Editing John Rae (explorer) (section)

==== Third journey ====
They reached [[Fort Simpson]] to the west of [[Yellowknife]] in late September 1849, where Rae took charge of the [[Mackenzie River]] district.<ref>{{cite web |title=RAE, JOHN (1813-93) |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/rae_john_1813_93_12E.html |access-date=2024-05-02 |publisher=University of Toronto/Université Laval |first= R. L. |last=Richards |date=1990 }}</ref> A week later [[William Pullen]] showed up, having sailed east from the [[Bering Strait]] and up the Mackenzie River. In June 1850, Rae and Pullen went east up the Mackenzie with that year's furs. On 25 June, just short of Great Slave Lake, he was met by an express canoe. Pullen was promoted to captain and told to go north and try again. Rae received three letters from Sir George Simpson, [[Francis Beaufort]], and Lady [[Jane Franklin]] all telling him to return to the Arctic. Simpson promised supplies and left the route to Rae's discretion. Pullen left immediately with most of the equipment.

Rae escorted the furs as far as [[Methye Portage]] and returned to Fort Simpson in August. En route he wrote Sir George a letter outlining his complex but ultimately successful plan. That winter he would go to Fort Confidence and build two boats and collect supplies. Next spring he would use dog sleds to cross to Wollaston Land and go as far as he could before the ice melt made it impossible to recross the Strait. Meanwhile, his men would have hauled the boats overland to Coronation Gulf. When the ice melted he would follow the coast by boat as long as there was open water. He reached Fort Confidence in September and spent the winter there.

On 25 April 1851, he left the fort. On 2 May he crossed the frozen strait via Douglas Island to [[Lady Franklin Point]], the southwestern-most point on Victoria Island. Heading east he passed and named the [[Richardson Islands]] and passed what he thought was the westernmost point reached by Thomas Simpson on his return journey in 1839. Heading west he passed Lady Franklin Point and followed the coast north and west around Simpson Bay, which he named. The coast swung north but it was getting late.

He made a final push, the coast swung to the northeast and on 24 May, he could look north across [[Prince Albert Sound]]. Unknown to Rae, just 10 days earlier, a sledge party from [[Robert McClure]]'s expedition had been on the north side of the sound. He turned south, crossed Dolphin and Union Strait safely and on 5 June turned inland. The journey to camp on the [[Kendall River]] was the least pleasant part of the journey since he had to travel over melting snow and through meltwater.

On 15 June 1851, two days after the boat arrived, he set off down the Kendall River and Coppermine River with 10 men. He waited several times for the ice to clear and in early July he started east along the south coast of Coronation Gulf. In late July he crossed the mouth of [[Bathurst Inlet]] and reached [[Cape Flinders]] at the western end of the [[Kent Peninsula]]. He reached Cape Alexander at its east end on 24 July, and on 27 July crossed the strait to Victoria Island. He explored [[Cambridge Bay]] which he found to be a better harbour than Dease and Simpson had reported.

He left the bay and went east along an unknown coast. The coast swung north and the weather got worse. By August he was in [[Albert Edward Bay]]. Blocked by ice, he went north on foot and reached his furthest on 13 August. Returning, he left a cairn which was found by [[Richard Collinson]]'s men two years later. He then made three unsuccessful attempts to cross [[Victoria Strait]] east to [[King William Island]]. Victoria Strait is nearly always impassable. On 21 August, he found two pieces of wood that had clearly come from a European ship. These were probably from Franklin's ship, but Rae chose not to guess.

On 29 August, he reached Lady Franklin Point and crossed to the mainland. He worked his way up the swollen Coppermine and reached Fort Confidence on 10 September. He had traveled {{convert|1080|mi}} on land, {{convert|1390|mi}} by boat, charted {{convert|630|mi}} of unknown coast, followed the whole south coast of Victoria Island, and proved that Wollaston Land and Victoria Land were part of the same island, but had not found Franklin.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coleman|first=E.|year=2006|title=The Royal Navy in Polar Exploration from Franklin to Scott|publisher=Tempus Publishing|isbn=9780752436609}}</ref>