tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post7949126565078603724..comments2024-03-18T18:05:25.821-07:00Comments on VISIONS OF THE NORTH: The Halkett BoatRussell Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023313195827310776noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post-25189727512735969022010-07-09T09:01:56.547-07:002010-07-09T09:01:56.547-07:00That would make more sense Kenn. Thanks.
As far a...That would make more sense Kenn. Thanks.<br /><br />As far as Rae's boat goes, I read this interesting note from McGoogan's Fatal Passage (p.47 of the Carrol & Graf paperback edition):<br /><br /><i>"Sir George [Simpson, Governor of HBC] sent Rae an inflatable India rubber boat designed by a young naval lieutenant named Peter Alexander Halkett. The prototype, tested on the Thams near Westminster Bridge, included an umbrella sail that doubled as a heavy cloak and so was called a "cloak-boat". Rae would declare that "this useful and light little vessel ought to form part of the equipment of every expedition." "</i>Ted Bettshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06223729391428982448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post-17199993973103340342010-06-19T14:12:57.037-07:002010-06-19T14:12:57.037-07:00Hi William and Ted,
I believe that the museum that...Hi William and Ted,<br />I believe that the museum that is meant is the one at Stromness (Orkney), not Stornoway. I saw a Halkett boat in a display in the Stromness museum five years ago. If I remember correctly, it was Rae's - Stromness is Rae's home turf. I have no idea if that display is still up.<br />KennKenn Harperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16839338717165857553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post-48115139939461164462010-06-19T01:03:21.676-07:002010-06-19T01:03:21.676-07:00Hi Ted,
No, I've not been but I would like to...Hi Ted,<br /><br />No, I've not been but I would like to. I'm guessing there might be other interesting stuff there.<br /><br />WilliamWilliam Battersbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452863778733148002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post-59129090893305118252010-06-15T14:38:40.015-07:002010-06-15T14:38:40.015-07:00William, did you ever go to the museum to check it...William, did you ever go to the museum to check it out yourself? How did Rae come upon it? That is a small world link. My September itinery takes me to the Isle of Skye and possibly Ullapool so a Stornoway detour may not be completely out of the question.<br /><br />Coincidentally, I just read in Lambert's <i>Gates of Hell</i> that Halkett contributed twenty pounds toward the Joseph Rene Bellot pension that the British government established in 1853 (p.242). Small Arctic world indeed.Ted Bettshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06223729391428982448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post-44450664915546815522010-06-14T03:07:21.904-07:002010-06-14T03:07:21.904-07:00My understanding, and I have not gone through the ...My understanding, and I have not gone through the primary sources so I may be wrong, is this. I think two Halkett boats were produced for the Franklin Expedition but only one was taken. The rejected boat may have never been loaded, or it may have been sent back from Disko Bay on the Baretto Junior. The Terror was heavily overloaded at Disko Bay and quite a number of things simply couldn't be carried.<br /><br />I believe this boat is the one which Rae subsequently used and which is now in the Museum at Stormnoway. I believe that boat has James Fitzjames' name on it - presumably it was originally delivered to him at Deptford.<br /><br />During the crossing of the Atlantic, Le Vesconte rigged the Erebus's Halkett boat and sailed it across to the Terror.William Battersbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452863778733148002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3873756940955163469.post-46287048065023130702010-06-13T09:21:11.847-07:002010-06-13T09:21:11.847-07:00This article (The Beaver, 1955) includes a photogr...This article (The Beaver, 1955) includes a photograph of Dr Rae's (then century old) Halkett boat. <br /><br />http://www.historysociety.ca/beaver/index/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.FA_dsp_publicdetails&BibliographyID=2379<br /><br />Considering the terrain facing them, the Franklin crews would probably have wanted to take this with them. (I would have, if it were not already damaged or lost in 1848). Such a boat would be useful in scouting ahead for optimal routes to be taken by any larger group.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05564076916142050022noreply@blogger.com