HMS Erebus and HMS Terror - The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has disclosed that the Franklin wreck ship found in the Arctic Archipelago last month by a team of investigators is indeed the famous HMS Erebus in which the British explorer set sail in on his doomed voyage in the 19th century.
PM Harper told Canadian legislators earlier in the week that "I am delighted to confirm that we have identified which ship from the Franklin expedition has been found. It is in fact the HMS Erebus."
The fate of Sir John Franklin and the HMS Erebus had been one of the most perplexing mysteries in the history of Canada. But researchers say the discovery of the ship is expected to shed some light on the circumstances behind the death of the famous explorer and his crew.
Sir Franklin, a Royal Navy officer and veteran navigator, set out for the Arctic in 1845 to explore the last patch of the Northwest Passage to Asia. But his two ships got stuck in ice somewhere in the Canadian Arctic. Researchers have since been able to uncover that two of his crew members passed on early in the voyage - but it is unclear what killed Sir Franklin and his 128 crew members. Experts have speculated that they most likely died from exposure and starvation.
The HMS Erebus was found near O'Reilly Island, east of Queen Maud Gulf in the Arctic Archipelago. Reports indicate that the Canadian government has been leading a search for the ships for over half a decade. The sites where both ships were last seen has since been designated a national historic site to prevent looting.
Meanwhile, HMS Terror remains to be found. The head of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, John Geiger, has been quoted by Canada's thestar.com urging for the search to continue.
"The find and the incredible condition of this vessel is only going to whet the global appetite for more...From my standpoint, I think it's really important that we continue the search and we don't rest until we find the second ship," he said.
Many commentators agree that the discovery of HMS Erebus has without question increased hopes of the discovery of HMS Terror.
