Northern Wilderness episode 4: in this episode of the series, Ray follows in the footsteps of an unsung British hero who helped put modern Canada on the map. In a stunning celebration of one of earth’s last great wildernesses, Ray Mears goes on an epic adventure into Canada’s unforgiving yet inspiring landscape.
John Rae from Scotland was the first great Arctic explorer and came to be regarded as the foremost authority on First Nation methods of Arctic survival and travel. Ray Mears follows the story of how John Rae found the Northwest Passage – the Holy Grail of 19th-century exploration. Yet this man, who should have been a hero of his day, was vilified by the British establishment. Ray believes it’s time to put the record straight.
Northern Wilderness episode 4 – In Arctic Footsteps
John Rae was a Scottish Orcadian surgeon who explored parts of northern Canada and found the final portion of the Northwest Passage, the Rae Strait. Rae explored the Gulf of Boothia, northwest of the Hudson Bay, from 1846 to 1847, the Arctic coast near Victoria Island from 1848 to 1851. In 1854, back in the Gulf of Boothia, he learned of the fate of Franklin’s lost expedition.
He was noted for physical stamina, skill at hunting, boat handling, use of native methods, and his ability to travel long distances with little equipment while living off the land.
From 1848 to 1851, Rae made three journeys along the Arctic coast. The first took him from the Mackenzie River to the Coppermine River, which had been done before. On the second he tried to cross to Victoria Island and was blocked by ice. On the third he explored the whole south coast of Victoria Island.
By 1848, it was clear that Sir John Franklin was lost in the Arctic. Three expeditions were sent to find him, one from the east, one through Bering Strait and the Richardson expedition overland to the Arctic coast. Most of the Arctic coast had been traced by Thomas Simpson. North of the coast were two coastlines called Wollaston Land and Victoria Land (Victoria Island). Franklin was thought to be somewhere in the unknown area north of that. The 61-year-old Richardson chose Rae as his second in command.
