Miles's Sharebook 

Born 200 years ago this year on the 30th September. He came from the Orkney Isles and was recruited like many of his peers, by the Hudson's Bay Company as their Dr. Caring for the sick and the dieing of not only the Company employees out in the northern reaches of Canada, he went out of his way to care for the indiginous peoples too. Out of his way, being 200 miles by snowshoe was not unusual for him. When expeditions to explore and map the north American continental north eastern coast, involved lots of people with European kit, John Rae worked with very few people and learnt how to make and use the equipment of the indiginous peoples. When expeditions regularly saw deaths amongst their parties from cold or starvation; sometimes in their handful but at times over 100, John Rae led expeditions only ever saw one death - accidental drowning.
 The credit for finding the last part of the North West Passage went to another man, John Franklin; whose fate he also discovered - the credit for this going to another, Francis McClintock. He is not recorded as complaining about this clear disservice and the discrediting of his name. This man is my inspiration.