It was the largest voyage of exploration to the Arctic that the British Empire had ever launched.
One hundred and twenty-eight men, led by one of Britain's most seasoned naval captains, set off from London in May of 1845 to pioneer a route through the icy Northwest Passage. Many sailors onboard thought they would complete their mission within a year. But three years later there was still no word from Franklin or his men, and the shaken Royal Navy launched the first in a long series of search parties. In this audio slide show, Franklin expert Russell Potter guides us through how the mystery of the lost expedition began to be solved as artifacts of the ill-fated voyage were discovered. To launch the audio slide show, click on the image at
left.—Susan K. Lewis
