IDNO

P.86405.PAT

Description

A crew member, Rickardsen, sitting on an old motorcycle outside one of the huts at the abandoned Royal Canadian Mounted Police post at Bache Peninsula.

Place

N America; Arctic; Canada; Nunavut; Ellesmere Island; Bache Peninsula [North West Territories]

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Rickardsen

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Paterson, Thomas Thompson

Date

19 August 1937

Collection Name

Paterson Collection

Source

Paterson, Erik T.

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Image: Same image mounted in James Wordie’s 1937 album with the number and caption:
“August 17 - 21”
“622. Rickardsen & an old M/B [motorbike].”
See Related Documents File. [Jocelyne Dudding 6/3/2008]

Bibliographical Reference: J. M. Wordie; H. Carmichael; E. G. Dymond; T. C. Lethbridge, ‘An Expedition to North West Greenland and the Canadian Arctic in 1937’ in The Geographical Journal, Vol. 92, No. 5. (Nov., 1938), pp. 385-418.
Text on p.398 includes:
“On the third day we understood local conditions sufficiently well to feel justified in leaving Lethbridge's party at Turnstone Beach, while the ship crossed for a short visit to Bache Peninsula. Our objective was the farthest north post, now however abandoned, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, sited about 15 miles in along the north side of Buchanan Bay. ... The post lies about 15 miles west of Cape Camperdown, and an indication that one is near is given by a large and high island, nameless and not marked on the chart. ... The huts were erected in 1926, and the post visited again the next year by the Beothic. Further visits by ship were prevented by adverse ice conditions till 1931, and supplies had generally to be left at Rice Strait. The Canadian authorities therefore decided to evacuate the two men at the post as soon as the search for Dr. Kruger, who had disappeared in 1930, was completed; this was to have taken place in 1932, but in that year no contact whatever was possible, and the relief ship Nascopie failed to penetrate either to Rice Strait or to Buchanan Bay, and the post was therefore evacuated by sledge journey to Craig Harbour in the spring of 1933. We made an inspection of the main hut, which is in very good order, and of the adjoining storehouse and workshop. The huts are painted a light green, and the orderly arrangement and neat lay-out gives the place a very attractive appearance. There are also two large motor boats and some smaller boats, but these are exposed to the weather and may not long remain in good condition. Our time was short and confined to a brief look round and to making certain that everything was secure. We also left some walrus meat for Haig-Thomas and Wright, who were due to arrive in the autumn, or at latest in the spring of 1938.”

P.86084.PAT to P.86583.PAT were found wrapped in the card now numbered C446/1/.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 7/2/2007]