Discovering the Arctic: The Story of John Rae

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

John Rae was a little-known Scottish doctor who explored the Canadian
Arctic. Credited only with discovering the fate of the Franklin
expedition, he actually mapped a vast area for the Hudson’s Bay
Company and may even have discovered the Northwest Passage.

Wilson attributes the success of Rae’s expeditions to his adoption of
Inuit customs. He reveals that British adventurers explored the Arctic
without adapting to the harsh conditions and with “ignorance due to
arrogance” shunned Inuit survival techniques as those of uneducated
Natives. When Rae reported the discovery of Franklin’s party, he also
revealed evidence of cannibalism among them, which so outraged
Franklin’s widow that she enlisted Charles Dickens to discredit Rae,
which he did with consummate skill. Lady Franklin then initiated a
successful campaign to establish her husband as the discoverer of the
Northwest Passage, despite evidence to the contrary.

Roughly a third of the book is pictorial, with lengthy captions ranging
from a few lines to a half-page. These often provide fascinating
glimpses of Canadian and British society in Rae’s time. The very
readable text proceeds anecdotally under single-page headings, such as
“Fever Ship” and “Hopes Dashed.” A timeline and a list of books
and Internet sites are appended.

Shortlisted for a 2004 Norma Fleck Award for children’s non-fiction,
this book offers a unique Canadian perspective on both Arctic
explorations and a man ahead of his time. Recommended.