of the hunters, but had to make 
 
232 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1849 
 
 a fret^h road for herself in the loose snow, parallel to the 
 other. 
 
 April 22. — A little before one o'clock in the morning of 
 the 12th of this month, I was awoke by a man coming into 
 my room to tell me that the packet had arrived. I dressed 
 with all expedition, and after returning thanks to God for 
 the blessing, and praying that the intelligence might be 
 favourable, was speedily engaged with your dear commu- 
 nications. I received, in addition to the letters by the 
 ship, two others through the United States, the latest bear- 
 ing date June 22, 1848. T did not go to bed again, and 
 by six o'clock had read all your letters, and before break- 
 fast had also taken the cream off the newspapers. 
 
 A party of Indians, twelve in number, arrived three 
 davs atro with dried meat from a considerable distimce, 
 their journey having occupied six days. They were de- 
 scried afar off by the inhabitants of the Indian lodges near 
 the fort, and all the women and children came in front of 
 the store to wait their arrival. 
 
 The first act of the ncAv-comers was to rim the loaded 
 sledges into the store-house, which was opened to receive 
 them. The chiefs of the party Avere suffered to pass in with 
 impimity; but as a young lad was crossing the threshold 
 the women, with shouts of welcome, threw their arms 
 around his neck, "while one of them cut the -strings of his 
 knapsack and its edible contents were appropriated by the 
 haq)ies. All Avas done in perfect good humour, and the 
 young follow bore his loss well, as it is beneath the dignity 
 of an Indian to quarrel about meat. 
 
 The following passage, from liis ' Journal of a 
 Boat Voyage through Rupert's Land,' shows that 
 
 i ' 
 
1849 
 Fcallel to the 
 
 mornin,[^ of 
 coming into 
 . I dressed 
 to God for 
 3 might be 
 ar comrau- 
 ers by tlie 
 latest bear- 
 again, and 
 bre break- 
 
 'ived three 
 e distiince, 
 y were de- 
 odges near 
 in front of 
 
 the loaded 
 
 to receive 
 
 :iss in with 
 
 tlireshold 
 
 lieir arms 
 ings of his 
 
 ed by the 
 r, and the 
 
 he dignity 
 
 iial of a 
 ows that 
 
 1849 
 
 SUNDAY SERVICE. 
 
 233 
 
 there was no time for ennui during the long winter 
 at Fort Confidence. 
 
 Two men were constantly employed as sawyers ; four as 
 cutters of fire- wood, each of them having an allotted task of 
 providing a cord of wood daily ; otliers were occupied in 
 drawing it home on sledges, and four men were continually 
 eni?a£red in fishincr. 
 
 On the Sunday, no labour was performed, the fishing 
 party came in, and all were dressed in their best clothes. 
 Prayers were said in the liall, and a sermon read to all who 
 imderstood English ; and some of the Canadians, though 
 they were Roman Catholics, usually attended. James and 
 Thomas Hope, who were Cree Indians, having been educated 
 at Norway House as Protesiants, and taught to read and 
 write, were regular attendants; and James Hope's eldest 
 son, a boy about seven years of age, Avho had already begun 
 to read the Scriptures, frequently recognised passages in 
 the lessons he had previously read. 
 
 During the winter, Mr. Rae and I recorded the tempera- 
 ture hourly, sixteen or sevent'?en times a day ; also the 
 height of the mercury in Delcroix's barometer ; the degrees 
 of the aneroid barometer, the declinometer, and dipping- 
 needle. Once in the month a term-day, extending to 
 thirty-six hours, was kept, in which the lluctuations of the 
 magnets were noted every two and a half minutes, and 
 various series of observations were made for ascertaining 
 the magnetic intensity with the magnetometer, the vibra- 
 tion apparatus, and Lloyd's dipping-needle. Mr. liae 
 ascertained frequently the time and rates of the chrono- 
 meters by observation of the fixed stars ; and a register of 
 the winds and weather and appearances of the aurora was 
 constantly kept. 
 
 
 
w^ 
 
 ■■ 
 
 234 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 184'J 
 
 i! 
 
 Both officers and men had their appointed tasks 
 to perform, and enjoyed as much comfort as could 
 be expected. It almost freezes the blood in one's 
 veins, however, to think of an average tempera- 
 ture over the 17th and 18th of December of fifty- 
 five and a half degrees below zero. During that 
 month the sun was absent ten days, rays of light 
 shooting into the sky at the beginning of January 
 being the only indication of his reappearing. 
 
 If, before the setting in of winter, they had 
 succeeded in conveying the boats and stores to a 
 place of safety on the Coppermine, Sir John 
 Richardson and Dr. Rae would have resumed the 
 search during the summer of 1840, and mutually 
 aided each other in attempting to cross over to 
 WoUaston Land ; but having now only one boat 
 for that service, it became necessary to decide 
 which of them should take charge of the small 
 party it could carry. 
 
 Sir John decided to give the command to Dr. 
 Rae, who was in the prime of life and peculiarly 
 fitted for the duty ; while, to save expense to the 
 Government, he with as many of the men as were 
 not required for the enterprise should return to 
 England. 
 
 On May 1, he delivered to Dr. Rae a memo- 
 randum appointing him to continue the search in 
 the direction of WoUaston and Victoria Lands. 
 During the summer, Dr. Rae perseveringly en- 
 deavoured to carry out his instructions, but as 
 
I84y 
 
 ed tasks 
 as could 
 in one's 
 smpera- 
 of fifty- 
 ng that 
 of light 
 Faniiary 
 
 ley had 
 es to a 
 r John 
 ned the 
 lutually 
 over to 
 ne boat 
 decide 
 e small 
 
 to Dr. 
 3uliarly 
 3 to the 
 as were 
 turn to 
 
 memo- 
 arch in 
 Lands. 
 ?ly en- 
 but as 
 
 1S49 
 
 LETTER FROM DR. RAE. 
 
 235 
 
 Coronation Gulf remained full of impracticable 
 ice, every attempt to cross over was frustrated. 
 
 Sir John Richardson set out from Fort Con- 
 fidence on May 7, and passed Great Bear Lake, 
 on the ice, in five davs and a half. 
 
 Referring to the winter spent together, Dr. Rae 
 says : — 
 
 Sir John's mind and time seemed to be constantly oc- 
 cupied in useful pursuits, his recreation being tlie repeating 
 of poetry, with wliich his memory appeared to be largely 
 stored, and the study of the Scriptures. During the latter 
 part of the winter I obsen-ed that he became habitually 
 more cheerful and fonder of society, as if his mind had been 
 relieved from some great care. 
 
 The lateness of the season detained Sir John 
 Richardson's party for a month. Bear Lake River, 
 which flows into the Mackenzie, remaining impas- 
 sible, from ice, till June 9. From Fort Franklin, 
 or rather its site, as no vestige of their former 
 winter home reaiained, he wrote : — 
 
 This is an uncomfortable atmosphere for the gipsying 
 life which we are leading, under an old stiil for a tent ; but 
 the thaw advances, and the season for our release from 
 Great Bear Lake comes, though with lagging pace. The 
 mossy ground on which we are encamped has become a 
 wet sponge, but the soil is still frozen ; and we had to cut a 
 trench round the tent with a hatchet, to convey the water 
 away that flows from the melting banks of snow lying deep 
 on the hill-side. 
 
 The red-breasted thrush, called in America the * robin,' 
 
 i 
 
236 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1849 
 
 i 
 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 
 
 ' ; i 
 
 
 h 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 § 
 
 
 f 
 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 
 t 
 
 
 the golden -headed warbler, the white-headed finch, which 
 whistles ' O dear, what can the matter be,' and several other 
 song-birds, now enliven the woods with their notes. They 
 begin singing immediately after midnight, and are most 
 silent in the heat of the day, so that they are night warblers 
 or nightingales. 
 
 Geese, swans, gulls, and eagles are continually passing, 
 all hasting to their breeding-places. They will leturn 
 again from the north with their young in August. These 
 periodical flights may be considered as the first and second 
 harvests of the few Indian tribes scattered so widely over 
 this extensive country. God deals as faithfully with them 
 as He does with the husbandman of more genial climates. 
 
 The sun in the clear spring atmosphere has a power 
 which equals that of the tropics, and although there is a 
 great difference between the temperature of the air here 
 and at the Equator, yet the direct rays of the sun act with 
 greater force on the skin in Rupert's Land. When the 
 snow is filled with water it looks like frosted silver in the 
 sunlight, and every little rising is studded with innumer- 
 able polished facets, as if sprinkled Avith diamonds. The 
 intensity of all this splendour soon becomes painful to the 
 eye. 
 
 Here only, of all the countries I have seen, can I under- 
 stand the deep blue skies of some of the ancient Italian 
 masters. Two days ago I was particularly struck with the 
 pure China blue of the whole vault of heaven, a few sofl 
 fleecy clouds floating seemingly far beneath, and giving the 
 appearance of immeasurable distance to the blue profoimd. 
 Towards the horizon it gi-adually soflened into grey, and 
 blended beautifully with the snow of the distant hills 
 empurpled by the rays of the nearly level sun. The depth 
 of shade which marks out the low snowy Avaves of the 
 
1849 
 
 1849 
 
 ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND. 
 
 237 
 
 inch, which 
 3VGral other 
 tes. They 
 I arc most 
 ht warblers 
 
 ly passing, 
 viil letiirn 
 1st. These 
 and second 
 videly over 
 
 with them 
 
 climates. 
 IS a power 
 
 there is a 
 le air here 
 m act with 
 
 When the 
 Iver in the 
 
 innunier- 
 nds. The 
 nful to the 
 
 n I under- 
 
 ent Italian 
 
 k with the 
 
 a few soft 
 
 giving the 
 
 profound. 
 
 grey, and 
 
 tant hills 
 
 The depth 
 
 res of the 
 
 lake when the sun is low would surprise a painter brought 
 here for the first time. 
 
 The river wliich flows from this to the Mackenzie is now 
 o])en, and the latter will be navigable ten or twelve days 
 hence. 
 
 From Bear Lake Eiver, lie wrote on May 81 : — 
 
 We have been encamped here for eight or nine d.iys, 
 waiting the arrival of our boat. The weather has been 
 stormy, cold, and snowy. Tlu' snow geese are still passing 
 in flocks, and we kill some daily, taking also fish by nets 
 and lines set under the ice of the lake. Oiu* meals make 
 a break in the monotony of our lives. 
 
 On June 25 they left Fort Simpson, and arrived 
 at Norway House on August 18. Here Sir John 
 discharged the men who had been engaged in 
 1847, the Europeans being sent to York Factory 
 to be conveyed to England in the Hudson's Bay 
 ships. 
 
 From Norway House he proceeded to Canada 
 in a brigade of three canoes, manned by voyageurs 
 who were returning thither at the close of their 
 engagements in the fur country, and arrived at 
 Sault St. Marie on September 25. Thence he 
 travelled by steam-boat and coach to Montreal, 
 and after spending a few days at La Chine with 
 Sir George Simpson, the Governor of the Hudson's 
 Bay Company, proceeded to Boston. He landed 
 at Liverpool on November 6, after an absence of 
 nineteen months, twelve of them passed in in- 
 cessant travelling. 
 
 I 
 
^■i 
 
 ^i«i 
 
 1I^!^^«H 
 
 VIM 
 
 mmm 
 
 ^«H« 
 
 238 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN IIICHARDHON. 
 
 1849 
 
 i'! 
 
 ITavinf^ presented himself at the Admiralty and 
 laid before their lord8lii[)s a narrative of his 
 proceeding's, he shortly after received a letter an- 
 nouncing their approbation of his conduct. 
 
 His arrival at Ilaslar is thus described by Mrs. 
 Fletcher in a letter to Dr. and Mrs. Boott, of Gower 
 Street, London, dated Haslar, Novembn* 10, 
 1849 :— 
 
 Our traveller arrived by the late train on Wednesday 
 night. He came in while the children were dancing to the 
 tunc of 'There's nae luck aboot the hoos;' and you may 
 believe that his entrance did not spoil our mirth, although 
 it gave it a more subdued and (piiet character. He is, 
 tluiidv God, in perfect health, nor could we extract from him 
 a single conn)laint of the hardships and privations lie has 
 suffered. 
 
 It would do your hearts good to see with how much 
 warmth of feeling he has been greeted by his friends, the 
 oificials in the hospital, their wives, and children. It 
 seems to me that sailors are united, by a sense of common 
 danger, in a closer brotherhood than men of other profes- 
 sions It was touching to see Sir Edward Parry grasp Sir 
 John's hand and say, 'My dear llichardson, how very prlnd 
 I am to see you ! ' — his eyes being full of tears, a\ Ik 
 
 tried to conceal, but could not. 
 
 follo.ving 
 
 In Mrs. Fletcher's Journal is tL 
 entry : — 
 
 Although we had heard of his arrival at Liverpool, by 
 telegram on the evening of Monday the Cth, he did not 
 reach Dr. Gray's at the British Museum till Tuesday 
 
 , 
 
1849 
 
 •alty and 
 ) of Lis 
 itter an- 
 
 • 
 
 by Mrs. 
 )f Gower 
 ibLT 10, 
 
 rcdnosdjiy 
 iiig to the 
 you may 
 although 
 '. lie is, 
 IVoni him 
 is lie has 
 
 3W much 
 ends, the 
 dren. It 
 common 
 r profes- 
 grusp Sir 
 -'ery gl.-ul 
 
 11<' ving 
 
 rpool, by 
 did not 
 Tuesday 
 
 1849 
 
 AT HASLAR. 
 
 2'VJ 
 
 fvcning. The lullovving morning he had to report himself 
 at the Admiralty, where he was detained several hours by 
 meeting Sir James Uoss, who had returned IVom the Arctic 
 search. As the hour for the arrival of the train approacluid 
 there was mucli excitement in the housfhold. The yomif?*^''' 
 children were wisely set to expend their energies in dancing 
 to the merry tunes their governess ])laycd to them, while 
 mamma and Josephine were watching from a I'ront window 
 for the lamps of the lly crossing Ilaslar Bridge. 
 
 About eight o'clock on the evening of November 8 he was 
 tliankfully received at his happy home. We all thought 
 him looking better and yoiuiger than wlien he went away, 
 and never were more lieartfelt prayers of thankfulness 
 uttered than those he offered up with liis household that 
 night. 
 
 A succession of visitors, neighbours and friends, bidding 
 him a hearty Avelconie home, poured in the following 
 morning. Sir John did not attempt to sj)eak, but gladness 
 shone in his face. The letters, which would have given so 
 much comfort to his wife had they arrived in the spring 
 as he expected, are now daily reaching Ilaslar, and aro 
 full of family alFection, of trust in God's mercy, and of 
 cheerful hope. 
 
 One of the things most to be admired in Sir John 
 Richardson is his having devolved the command of the 
 expedition to be pursued this season, now over, on a man 
 whom be conscientiou=lv believed to be better fitted than 
 himself for the tiisk. IIow difficult it commonly is for a 
 man to think any one better fitted than himself to do what 
 he feels competent to undertake ! But, as he said. Dr. 
 Kae is twenty years younger, with more experience of the 
 coasts of the Arctic Sea, and having more resources at his 
 
l—i » . l iW 
 
 >ll* ■■^lV|i«IL«|| 
 
 3S 
 
 ■Mi 
 
 
 240 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1849 
 
 command from the appointment which he holds in the Hud- 
 son's Bay Company. He had also had a year's experience 
 of Dr. Kae's en-^rgetic^ enterprising, unflinching temper in 
 the performance of his duty. 
 
 It was sad to return without having obtained 
 any traces of the crews of the ' Erebus ' and 
 ' Terror ; ' but Sir Jolm Richardson had the satis- 
 faction of being conscious of having done his duty 
 and obtained the approbation of Her Majesty's 
 Government. 
 
1849 
 
 in the Hud- 
 experience 
 5 temper in 
 
 obtained 
 bus ' and 
 the satis - 
 J his duty 
 Majesty's 
 
r f 
 
 » 
 
 
 I H 
 
 
 
 
 -• 
 
 1 
 
 
 r 
 
 1 
 
 ,1 
 
 ■It- v-^( 
 
 
 LiUKlou : Lou(^ni;in;; Hf C 
 
 
241 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 UCCLTATIONS AT LANCUIGG — IN EDIN'nUItGII A PAKTY AT 
 
 IIASLAU DEATH OF EDWARD — HETIltEMENT FROM lIASLAli 
 
 THE TKOSACHS DEATH OF JOSEPH INE — RECEIVES ONE OF 
 
 THE ROYAL MEDALS INTERVIEW WITH MISS NIGHTINGALE 
 
 THE BURNS CENTENARY PROFESSOR HCXLEY — DR. BAIKIK 
 
 IN LONDON — IN DUBLIN — IN PARIS — LETTER TO DR. BAIKIE. 
 
 . . 1849-1862. 
 
 During tlie winter which succeeded Sir John 
 Richardson's return fi'om Rupert's Land, his time 
 was much occupied. In addition to his official 
 duties, he had frequent consultations with the 
 Arctic Committee, and reports and letters to write 
 on the subject of continuing the search for the 
 missing ships. 
 
 On January 10, 1850, he received the thanks of 
 the Lords of the Admiralty for papers, from which 
 valuable memoranda had been extracted, for the 
 use of Captain Collinson, who, in her Majesty's 
 ship ' Enterprise,' was about to set sail for Beh- 
 ring's Straits ; and again on the 25tli, for a clear 
 and comprehensive paper relative to the probable 
 supplies available for Lieutenant Pullin, of the 
 ' Herald,' in making a boat voyage (Vom these 
 Straits to the Mackenzie River. 
 
iHB 
 
 242 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 is.-o 
 
 Early in March, he thus wrote to his mother- 
 in-law : — 
 
 The report, in this morning's paper, of Sir John Franklin 
 having made his way to Behring's Straits is unsatisfactory. 
 One cannot help clinging to what speaks so directly to one's 
 wishes, but Mr. Peck, from Avhoni the information comes, 
 says nothing of the gentleman who told him, except that 
 he came from Kamschatka, nor how he got his knowledge, 
 so that it may be only a whaler's report of Captains Kellet 
 and Moore having been seen in Behring's Straits. 
 
 In the month of May, Sir John, with his fiimily, 
 spent three weeks at Lancrigg, the mountain home 
 of Mrs. Fletcher, to which, in writing- from Fort 
 Confidence, he had thus referred : — 
 
 My chief object in mentioning my readings in Horace 
 is to let you know how vividly the description of his 
 Sabine villa has reminded me of Lancrigg. There mav 
 be much difference between the moimtains in Westmore- 
 land and the hills of Apulia, but Easedale has all the 
 elements of rural beauty which the poet ascribes to his 
 valley of ]\randela, and I do not believe that the stream of 
 Digentia, fed by Bandusia, is superior to the burn uf 
 Easedale nourished bv its mountain tarns. 
 
 At the beg-inningf of August, he visited the 
 Scottish metro olis, to be present at the meetings 
 of the British Association, and was hospitably and 
 kindly welcomed by many friends. Professor Ja- 
 mieson, who had been Sir John Richardson's ear- 
 liest instructor in natural histor}^ was still living, 
 and able to take j^leasure in meeting and con- 
 versing with his distinguished pupil. With Pro- 
 
 II 
 
isno 
 3 motlier- 
 
 lin Franklin 
 natislactory. 
 ctly to one's 
 ition comes, 
 except that 
 knowledge, 
 tains Kellet 
 ts. 
 
 bis family, 
 itain home 
 from Fort 
 
 3 in Horace 
 ntion of his 
 There may 
 "West more- 
 has all the 
 ribes to his 
 le stream of 
 le burn v)f 
 
 isited the 
 meetings 
 itably and 
 )fessor Ja- 
 Ison's ear- 
 till livin<^, 
 and con- 
 |¥ith Pro- 
 
 1852 
 
 AN EVENING PARTY. 
 
 243 
 
 fessor James Forbes, Dr. Alison, Mr. James Wilson, 
 Professor Christison, and others, he had a renewal 
 of friendly intercourse. 
 
 Mrs. Fletcher spent the winter of 1851-52 at 
 Haslar, and her journal contains a pleasant de- 
 scription of one of the social parties which fre- 
 q aently enlivened the period of Sir Edward Parry's 
 command : — 
 
 Sir John and Mary had invited about thirty of their 
 friends and neighbours to an evening party, to celel)rate 
 my eighty-second birthday, on the lath of this month. 
 The dear hostess and poor Josephine -were unha])pily laid 
 i up with illness when the day came, so a cloud passed over 
 
 our festivities ; but our good Sir John, assisted by iSir 
 Edward Parry, put forth his strength in acting charades 
 for the amusement of the party. 
 
 Sir Edward had been experienced in this innocent 
 amusement, havin":, durinji: the lone: nitrhts of his Arctic 
 winters, often resorted to comic and pantomimic exhibitions 
 to divert and cheer his ship's company amid tlie regions of 
 ' thick -ribbed ice.' On this occasion, music and singing 
 intervened between the acts, and afrer supper Sir Edward 
 Parry prefaced his toast to my health by a very affecting 
 allusion to the many mercies that had been spared to mo 
 in my long pilgrimage, such a speech as filled my eyes 
 with tears and my heart with thankfulness. 
 
 Sir John Richardson took occasion, in thanking Sir 
 Edward for me, to express the regret with which he, in com- 
 mon with all the inhabitants of Ihislar, looked forward to 
 the approaching period of Sir Edward's removal from a situ- 
 ation which he had filled with so much honour to himself 
 
 R 2 
 
n— :4;T" 
 
 m^m 
 
 fm 
 
 mmmmmm 
 
 244 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1855 
 
 and comfort to every one connected with the establishment. 
 The evening was concluded by the merry dance of Sir 
 Roger de Coverley, as a remembrance of ' Old England.' 
 
 The days pass calmly and happily on at Haslar. Every- 
 body is kind to me. Sir John is constantly occupied with 
 his duties at the hospital, and in ' the recreation,' as he 
 calls it, of examining and reporting upon various bones 
 foimd in mountains of ice in Behring's Straits. This 
 curious discovery was made by one of the ships sent in 
 search of Sir John Franklin, and commanded by Captain 
 Kellet. He also makes time in the evening to read some- 
 thing aloud in the family circle, Mrs. Gaskell's ' Cranford' 
 being the present favourite, and also to play a game or 
 two at picjuet with me, which he says is good for my eyes, 
 and I encourage it, to rest his brain. 
 
 In the summer of 1852, the establishment at 
 Haslar lost the paternal rule of Sir Edward Pany, 
 who was promoted to Rear- Admiral of the * White,' 
 on June 4. The death of Dr. Anderson, in the 
 spring of the following year, was another great 
 deprivation. 
 
 At this cime, an epidemic scarlatina prevailed 
 among the crews of her Majesty's screw-steamers 
 of war ' Agamemnon ' and * Odin,' and Sir John's 
 efforts were vigorously and successfully put forth 
 to stay its progress. 
 
 Early in 1855, Edward, his youngest and ten- 
 derly-loved child, became dangerously iU, and 
 though unusually occupied with official duties. Sir 
 John took up his station nightly beside the little 
 sufferer's crib, and all his nervous terrors were re- 
 
1855 
 
 1855 
 
 DEATH OP HIS YOUNGEST CHILD. 
 
 245 
 
 ablishment. 
 
 iince of Sir 
 
 England.' 
 
 ar. Every- 
 
 cupied "witli 
 
 tion,' as he 
 
 rious bones 
 
 -aits. This 
 
 lips sent in 
 
 by Captain 
 
 read some- 
 
 ;'Cranford' 
 
 a game or 
 
 or my eyes, 
 
 jliment at 
 ird Ptiny, 
 3 ' White,' 
 on, in the 
 :her great 
 
 prevailed 
 ^-steamers 
 Sir John's 
 
 put forth 
 
 and ten- 
 ' ill, and 
 iuties. Sir 
 
 the little 
 s were re- 
 
 lieved when his father was near. They had many 
 happy conversations, and often repeated to each 
 other their favourite psalms and hymns. The 
 Scottish version of the Twenty-third Psalm was 
 asked for by the little boy almost every niornin^^. 
 It was Sir John's favourite, and to the end of his 
 life he delighted to say : — 
 
 T\ Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. 
 
 He makes me down to lie 
 In pastures greon : Ho leadeth me 
 
 The quiet waters by. 
 
 Little Edward was a great favourite with the 
 patients in the Asylum. He used to collect all 
 sorts of pictures and story-books, to take to the 
 poor sailors, and writing-paper for them to scribble 
 over. 
 
 Before the March winds had ceased to blow, his 
 Heavenly Father took him to Himself. 
 
 The situation of Director-General of the Medi- 
 cal Department of the Navy having become va- 
 cant by the retirement of Sir William Burnett, 
 Sir John Bichardson applied for it, in the usual 
 terms, to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir 
 Charles Wood. After Fome delay, the promotion 
 was refused on the ground of advanced age. In 
 accordance, therefore, with a previously- formed 
 resolution not to stand in the way of the advance- 
 ment of others, he sent in his resignation, and was 
 placed on the retired list of Medical Inspectors, 
 having spent forty-eight years in the public service. 
 
^^ssmmmmmmm 
 
 246 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1855 
 
 Many were disappointed at his not succeedinj^ 
 to the office of Director-General. He was then 
 in his sixty-eighth year, but possessed of a vigour 
 of constitution enjoyed by few men in the prime 
 ()f life ; and for ten years after, the amount of 
 work, both bodily and mental, which he accom- 
 plished, equalled that of any similar period of his 
 singularly active career. He was constantly en- 
 gaged in literary labours, and would waUc miles to 
 jirescribe for the poorest person in the valley of 
 Grasmere who might require his aid. 
 
 On being relieved from duty, he retired to 
 Westmoreland, and with determination of pur- 
 pose and a contented spirit, set about devising 
 some new occupation for himself. In the ' Times ' 
 of June 28 appeared a letter from his pen, claim- 
 ing, what is now generally conceded, for Sir John 
 Franklin's ill-fated expedition the merit of having 
 completed the Discovery of the North-west Pas- 
 sage, though no one of the party lived to tell the 
 tale. 
 
 The autumn was spent amidst the beautiful 
 scenery of the Trosachs, and was a season of real 
 enjoyment. He delighted to climb the neighbour- 
 ing mountains with his two youngest children, or 
 to lead the pony of his eldest daughter, whose 
 health was failing, to places where she could walk 
 with safety. He had also a considerable practice 
 among the cottagers, who speedily found out ' the 
 good doctor' at the manse of Achray, and never 
 
 . JsrrrTTBiii- ■ .- 
 
1865 
 
 iicceedino" 
 was then 
 ■ a vi<]^onr 
 the prime 
 mount of 
 e accom- 
 iod of his 
 ;antly en- 
 z miles to 
 valley of 
 
 ^tired to 
 of 2)ur- 
 devising- 
 ' Times ' 
 11, claim- 
 Sir John 
 )f havino; 
 est Pas- 
 • tell the 
 
 beautiful 
 1 of real 
 ig'hbour- 
 Idren, or 
 i', wliose 
 lid walk 
 practice 
 )ut 'the 
 d never 
 
 1.S56 
 
 LANCRIGG. 
 
 217 
 
 failed to show their gi-atitude by little unexpected 
 l^-ifts. 
 
 He was much struck with the intelligence of 
 the men, and the interest which they took in the 
 Crimean Avar. They often came to the manse to 
 hear the news, or <^-athered round him at some turn 
 (jf the road when he was readinjjf the stirrin<i ac- 
 counts of the struf^yle, while his Avife and daug-hter 
 were sketching' betAveen Achrav and Loch Katrine. 
 
 On returnino" from [i pedestrian excursion 
 through Glenlinlas and ' the Braes of Balcpiidder,* 
 to Glencoe, Sir John had the good fortune, at 
 King's House Inn, to meet with Professor Sedg- 
 Avick, of Cambridge, and his niece, on their AA^ay 
 to the Trosachs, and Avillingly joined their agree- 
 able comj^any in posting back to the manse, Avliere 
 a merry evening Avas spent before they proceeded 
 to the hotel. 
 
 After attending the meetings of the British 
 Association at GlasgoAV, and spending some plea- 
 sant AA^eeks in Edinburgh, before the Avinter set 
 ill, they arrived at Lancrigg, their future home. 
 
 The daily round of simple duties and pleasures 
 which hencefoi'Avard occupied his time affords fcAv 
 materials for the biogTapher. In the summer of 
 1856, it Avas my privilege to be able to accept an 
 invitation to spend a fcAV days at Lancrigg, and I 
 ^hall never forget his honest face, and the hearty 
 manner in which he introduced me to his daugh- 
 
 ters as their ' iicav cousin.' 
 
 During our long 
 
« 
 
 P 
 
 248 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1856 
 
 rambles we cliatted freely, as if old friends, Sir 
 John from time to time dropping in to see how 
 some sick neighbour was getting on. Between 
 Mrs. Fletcher and her son-in-law there existed 
 a reciprocity of aftectionate regard, which it was 
 delightful to witness. His eldest daughter, Jose- 
 phine, was an invalid, and watched over by her 
 father with great tenderness. 
 
 She died on September 6, and, without a mur- 
 mur. Sir John resigned the child, whom he loved 
 very dearly, to the Father in whose love they both 
 firmly confided. 
 
 In October he went to Edinburgh, to give evi- 
 dence as to the probability of none of the crews 
 of the 'Erebus' and 'Terror' being then alive. 
 Of the melancholy death of the whole party Sir 
 John had no doubt. From Edinburgh, he went 
 to the neighbourhood of Hawick, to visit Mr. 
 Fairholme, whose brother, a lieutenant in the 
 navy, was among the lost. 
 
 At the December meeting of the Royal Society, 
 in 1856, Sir John Richardson was presented with 
 one of the Royal Medals. On that occasion the 
 President, Lord Wrottesley, said : — 
 
 Your Council have awarded one of the Royal Medals to 
 Sir John Kichardson, His claims to that honour, as a 
 most distinguished naturalist and scientific traveller, will, 
 I am sure, be generally admitted. Sir John Richardson's 
 earliest work on zoology appeared al)out the year 1823, 
 but his first great work was published in 1829 — namely, 
 
1856 
 
 1856 
 
 ADDRESS OF LORD WROTTESLEY. 
 
 249 
 
 ends, Sir 
 I see how 
 Between 
 e existed 
 ch it was 
 ter, Jose- 
 T by lier 
 
 Lit a mur- 
 
 he loved 
 
 tliey both 
 
 <^ive evi- 
 ;he crews 
 len alive, 
 party Sir 
 
 he went 
 i^isit Mr. 
 fc in the 
 
 Society, 
 ited with 
 sion the 
 
 Medals to 
 our, as a 
 illor, will, 
 hardson's 
 Bar 1823, 
 namely, 
 
 the 'Fauna Boreal i- Americana,' in which he has described 
 the quadrupeds and fishes of the Arctic regions, and, with 
 Mr. Swainson's aid, tlie birds. The merits of this work, 
 in the very accurate descriptions of the species, in tlie 
 great amount of inlbrmation on ttieir liabits and ranges, 
 are admitted to be of the highest order. Since that 
 period, Sir John Richardson has j)ublish('d largely on 
 various branches of zoology, physical geogra])hy, and 
 meteorology. The reports to the British Association on 
 the fishes of New Zealand and of China arc extremely inter- 
 esting under many points of view. Another report to the 
 same body on the ' General Zoology of North America' is 
 a most valuable contribution to science. His later works, 
 Avhich must be more particularly considered here, are the 
 ' Zoology of the Voyages of the Terror and of the Herald,' 
 in which he described the fishes and reptiles collected 
 during those expeditions, and gives an account of some of 
 the great extinct manmiifers of the Arctic countrios, with 
 very interesting observations on their ancient relations and 
 ranges. 
 
 He has also lately contributed to the ' Geological Journal ' 
 a valuable paper, in which he has made known the pi'csence 
 of tertiary strata, abounding with vegetable remains, in dis- 
 tricts now rendered sterile by the extreme cold. Altogether 
 I think there can be no doulit that the merits of Sir John 
 Itichardson, as a philosophical naturalist, are of a very 
 hiijh order. 
 
 It is not within our province to reward his other claims 
 to distinction, but all will rejoice that, in the conscientious 
 discharge of a delicate and important duty, the Council 
 have been able to bestow a medal on one who has earned 
 the applause of all who have watched his career, for his 
 
 (I 
 
250 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 I»(56 
 
 l^- 
 
 f 
 
 patient endurance and fortitude, under incre<lil)le hard- 
 sliipH, in his first Arctic expedition, in company -with 
 Franklin, and again for his cliivalrous self-devotion in the 
 cause of friendship and science combined, at a period of life 
 when most men resolve to rest from their labours, or at least 
 would liesitjite to encounter the fatigues and dangers of a 
 Polar exi)edition, the anticipation of which must have been 
 more Ji[)i)alling to one who had bitter experience of their 
 painful reality. 
 
 Sir John Kichardson, accept this medal as a token of 
 our respect for your scientific labours and character. 
 
 During this visit to London, Sir John had an 
 interview with Florence Nightin^^ale. 
 
 On December 4, he wrote to Lady Richard- 
 son : — 
 
 Yesterday, I went by appointment to the Burlington 
 Hotel, at five o'clock, to Avait on Miss Nightingale, and 
 talked with her till seven, during all that time answering 
 (juestions, and occasionally making some remarks on the 
 present state of the public departments and hospitals. I 
 was glad to find that our opinions were precisely alike. 
 She wished to know the mode of conductinor the naval 
 hospitals, and how the medical officers obtained alterations, 
 amendments, and supplies. After I had detailed my ex- 
 perience, she remarked that it was nearly as bad as in the 
 army, and believed that both were branches of the Circum- 
 locution Office. The only advantage which I could point 
 out was, that the Admiralty are much more liberal in their 
 supplies. There is the same difficulty in introducing the 
 improvements of modern science, from the number of 
 channels through which every suggestion must pass, until 
 
1856 
 
 lible hard- 
 ipany -with 
 lion in the 
 jrioU of life 
 , or at least 
 ingers of a 
 have been 
 ce of their 
 
 a token of 
 cter. 
 
 1 had an 
 Ricliard- 
 
 [^urlington 
 ngale, and 
 answering 
 •ks on the 
 spitals. I 
 ■;ely alike, 
 the naval 
 
 terations, 
 d my ex- 
 
 as in the 
 3 Circum- 
 mld point 
 al in their 
 ucing the 
 umber of 
 ^ass, until 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 
 
 1850 
 
 INTERVIEW 
 
 WITH MISS NKJHTIJ 
 
 the head 
 
 of the 
 
 office 
 
 is called 
 
 upon 
 
 to 
 
 deci 
 
 matter 
 
 of 
 
 which 
 
 he k 
 
 nows not 
 
 liiiiir, 
 
 all 
 
 the 
 
 2r).l 
 
 K 
 
 lo 
 
 roirardiuc: a 
 
 reasons 
 
 for tl 
 
 10 
 
 change having filtered away in the ])r(tgr(ss iij)wards of the 
 proposal. ' The wiary Treasury,' she s;i}s, ' is at the root 
 of all the evil.' Miss Nightingale is an earnest rel()rnier of 
 the right sort, and lills out, 1 believe, the ideal picture 
 which your mother lias formed of her, but she has not 
 your mother's faith in puV)lic men. She believes that the 
 grievons I'ailures of the past will not j)roduce much future 
 amendment. She is very like the print of her at Lancrigg, 
 and I should have known her at once, but has much more 
 intellect in the countenance. She has a most brilliant and 
 intelligent smile, a very pleasiint and not })atronising ad- 
 dress, but always perfectly self-j)Ossessed, (piick in c(,>nipre- 
 hcnding a subject, and distinct in her questions, which 
 wt-re calculated to bring out a correct view of tliL,' subject. 
 
 Duriii<^ the winter Sir John Richardson was 
 occupied in writing for the ' Encyclopa3dia Bri- 
 tannica' an article on * Ichthyology,' and a ' Bio- 
 graphical Sketch of Sir John Franklin.' From 
 this little memoir, Lady Franklin has selected the 
 words placed on the pedestal of the statue erected 
 by Parliament in 1806, near the Athenaeum Club, 
 to the memory of her husband and the crews of 
 the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror,' — 
 
 They forged tho last link with their lives. 
 
 ' This,' wrote Lady Franklin, ' is but a small 
 tribute of gratitude to the memory of that faithful 
 friend and companion who, when all had perished, 
 as revealed by Dr. Rae, stood up nobly and alone, 
 
 11 
 

 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHAEDSON. 
 
 1859 
 
 ill the first instance, to claim for Franklin and his 
 f ulhnvers that meed of honour to which the priority 
 of their discovery entitled them, bnt which the 
 public did not at that time understand. The in- 
 scription in fi'tmt of the present monument shows 
 that the fact is now fully acknowledged, but it is 
 to Sir John Kichardson we owe the first manly 
 assertion of it.' 
 
 In the autumn of 1857, he attended the British 
 Association meetino-s in Dul)lin, and enjoyed the 
 lovely scenery around Killarney Jir.d the wild 
 f^^randeur of the Wicklow moantains. 
 
 After loturninj^ t(j Westmoreland, hi: time was 
 occuj^ied with the preparation of various scientific 
 papers, the protracted illness of Mrs. Fletcher, 
 who died in February 1858, also calling forth 
 much of his sympathy and care. They had been 
 long strongly attached to each other, and he 
 watched over her last sufferings with unwearied 
 attention. 
 
 The Richard-^ons spent a part of the following 
 winter in Edinburgh, and Sir John renewed his 
 rambles in the neighbourhood of Arthur's Seat. 
 At this time the Centenary Festival in honour of 
 Robert Burns was celebrated, and he took a lively 
 interest in that outburst of national enthusiasm, 
 delighting to recount his early reminiscences rf 
 his favourite bard. 
 
 In the autumn of 1859, Professor Huxley, of 
 the (fovernment School of Mines, dedicated his 
 
 ■•«!<JU.:!JJ,!J..l 
 
1839 
 
 18G0 
 
 DR. BAIKIE. 
 
 M ') O 
 
 n and his 
 le priority 
 vliich the 
 The in- 
 eiit shows 
 » but it is 
 'st manly 
 
 ft/ 
 
 le British 
 
 joyed the 
 
 the wihl 
 
 time was 
 
 scientific 
 
 Fletcher, 
 
 inf^ forth 
 
 had been 
 
 and he 
 
 mwearied 
 
 foUowinjx 
 ewed his 
 ir's Seat. 
 lonour of 
 V a lively 
 husiasm, 
 fences rf 
 
 ixley, of 
 ated his 
 
 work on the 'Oceanic Hydrozoa' to Sir John 
 Richardson, under whom he had served at Ilaslar. 
 In the preface, he gracefully alludes to his former 
 chief havin<,^ quietly noted the bent of his studies ; 
 and when Captain Owen Stanley, who had been 
 appointed to command a surveyingr expedition to 
 the eastern coast of Australia, ai)plied to him to 
 recommend an assistant-surj^^eon who possessed 
 some knowledi^e of luitural history, he offered him 
 the appointment, thus aft'or<lin<,' a suitable oppor- 
 tunity of developing- his tastes. 
 
 Another of those distin;^uished men whose lite- 
 rary, scientific, and philanthropic pursuits de- 
 rived an impulse from havino- been subordinate to 
 Sir John Richardson at Haslar, was Dr. Balfour 
 Baikie, who went to the Niger in pursuit of 
 natural history, and, as a means of v,levatin<,' them, 
 to promote trade with the natives. Though often 
 urged by Sir John to return, he lingered too long 
 in that fatal climate, and died of fever when 
 about to embark for England. The tidings reached 
 Liverpool early in 1(S(J5, and no one mourned his 
 loss more sincer^'ly than his former chief. 
 
 The quiet family life at Laucrigg was varied, in 
 the spring of 18<i(>, hy a visit to London, where he 
 enjoyed the ph'asure of meeting with many old 
 and dear friends, jiinoiig whom were Dr. Gray, 
 of the British Museum ; Sir William Jackson 
 Hooker, of Kew^ ; and his son. Dr. Josepli Dalton 
 Hooker. Before returning to Westmoreland the 
 
mm. 
 
 «i 
 
 mmmm 
 
 251 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1862 
 
 .< M 
 
 ;^ 
 
 fl 
 
 RicliJirdsoiis .liso spent a few days at Eton, with 
 the Rev. Whartcn Marriott, wdiom Sir John had 
 tended, with kindness and care, durint^ a lon<^ and 
 dangerous iUness at Grasmere. 
 
 His eldest son, John, had for some time been 
 an officer in the Royal Artillery, and this summer, 
 Willingham passed his competitive examination 
 at Chelsea for Woolwich. Sir John met him daily 
 after the forenoon i)art of the work, spoke to him 
 encoura<fino-ly over a substantial luncheon, and 
 then parted to meet, later in the day, at thr 
 friendly house of Dr. Gray, or of the Rev. Joh ; 
 Philip Gell. 8ix weeks later, the post brought 
 the joyful announcemtnit that Willingham was 
 first on the list. The father's loving heart was 
 too full for utterance, and he turned away to 
 conceal his emotion. 
 
 This year. Sir John Richardson edited? a new im- 
 pression of Yarrell's ' British Fishes,' adding all the 
 sj)ecies which had been discovered In the British 
 seas since the year l8o9, and prefixing a memo*; 
 of the author. He also contributed largely to 
 the •• Museum of Natural Historv.' Duriner the 
 winter, his leisure hours were chiefly occupied 
 in reading for the proposed new dictionary of the 
 Philological Society, under the superintendence of 
 Mr. Furnivall, of Lincoln's Inn. This course of 
 study also led him to take an interest in the 
 publications of the Early English Text Society. 
 
1862 
 
 I ton, with 
 
 John lijid 
 
 lon«^ and 
 
 ime been 
 summer, 
 Lmination 
 liim daily 
 ie to him 
 eon, and 
 % at thr 
 lov. Joh ' 
 brought 
 liam was 
 eart was 
 away to 
 
 new im- 
 fr all the 
 
 British 
 memo' ; 
 v;vly to 
 iuix the 
 >c('upied 
 y of the 
 lence of 
 )urse of 
 
 in the 
 ^iety. 
 
 
 i 
 
 18G2 
 
 LETTER TO DR. BAIKIE. 
 
 i)i) 
 
 In the summer of 18G1, he left the f^^arden and 
 his literary work to j^ive his youn<^est son a holi- 
 day trip to Paris, where they amused themselves 
 in learnino- the Parisian accent, and explorino- 
 the city aud environs. The libraries and the for- 
 tilications received no small share of their atten- 
 tion ; but the father soon be<^"an to long fur ' the 
 haylields, the copses, and glorious Rab,' his fa- 
 vourite poet, whose works he was perusing, in 
 connection with his philological studies. 
 
 Writing to his friend Dr. Btiikie, then in 
 Africa, on August 21, 1802, he says : — 
 
 The lectures of Max IVIiiller on the ' Scionco of LangunGrc' 
 have given a grrsat impulse to philological study, and 
 greatly .siniplilied the mode of ascertaining the connections 
 existing l)et\veen cognate languages. The writings of 
 Dean Trench have been the nieatis of I'ounding a Philo- 
 logical Society, and tliat society has undertaken a new 
 ICnglish Dictionaiy. I sent a complete index of words 
 used by Burns, with their significatiuns and cognates in 
 Norse, Icelandic, or (Jaelic, as far as I could ascertain them. 
 I have aiso read the oldest editions of Jiliad Harry's 
 'Wallace' and (iawain Douglas's 'Virgil,' to give mo a 
 knowledge of the e:irly signification of Scottish words. 
 The Philological Society would be a good mt-dium of [)ul)- 
 lication of any remarks you may wisli to give <jn African 
 tongues. 
 
 I take an interest in tliesc matters now, having laid aside 
 Zoology for want of material in my retirement, hut on 
 your return, I slioidd be glad to aid y<>u in giving your 
 
'^ 
 
 25G 
 
 LIFE OF SIE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1862 
 
 fish to the world, if I should not be found to be Jiors de 
 combat. 
 
 John, my eldest son, is on the eve of obtaining his cap- 
 tain's comniission in the Royal Artillery, and the youngest, 
 Willingham, has just got his lieutenancy in the IJoyal 
 Engineers. 
 
 1' 
 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 ^BK 
 
 1 
 
 i| : 
 
 1, 
 
 
 
1862 
 be hors de 
 
 ng his cap- 
 e youngest, 
 the lioyal 
 
 25! 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE milTISII ASSOCIATION AT CAMnillDGB; lOUHNI.Y To ITALY 
 
 — IN HOME liETUUN IIOMK AT NKWCASTLK WINTPFt IIKAD- 
 
 IXGS VISIT TO DUMFRIES EXCUUSION TO DOWALTON LOCII 
 
 — WHITSUNDAY SUDDEN DEATH. 
 
 1862—1805. 
 
 On October 1, 18G2, the British Association mot 
 at Cambrido-e, where Sir John Richardson, with his 
 wife and daug'li^er, spent a few pleasant days under 
 the hospitable roof of the Rev. Dr. Cookson, 
 master of St. Peter's Colle<jfe, and thon proceeded 
 to Paris by way of Folkestone and Bonlocfue. 
 From the French metropolis, they travelled to 
 StrasbourGf, Basle, Lncerne, and, over the St. 
 Gothard Pass, into Italy, making' the tour of 
 Lakes Lujj^ano and Como, and tlien advancing by 
 Milan, Turin, and Genoa, to Florence, where six 
 weeks were pleasantly spent. The <:,n-a7id historical 
 monuments and collections of Art, the valuable 
 Libraries, and the Museum of Natural Historv, 
 were inexhaustible sources of enjoyment. 
 
 Early on November 27, the Richardsons set out 
 
I 
 
 J 
 
 >1 
 
 m 
 
 !, ,1' 1 
 
 258 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1863 
 
 I- 
 
 
 I 
 
 from Florence, and near midnight of the 29th 
 drove throu<^fh the Porta del Popolo into the 
 * Eternal City.' Here Sir John commenced his 
 daily explorations with the ardour of yonthful 
 student life, rather than of advanced a;:,'e. Before 
 ten in the morning", he had arranged the pro- 
 gramme for the day, taking his companions to the 
 points of interest in a special locality. Thus three 
 months glided past. 
 
 The month of March, 186^3, was spent in visitmg 
 Naples, Baiic, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Castella- 
 mare, Paestum, Amalphi, and Sorrento. After 
 witnessing the solemnities of the holy w^eek at 
 Rome, they proceeded to Ancona, Ravenna, Padua, 
 and Venice, returning home by the Tyrol, Inns- 
 briick, Munich, Augsburg, Stuttgart, Brussels and 
 Calais. The voyage across the channel was not 
 longer than usual, but the sea was stormy, and Sir 
 John became completely pr«>strated. 
 
 In the journal kept by Miss Richardson is the 
 following entry : — 
 
 We landed at Dover, tliankful beynnd measure to be 
 in our own land again, and more esjK;cialIy -vvhon we had 
 the comfort of seeing my dear father so far restored as 
 to be able to enjoy a refreshing s]r«rp. Next morning, he 
 was much better, and we were enabled to give lieartfelt 
 tlianks to God for His great goodness in preserving us in 
 all dangers during G"ir absence from Old England. 
 
 Sir John thoroughly enjoyed the returr to his 
 
1863 
 
 tlie 29th 
 into the 
 need his 
 youthful 
 Before 
 the pro- 
 lis to the 
 [lus three 
 
 1 visiiing 
 Castella- 
 o. After 
 week at 
 a, Padua, 
 •ol, Inns- 
 Lssels and 
 was not 
 , and Sir 
 
 5011 is the 
 
 ire to be 
 
 m we had 
 
 estored as 
 
 oriiing, he 
 
 heartfelt 
 
 ang us in 
 d. 
 
 i to his 
 
 1863 
 
 AT NEWCASTLE. 
 
 259 
 
 . 
 
 books, his flowers, and his friends in the valley of 
 Crasmere. The journey had been undertaken in 
 order to ^'ive pleasure to others rather than to 
 himself, but he had laid up a store of pleasant re- 
 collecti(nis, and felt a new int(?rest in the future of 
 Italy. 
 
 The suniiner was pleasantly varied by the visits 
 of friends from a distance, and a renewal of inter- 
 course with the Dean of Westminster, Dr. Trench, 
 now Archbishop of Dublin, and his family, who 
 took lodj^ings in Easedale for the season. 
 
 In September, the British Association met at 
 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Sir John Richardson 
 became the guest of a family who, during a part of 
 the year, resided at Grasmere. In reference to 
 this visit, one of that family says : — 
 
 When Sir Jcjhn eame in from the meetings, often, I 
 should think, a good deal tired, for they were long and hot, 
 he was mont kind in telling Avhnt had passed, taking es- 
 pecial pains to be full and particular in the relatii)n to 
 those members of the household who had been unable to 
 attend. In listening to these conversations, I used to be 
 struck with his care to ui)hold knowledge as a trust. If 
 any one tlirow out an unwarranted speculation, lie would 
 siiy (piietly, * We do not know anything, with certainty, 
 there.' 
 
 He gratified the Northumbrians by the interest whicli he 
 took in their county and its veiy rich archieological re- 
 mains, and on one of the excursion days, walked, a[»- 
 parently without sullering Irom i'atigue, ior twenty miles 
 
 s 2 
 
2G0 
 
 LIFE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1864 
 
 over part oftlic lioni.'in wall and the moors tliat lie to each 
 side of it. 
 
 Thon^-li in his sevonty-sixtli year, liis vi^-onr and 
 activity continued nnintcmipted. On November G, 
 in a k'tter to one of liis nieces, lie said, 'Yester- 
 day was my birthday, and I took a holiday, and 
 went to the top of Helm Cra^, and had a survey of 
 the valley from the ' Lion a7id Lamb.' 
 
 Durinj^ the winter, his time was chiefly occupied 
 in reading old Scottish Jiuthors, and some of the 
 ])rophctical books in Wickliffe's translation of the 
 Bible. 
 
 In the sprinj^ of 180 1, accompanied by his wife 
 and daui>hl;er, he paid a visit to his only remain- 
 ing- sister and other relations in Dumfriesshire, 
 and took a ^-reat interest in the antiquities of the 
 district. While visiting' his brother-in-law, Mr. 
 Charles Carruthers, near Annan, he went to see 
 the Eunic Cross at Euthwell Mjinse, tlie inscrip- 
 tion on which, containing- a portion of a poem on 
 the Cnicilixion, had long been a puzzle to anti- 
 quarians and Avas first decij)liered by the eminent 
 Anf^do-Saxon scholar, Mr. John M. Kendjle. 
 
 In company wdth his brother-in-law, Mr. Hannay, 
 and the late Mr. Trotter, sherifi-substitute of 
 Dumfries, he also visited some remains of ancient 
 habitations which had been discovered by the 
 drainni|jj of a lake in Galloway. The weather was 
 unpropitiousj and the adventures of the excursion 
 
 i*vi 
 
 •■\^ 
 
1864 
 
 t lie to o.'ic'li 
 
 ,'i^^onr and 
 )voiiiber 6, 
 , ' Yester- 
 li<lny, and 
 I survey of 
 
 y occnpied 
 nio of the 
 ion of the 
 
 )y his wife 
 ly remain- 
 friesshire, 
 ies of the 
 hiw, Mr. 
 it to see 
 e inserip- 
 poeni on 
 to anti- 
 eminent 
 le. 
 
 . ITannay, 
 titnte of 
 )f ancient 
 1 by the 
 [it her was 
 excursion 
 
 1V64 
 
 DOWALTON LOCH. 
 
 2G1 
 
 formed the subject of much mirth, in the eveninf,% 
 at the h(jspitable table of the sherift", who kindly 
 favoured me, some time before his death, with the 
 followiui^ reminiscences of that day : — 
 
 I h.'ive a very pleasiug recollection of the visit to whicli 
 you refer. On tlie ninrnin^ of Satiinhiy, June 11, 1^>(I1, 
 Sir John liichardson, Mr. II;iiui;iv, and nivsell" druve Irom 
 W.'gton, wlicre we liad sjxiit the j)revious ni^dit, to \)(>- 
 walton Lf<'l., which is, I t]iiid<, about six miles distant. 
 The ohject *>{' our visit w;i.s to insj)ect the lacustrine re- 
 mains which were said to have l>een brought to light by 
 the recent drainage of the Locli ; a subject in whicli .Sir 
 John felt much interest. 
 
 During our di-ive, the morning was lowering, and, when 
 we reached tlie Loch, it rained heavily; but nothing etjuld 
 damp the antiipiarian ardour of Sir John. For a])OUt a 
 couj)le of hoiu's we traversed the oozy bed of the newly- 
 drained Loch, ])assing to the several islands, where the 
 remains are found, on very rude [)athwjiys formefl by loose 
 stones and pieces of timber thrown into the s(^ft nnid by 
 the drainers ; and I could not lielp admiring tlie firm 
 elastic step Avith which Sir John i)ursued liis w.-iy, sur- 
 mounting all tlie dilHcidties of the route in a manner wddcli 
 men much younger in years could not well have surjiassed. 
 
 Unfortunately, before our visit many of the remains of 
 lacustrine habitations had ])een removed by previous ex- 
 plorers, but we found still the upright beams and transverse 
 mortised rafters, wiili the charcoal of tlie fires, and bones 
 of tlie animals, wdiich had suj)plied warmth and food to the 
 inhabitants. Sir John was much gratifi(<l, and brought 
 away with him many relics lor future study and inspec- 
 tion. 
 
El 
 
 
 M 
 
 r, 
 
 
 2G2 
 
 LITE OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1^64 
 
 -4 
 
 K.'irly in l.lio allornnon, wo returned to Wigton, whore 
 wo joined Lady and Miss Ilicliardson, wliom the incle- 
 mency of the weatlier prevented from accomjianying us to 
 th(^ Loci), and proceeded to Diinifries by tlie way of 
 Newton Stewart. Th(> day was nn^st atrrceably coiu^ludcd 
 by the wliole party dining at my lion.se ; Sir Jolni a.s usual 
 rendering tlie evening a eliarming one? by liis gcuiial dispo- 
 sitio!i, and tin; stores of information and anecdote with 
 which liis long life; of adventure and observation so copi- 
 ously supplied him. 
 
 Such Jire my recollections of a day which I shall long 
 remember as one of immixed enjoyment. 
 
 Durin<^ the suinnier, Captain Ricluirdson spent 
 some time at Lancii^<j^, and 8ir John, who always 
 deli<,dited in the society of tlie young, frequently 
 joined them in a rouj^h kind of croquet-<»round 
 which had been formed on the oidy level spot near 
 the house. It used to annise as well as j^lease 
 him to see how young ladies, in piidi^, blue, and 
 white, appeared in the valley, as if by magic, with 
 th(3 lh)wers of summer. 
 
 In August, he thus wrote to me : — 
 
 Wo go on hero precisely as we did some years ago, 
 when wo had the ])leasuro of s(}oing you. My oldest son, 
 a Cajitain in the Royal Artillery, is just now at homo on a 
 visit, but will leav(! us about a month hence. The younger 
 is still ])ursuing his studies at Chatham as a Lieutenant of 
 linginoers, and in six months will liave c()m])lctcd the 
 course of two years and a half, which oflicors in that corps 
 have to undergo after receiving their commissions. 
 
N. 
 
 18G» 
 
 1865 
 
 PENNY READING AT ORASMERE. 
 
 2(i:5 
 
 igtnn, wlioro 
 m till! inclo- 
 winying uh to 
 tho way oi* 
 'ly concliulcd 
 olm a.s usual 
 L^onial (lispo- 
 H'cdoto with 
 ion so copi- 
 
 I sliall long 
 
 Ison si)ont 
 
 rlio always 
 
 frequently 
 
 fet-^ round 
 
 spot near 
 
 as please 
 
 blue, and 
 
 i^'ic, with 
 
 years ago, 
 oldest son, 
 lonio on a 
 younger 
 utcnant of 
 )I('ted tho 
 lat corps 
 
 The following whiter was a very happy and 
 tranquil one to the family at Lanerij^j^. Thon^'h 
 the snow lay Ion*,' on the ^^round, the weather was 
 often li<jfht and sunny, and the birds, which came 
 to be fed, were a constant source of amusement. 
 
 At the end of March, IHdo, 8ir John took part 
 in a penny readin<jf, for tin; entertainment of the 
 Grasmer<3 villa<^ers, S(dectin<^ for the occasion, 
 ' The Cottar's Saturday Nij^ht,' and the address 
 * To my Mare Maj^j^ie ' of Burns, his favourite 
 poet. 
 
 When the wintry frosts were gone and the 
 ground had thawed, he began vigorously to com- 
 plete some improvements in the garden, which had 
 been commenced in autumn. He was passionately 
 fond of flowers, plants, and trees, and had a true 
 eye for the beautiful in landscape gardening. The 
 fine days of April and May he spent chiefly in 
 the open air, visiting the sick in his walks, or 
 collecting ferns for friends at a distance, who had 
 expressed a wish for them. His evenings were 
 devoted to Wickliffe's Bible. 
 
 On the last day of May, he accompanied his 
 family and their guests to pay a visit to old friends 
 at Coniston. It was a standing joke between them 
 that Sir John never left their garden empty-handed, 
 and that evening he carried off a plant of Forget- 
 me-not,' wdiich, late as it was when they reached 
 home, he planted in the favourite border, before 
 entering the house. 
 
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 264 
 
 LIFE OF CIB JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 While walking to church, on Whitsunday, he 
 spoke of the wonderful beauty of the expressions of 
 Isaiah, and how glad he was that he had selected 
 that book as part of his work for the Dictionary, 
 having felt both pleasure and profit from the study. 
 Wliile partaking of the communion, his counten- 
 ance seemed to have diffused over it even more 
 than his usual reverent, inward peace. 
 
 Monday, June o, was a lovely soft June day, and 
 Sir John spent the forenoon in quietly superin- 
 tending some work in the garden. After luncheon, 
 he and Lady Richardson drove to Ambleside and 
 Rydal, making their first call at Dr. Davy's and 
 last at Fox How, where they remained for some 
 time, as Mrs. Arnold was about to go from home. 
 Looking out on the lovely scenery, in its fresh 
 June beauty. Sir John remarked that he wondered 
 they could leave it. 
 
 In the evening, he worked an hour or two at 
 Wickliffe, and at ten o'clock read, at family 
 worship, the seventh chapter of St. Matthew's 
 ijospel. He then stood for a short time at the 
 window, and said, ' We shall have the moon full, in 
 our drive to Ambleside on Wednesday,' kissed his 
 daughter and wished her good night, took from 
 the table king Alfred's Anglo-Saxon version of 
 the ' History of the World by Orosius,' lighted his 
 candle and walked off with a firm step, which 
 sounded along the passage as that of a man in 
 the full vigour of life. About eleven o'clock, Lady 
 
1865 
 
 SUDDEN DEATH. 
 
 265 
 
 Richardson went up-stairs. He was still awake, 
 and spoke of his plans for the next day. A lon^t 
 suspiration followed, and he passed through death 
 to life. 
 
 Thus calmly ended a life of almost unexampled 
 activity and usefulness, uprightness, and humble 
 faith. Of him, it may be said, * Thy sun shall no 
 more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw 
 itself, for the Lord shall be thine eTerlastinjr liffht. 
 tnid the days of thy mourning shall be ended,' 
 
 I 
 
 ; 
 
266 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN BICHARDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 l'< 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 SORROW AT HIS DEATH — LETTER FROM LADY FRANKLIN — 
 
 LETTER FROM SIR GEORGE BACK LETTER FROM THE REV. 
 
 W. B. MARRIOTT LETTER FROM DR. ANDREW CLARKE 
 
 POLITICAL VIEWS — SCIENTIFIC LABOURS — CONCLUSION. 
 
 1865. 
 
 The call was sudden, but to one who had spent 
 his life in the service of God and man, and reached 
 a good old age without experiencing mental or 
 bodily decay, an end so gentle was not unde- 
 sirable. It was a translation, without pain, from 
 the duties of earth to the joys of heaven — a being 
 * absent from the body, and present with the Lord.' 
 The event, however, cast a shadow over the 
 valley of Grasmere, where, during the last years 
 of his life, he had done much for the welfare of 
 the people. In his death, the poor lost a friend 
 who had been ever ready to aid them in sickness 
 or in sorrow, and not a few tears were shed as the 
 dust was committed to the dust in the lively hope 
 of a glorious resurrection, in the quiet churchyard 
 
1865 
 
 80EE0W AT HIS DEATH. 
 
 2G7 
 
 of Grasmere, where he had so often been a humble 
 worshipper. 
 
 One of the verses of Scripture inserted on his 
 tombstone is from the twenty-seventh Psalm, 
 which Franklin and he used to repeat to each 
 other, at Fort Enterprise, when too weak to hold 
 a book : * I had fainted, unless I had believed to 
 see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the 
 living.' 
 
 A lady, resident in the valley, writing to a 
 friend, thus alluded to the event : — 
 
 You in London, where interests arc so much more 
 widely diffused, will hardly understand how absorbing 
 is this grief in our little community ; indeed it is one that 
 comes home to all, for all have lost a dear friend, or good 
 neighbour, in the high and Christian sense of these terms. 
 
 When the natural expression of deep sympathy with the 
 sorrow-stricken family has been uttered, there comes from 
 each one a personal lamentation. Every j)erson has some 
 trait of him to mention: some deed of charity, accidentally 
 discovered ; some act of kindness, or proof of considera- 
 tion. One of our Wallers, whom I met to-day, aller say- 
 ing a few words, which expressed his sorrow fur the loss of 
 him * who was always glad to helj) a poor m.an, and thought 
 nothing of the trouble,' added, ' Ay, I have lell my wife 
 and mother at home crying, and no wonder.' 
 
 The singleness of purpose which he showed was one 
 of the most remarkable points of his character. He always 
 seemed to do an act of kindness without a thought beyond, 
 and as if it were but the natural thing. We have indeed 
 
u 
 
 
 268 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN BICHASDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 lost a good, kind friend, and the blank becomes more felt 
 as the first shock passes away.' 
 
 The manner in which he carried Christian 
 precept into practice is also thus referi'ed to by 
 another neighbour : — 
 
 Sir John Kichardson was one of tlmse rare persons, to 
 whom any one, whether high or low, might go for advice, 
 help, and sympathy. They ware sure to have it, of the 
 best kind, wisely, promptly, and freely given. It was 
 quite usual, in any difficulty, to say, ' I will go and ask 
 {Sir John, who will tell me what to do.' The poor people 
 felt this strongly, and acted on it, never doubting his 
 willingness to help. At all hours of the day, he would see 
 those who came, and if a case of illness was mentioned, 
 it seemed natural to hear him say that he would call on 
 the sick person. All considerations of distance, personal 
 inconvenience, or favourite occupations, were passed over. 
 
 One of the most striking traits in his diameter was the 
 simplicity with which his good deeds were done, not only 
 putting aside all thought of self, but shrinking from the 
 acknowledgments which his kindness called Ibrth from 
 those whom he assisted or obliged. In reply to such 
 acknowledgments, he always endeavoured to show that 
 he was only pleasing himself. This was, in fact, the case, 
 for doing good was his great pleasure. He was a true 
 follower in his Great Master's footsteps. 
 
 It was quite delightful to meet him in one's walks, ever 
 ready with a playful allusion, pleasant remark, or apt illus- 
 tration of whatever subject came under consideration. One 
 never fell in with him without experiencing the influence 
 of his happy state of mind, which shed its pure and bright 
 light on all he spoke of. 
 
1865 
 nore felt 
 
 iristian 
 I to by 
 
 rsons, to 
 r advice, 
 t, of tlie 
 
 It was 
 and ask 
 : people 
 ting his 
 oiilJ see 
 ntiitned, 
 
 call on 
 personal 
 d over, 
 was the 
 lot only 
 om the 
 Irom 
 o such 
 w that 
 le case, 
 
 a true 
 
 s, ever 
 t illus- 
 1. One 
 Huence 
 blight 
 
 1865 
 
 LETTER PROM LADY FRANKLIN. 
 
 269 
 
 Great was the sorrow which his friends at a 
 distance felt when they knew that he had been re- 
 moved from his labours — that they would see his 
 face no more. From Lady Franklin came the 
 tender expression of regard, — 
 
 My heart is full, for ho was my husl)and*'s dearest friond, 
 and their nioninries are inseparable. lie was very dear to 
 me also. I loved and honoured him, and th'nk now, with 
 the tenderest interest, of our last meeting a. liath, when 
 Ids genial kindness went to my heart. 
 
 Sir John Richardson's courage and coolness in 
 danger were ennobled by the friendship which he 
 cherished towards his companions in peril, espe- 
 cially Sir John Fi'anklin. Sir George Back, the 
 only remaining officer of the First Expedition, 
 says,— 
 
 No one conld perfectly understand the admirable (juali- 
 ties of his nature, who had not been with him in trials of 
 no ordinary description, even when life itself was in (jues- 
 tion. In storm and sunshine, in plenty and famine, in 
 moments of great danger, requiring unusual self-possession 
 and coolness, he was ever firmly balanced and collected — a 
 fine example to others. Wiih a keen sense of humour, 
 quick to discern, and ready to apj)laud, he was ever a 
 pleasant companion, and, better than all, a moral, good 
 man. 
 
 I can never forgot one morning (the beginning of our 
 misery), when, crossing the Barren Lands irom the sea, 
 we found the whole country covered with snow, and 
 Franklin so faint, from want of food, that he fell down. 
 
".J«i 
 
 i^r 
 
 mmmi 
 
 wm 
 
 270 
 
 LIFE OF 6IE JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 Kichardson drew from liis scanty stores for the «ick a few 
 inches of preserved soup, and gently restored him, and 
 then as we returned for warmtli and shelter, to our 
 blankets, it heing impossible to move on, he begged us 
 to take a few bits of gum-arabic, to check the cravings of 
 the stomacli. Oh, how I remember tliat morning ! 
 
 Referring to the friendship which subsisted 
 between his father-in-law and Sir Jolin Richard- 
 son, the Rev. John Philip Gell, >vriting to Lady 
 Richardson, says, — 
 
 Well as Sir John Franklin could sometimes express 
 himself, I do not think he could have put into words the 
 deep regard he had for your husband's noble-hearted and 
 devoted character, nor the liappy reliance which he always 
 seemed to place in liim — the happier, perhaps, because it 
 was so UL conscious, for the most part, and so simple. 
 
 To no one, probably, in all the numerous circle of liis 
 friends, did your liusband attach himself, with a more 
 steadfast and self-sacrificing affection. No doubt, it Wi»s 
 founded upon what they suffered for and with each other, 
 in the adventures of their earlier days, but it was sustiiined 
 through many happy years, in sharing each other's home 
 enjoyments and scientific pursuits. It was touching to see 
 it break out again, in its first form, when your husband, 
 already entered upon old age, lefl his home and family to 
 seek Franklin, already dead; and more touching still, to 
 notice the way in which, after his return, his tenderness 
 seemed to overflow tcnvards my wife, for her father's sake, 
 when he sometimes stayed with us in London. 
 
 His oldest and most intimate friend, who knew 
 
 V 1 
 
1865 LETTER PROM THE REV. W. B. MARRIOTT. 271 
 
 him, in joy and in sorrow, for more than forty 
 years, thus Avrites : — 
 
 In tliiiiking: over our recent loss. I do not know tluit 
 I ever felt anvtliin": more difiienk than to (Utcnuino what 
 were tlie moat prominent features of his character. All 
 things were so wisely balanced, that it was, I Ixliovc, oidy 
 those who knew him best, that gave him credit for all 
 he possessed. I ollen feel I could sjiy more about a very 
 inferior man. lie was so good, so consistent, so laborious, 
 so always thinking and actiijg for others, in iact, always 
 doing great acts, though but in the ordinary demands of 
 daily life, that the greater and more remarkable pc-ints 
 which have been dwelt upon were really but the sjune 
 abiding spirit intensified and brought out into more promi- 
 nent action by the peculiar incidents of the various situ- 
 ations in which circumstances placed him — a child-hke 
 trusting affection was the foundation of a chivalrous 
 courage. 
 
 I should think it hardly possible to find a more perfect 
 man, in body, soul, and spirit — strong, deep, and true. 
 
 The Rev. Wharton B. Marriott, of Eton, whom 
 he had attended, with fatherly care, durinjj a lon^ 
 and critical sickness at Grasmere, says, — 
 
 He was one whose very aspect told much of the 
 goodness and beauty of his character. Esj)ecially I re- 
 member being struck, on the few occasions j)ieviously to 
 Diy illness on which I met him, with a calm gravity and 
 seriousness of demeanour, as of one on whose mind the 
 solemn realities of this world and of the other were very 
 deeply impressed, and with this there was a calm of out- 
 ward manner, that reflected, so I thought, an inward 
 
272 
 
 LIFE OF SIB JOHN BICHABD60N. 
 
 1865 
 
 II'.' 
 
 quietness and confidence of spirit — God's gift to good and 
 faithful men — to whom the thought is ever present, that 
 over all the changes and chances of this troubled world 
 there is One who changes not, who sees and directs to 
 issues of Ills ordaining, the counsels of all men, and the 
 events of all tilings. 
 
 One feature of his character impressed itself strongly on 
 me, namely, the remarkable simplicity with which lie spoke 
 and acted, sjiying and doing, on all occasions, exactly what 
 the occasion recjuired, as if by an intuition upon which he 
 acted without consciousness of effort. lie seemed to me 
 to be one to whom the highest principles of action were so 
 habitu.'illy present, that he could sec, with clearest percep- 
 tion, where others would have been in doubt, and act, as 
 by an inward instinct, and without any thought of a second 
 cause. What in others would have been a triuinj)h of self- 
 mastery, or self-denial, was in him only the following out 
 of the path of duty by one who habitually was led by the 
 Spirit of God. 
 
 The active Christianity of Sir John Kichardson 
 exercised a salutary mfluence on the young medi- 
 cal officers who served under him. 
 
 Dr. Andrew Clarke, of Russell Square, London, 
 in reply to a letter from Lady Richardson thus 
 wrote : — 
 
 I cannot let a post pass without acknowledging your 
 letter. No one knowing anything of the inner life of my 
 revered friend could read that letter unmoved ; and me, 
 who in days past had the privilege of seeing dee])ly into 
 that inner life, who took from it, insensibly, the tone of 
 my whole life, and spoke of it, among the few to whom I 
 
 \i 
 
 i 
 
1865 
 
 1865 
 
 LETTER FROM DR. CLARKE. 
 
 273 
 
 )od and 
 nt, that 
 1 world 
 rccts to 
 and the 
 
 ngly on 
 \(i spoke 
 tly what 
 diich he 
 d to me 
 were so 
 
 ; pCTCep- 
 
 1 act, as 
 a second 
 h of self- 
 wing out 
 d by the 
 
 lardson 
 medi- 
 
 jondon, 
 m thus 
 
 bg your 
 
 \g of my 
 
 ind me, 
 
 kply into 
 
 tone of 
 
 kvhora I 
 
 i 
 
 could Bpoak of sucli subjects, as a typo of true greatness, 
 and a living example of the manner in which Christianity 
 may become a fruitful life, rather than a barren creed, — ine 
 it has moved most deeply. 
 
 And now, when I think of his finely balanced nature, of 
 his earnest, truthful soul, of his largo, powerful intellect, 
 of the fitting form in which they dwelt ; when 1 recall to 
 mind his rare sense of right, duty, and justice, his abhor- 
 rence of falsehood and all manner of subterfuge, his love 
 of nature and all that was real and true, his freedom from 
 finesse and alTectation, his modesty and self-denial, his 
 generous appreciation of others, his perfect naturalness 
 and uniform consistency, — I can see how great and good a 
 man he was ; 1 feel how much of the little good, which 
 1 have brought forth, is the fruit of seed which he had 
 planted, and that now, in my maturer years, seeing him by 
 the help of a purer and greater light, I could have loved 
 him with my whole heart. 
 
 In Sir John Richardson, a powerful intellect, 
 simplicity of manners, modesty, candour, and ab- 
 horrence of anything mean, were combined in a 
 rare degree. His retiring nature did not interfere 
 with his taking an active part in every good cause, 
 kindliness of heart and reverence for duty always 
 overcoming inherent shyness. His firm grasp of 
 facts, so as to draw from them a true deduction ; 
 the clearness of his judgment, which almost intui- 
 tively formed a correct estimate, both of men and 
 things ; and, above all, his deep reverence for God, 
 and earnest faith in the saving power of Christ 
 
 and Christian truth, were remarkable. 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 LIFE OF 8IR JOHN BIOUABDSON. 
 
 19C5 
 
 Sir John Richardson never attached himself to 
 any political party, but his sympathies were 
 strongly in favour of prop^ress, and ho rejoiced 
 in every step taken to improve the public depart- 
 ments of the State, or the social condition of the 
 people. 
 
 In a letter to me, dated July 7, 185G, he says, — 
 
 TIktg is no i)olltical news of* great moment now. The 
 difficulties witli llie American Government, which were 
 electioneering affairs from the beginning, on the other side 
 of the Atlantic, arc in a fair way of terminating. Europe 
 is more unsettled, and tliere is evidently a fire kindling in 
 the Italian Peninsula, which may eventually shake the 
 Austrian dominion to pieces. 
 
 Meanwhile, a social revolution is going on in our own 
 land, silently, and therefore not heeded, but nevertheless, 
 surely. I mean the competition for Government appoint- 
 ments, and the giving to talents and acquirements what 
 was before monopolised by money and influence. The 
 Chinese were tlie only people who admitted the principle, 
 l)Ut it was in a great measure inoperative witli them, from 
 the exclusive cliaracter of their national literature, and the 
 general corruption that prevailed throughout their country. 
 They had the form, without the essence, of a theoretically 
 excellent scheme. I hope that the practical character of 
 the English people will turn the experiment to good ac- 
 count, ])ut honest examiners in the chair, and turn out an 
 efficient body of public men. 
 
 The Government, at the same time, ought to take care 
 that no looseness of practice creeps in, and that a high 
 sense of morality should pervade the emjiloyes. Hitherto 
 
1865 
 
 SCIENTIFIC LABOURS. 
 
 to 
 
 our public men have been, nB a body, irrrproachable in 
 regard to a sense of public duty and honour, notwith- 
 standing some Had except ionH. 
 
 One cannot lielp ghmcing at tlie probable future of 
 Great Britain. The improvement has been great, espe- 
 cially in Scotland, during the nearly threescore and ten 
 years of my life. In my boyhood, all the men of any 
 liberality in their modes of thought were * black-nebs,' and 
 shunned more carefully, by the correct multitutle, than a 
 drunkard or a thief. One cannot but rejoice in the im- 
 provement of things, and pray that the future progress may 
 be in the right piith. 
 
 Of Sir John Richardson, as a man of science, 
 Dr. J. E. Gray, of the British Museum, says, — 
 
 The most strikingly distinguishing features in his cha- 
 racter were his extreme caution in the verification of fact% 
 his modesty in speaking of himself and of his doings, and 
 liis untiring energy in the carrying out of whatever duties 
 he undertook to perform. His caution originated in his 
 entire devotion to truth, which caused liim to consider 
 no extent of research too laborious for its acfjuirement, 
 and generated a feeling of the most implicit confidence in 
 all liis statements. 
 
 His modesty was especially conspicuous in the extreme 
 difficulty witli which he could l)e induced to speak, cither 
 of his travels or adventures, or of his professional or scien- 
 tific labours. His energy was strongly evidenced in every 
 part of his career, in the extraordinary difficulties and 
 perils which he encountered on liis various expeditions, 
 in his unwearied attention to his professional duties, and 
 in the extent and impoitance of his scientific labours. 
 
 t2 
 
27G 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 i 
 
 i! 
 
 It would scarcely bo proper for me to speak of his geo- 
 gra[)hical, meteorological, and magnetic contributions to 
 science. I can only vouch for his great diligence in f)b- 
 sorving, and for the extreme accursicy of all his oliserva- 
 tions. Kvery precaution was constantly taken by him, 
 that no fiict should be stated, and no infen-nco drawn, in 
 the accuracy of which he had not the most perfect faith, 
 and he never attemi)t«'d to push liis conclusions beyond 
 what the observations justified. 
 
 Of his zoological labours, which T have watched with 
 deep interest, throughout the whole of his career, I may 
 be permitted to speak uioro decidedly, and to these I will 
 now more particularly direct my attention. 
 
 On his return from his second Arctic expedition, ho 
 j)ublished his ' Fauna Boreali-Anu'ricana,' illustratod with 
 beautiful plates. This work at onco became and still con- 
 tinues to be the standaid work on the zoolojiv of British 
 North America. The manmialia and fishes were entirely 
 by himself, the l)irds l>y Mr. Swainsou, who also drew the 
 plates, and the insects by INFr. Kirby ; but the whole Avork 
 was edited by himself, and the care and accumcy Avith 
 which he collected together both the early history of the 
 species, and the recent facts connected with them, can oidy 
 be estimated by one who has been engaged in similar 
 investigations. 
 
 It must bo remembered, too, that at this period our 
 zoological collections were small and imperfect, and the 
 materials had to be sought in distant and scattered localities. 
 In very many instances it was necessary to send instruc- 
 tions to the difTerent fur stations of the Ilud.son's Bay 
 Company to collect and transmit specimens for examination 
 and description, and eventually the specimens thus pro- 
 
 r— r;7~^^t— .■Ai'-.g::-:::^:::- 
 
1865 
 
 18()5 
 
 ICHTHTOLOOIOAL LABOURS. 
 
 277 
 
 ' hirt gco- 
 mtions to 
 CG in ol)- 
 observa- 
 hy l)iin, 
 (Iniwn, in 
 (bet fuith, 
 3 beyond 
 
 ;hp(l with 
 IT, I niav 
 est* I will 
 
 lition, bo 
 
 •jitcd with 
 
 still con- 
 
 f>f British 
 
 3 entirely 
 
 drew the 
 
 lolc work 
 
 i-noy with 
 
 •y of the 
 
 can only 
 
 similar 
 
 •iod our 
 and the 
 )ralitiea. 
 instruc- 
 
 \nn Ray 
 iiination 
 
 inis pro- 
 
 cured were transferred by the Company to the British Mu- 
 seum, where they form some of the most valuable and in- 
 tercf^ting additions to the national collection. 
 
 After the publication of this great work, he cliiefly 
 confined his researches to ichthyology, and from this time 
 became, par e.rrcflefirr, the ichthyologist of England, to 
 whoso superior knowhidgi; and excellent judgment every 
 one referred for information on all subjects connected with 
 fishes. At the request of the British Association, he drew 
 up an elaborate report on the ichthyology of China and 
 Jjipan, t'lking for the basis of his work a fine collection of 
 Chinese fishes, presented to the British Musetmi by the 
 late Mr. Reeves, and a collection of drawings, made under 
 the direction of tlie same gentleman, during his long 
 residence at Canton. 
 
 To various voyages of survey and discovery, such as 
 those of the * Sulj)hur,' the 'Terror,' and the ' Herald,' he 
 contributed most interesting appendices, descriptive of the 
 animals, and especially of the fishes, observed during tlieir 
 progress, wliich are illustrated by figures of several hun- 
 dred species new to science, and by important observations 
 on their characters, affinities, and haliits. In that of the 
 * Herald/ he also described and figured a number of fossil- 
 bone mammalia, found at the Eschscholtz Bay, on the 
 north-W€>st coast of America, and g:jve an account of the 
 osteology of some existing American mammalia. 
 
 Many papers on tlie fishes of Australia and New Zealand 
 were also pul)lished by liim, in connection with different 
 voyages, and in the ' Aimals and jNIngazine of Natural 
 History,' and these were followed by a beautiful com- 
 mencement of a work, in quarto, in which he gave figures 
 of a number of interesting and finely-coloured species, 
 

 278 
 
 LIFE OP SIR JOHN RICHARDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 from drawings made in Australia, under the title of 
 ' Icones Piscium ; or, Plates of Kare Fishes.' 
 
 In an excellent article on ichthyology, in the ' Encyclo- 
 paidia Brit.innica,' he gave a capital resume of all the genera 
 of fishes, which affords the most complete view of the 
 present state of ichthyological science. And he super- 
 intended the publication of the second edition of Yarrell's 
 ' British Fishes,' to which he added an essay on the generic 
 arrangement of fishes, giving also the generic characters, 
 which had been unaccountably omitted in the first edition, 
 and arranging the species in accordance with the modern 
 classification. 
 
 A complete list of his various publications, on ichthy- 
 ological subjects especially, would occupy a very large 
 space, and certainly no one in England has contributed 
 so largely, or so accurately, to our knowledge of the fishes 
 wliich inhabit almost every region of the globe. In his 
 earlier days, Sir John paid particular attention to the 
 study of botany, and his botanical appendix to Captain 
 Franklin's * First Journey ' is one of the most accurate and 
 carefully prepared catalogues of the plants of a remarkable 
 region that has ever been published. 
 
 He wrote valuable papers on *Tlie Geology of 
 the Fur Countries ;' ' The Aboriginal Indians ;' 
 * Climatology ;' ' The Frozen Soil of North Ame- 
 rica ;' * The Distribution of Plants in the Territory 
 North of the Forty-ninth Parallel of Latitude,' 
 and on a variety of other subjects. In addition to 
 his scientific works, there appeared, in 1851, his 
 ' Journal of a Boat Voyage through Eupert's 
 Land and the Arctic Sea,' in two volumes, and. 
 
 S Jt 
 
1865 
 title of 
 
 ^ncycio- 
 e genera 
 \f of the 
 e super- 
 Yarreirs 
 2 generic 
 laraeters, 
 b edition, 
 J modern 
 
 1 ichthy- 
 pry large 
 ntributed 
 the fishes 
 j. In his 
 to the 
 Captain 
 urate and 
 markable 
 
 logy of 
 dians ;' 
 h Ame- 
 erritory 
 titude,' 
 ition to 
 51, his 
 ,upert'8 
 , and, 
 
 JSbS 
 
 HONOURS. 
 
 279 
 
 ten years later, a most interesting and instructive 
 volume on * The Polar Regions.' 
 
 The same painstaking ability which he mani- 
 fested in his scientific writings was apparent in 
 his contributions to the forthcoming * Dictionary 
 of the Philological Society.' The editor, in ad- 
 dressing the members, on October 2(5, 1865, said, — 
 
 We have suffered a great loss in the death of Sir John 
 liichardson, one of the most careful an<l accurate of our 
 contributors. His last work was for tlie ' Dictionary.' 
 His pen had just finished a verse from the Wycliflite 
 version of Isaiah, when his gentle, able, and manly spirit 
 was called to its rest. 
 
 He received the honour of knighthood in 1846, 
 and, on returning from his expedition in search of 
 Sir John Franklin, had granted to him the rank 
 and privileges of the third class of Companions of 
 the Bath. In 1862, when good-service pensions 
 were for the first time bestowed on the Medical 
 Department of the Navj, the Duke of Somerset, 
 without solicitation, awarded him one of lOOZ. per 
 annum. 
 
 Sir John Richardson was member of the Geo- 
 graphical Society of London, and Wemerian 
 Natural History Society of Edinburgh ; honorary 
 member of the Natural History Society of Mon- 
 treal, and Literary and Philosophical Society of 
 Quebec ; Foreign Member of the Geographical 
 Society of Paris, and Corresponding Member of 
 
 V 
 
280 
 
 LIFE OiT SIR JOHN BICHABDSON. 
 
 1865 
 
 the Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia. 
 Ill 1855, the Royal Society of Edinburgh elected 
 him into the select number of British honorary 
 members, and, in 1856, the Royal Society of 
 London presented him with one of the Royal 
 Medals. The following year, he received the de- 
 gree of LL.D. from Trinity College, Dublin. 
 
 His life was an illustration of high intellectual 
 and scientific attainments being combined with 
 an earnest faith in the Saviour and confiding 
 trust in God's goodness. How great soever the 
 self-sacrifice required, he performed every public 
 and private duty with sacred faithfulness, and to 
 show disinterested and kindly affection to those 
 ill trouble was the spontaneous impulse of his 
 warm heart. In danger and death, he was ena- 
 bled, through the uj^holding power of constant 
 communion with God, to look without fear on the 
 ' house appointed for all living ;' and when the call 
 came, ' Arise, depart, for this is not your rest,' it 
 found him ready * to enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven.' 
 
 ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from 
 henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may 
 rest from their labours ; and their works do follow 
 them.' 
 
 LONDON : PBEVTED BY 
 
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 honorary 
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