Rae

Rae, JOHN, Arctic traveller, was born in Orkney in 1813, studied medicine at Edinburgh, and went to Hudson Bay as doctor of the Company's ships. In 1845 he undertook an exploring expedition, and in 1846-47 a more extensive one, wintering in Repulse Bay. He was second under Richardson in 1848 on a Franklin search voyage. In 1853-54 he commanded an expedition that proved King William's Land to be an island. In his various journeys nearly 1800 miles were travelled over for the first time. In 1860 he surveyed a telegraph line to America by the Faroes and Iceland, and visited Greenland; and in 1864 he made a telegraph survey from Winnipeg across the Rocky Mountains. He published reports of his expeditions, and many geographical papers. Dr Rae, who was LL.D., F.R.S., &c., died 24th July 1893.