HMS ''Erebus'' was a constructed by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
in
Pembroke dockyard, Wales, in 1826. The vessel was the second in the Royal Navy named after
Erebus
In Greek mythology, Erebus (; grc, Ἔρεβος, Érebos, "deep darkness, shadow".), or Erebos, is the personification of darkness and one of the primordial deities. Hesiod's ''Theogony'' identifies him as one of the first five beings in exis ...
, the personification of darkness in
Greek mythology.
The 372-ton ship was armed with two
mortars
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a village ...
– one and one – and 10 guns. The ship took part in the
Ross expedition of 1839–1843, and was abandoned in 1848 during the
third Franklin expedition. The sunken wreck was discovered by the Canadian
Victoria Strait expedition in September 2014.
Ross expedition
After two years' service in the
Mediterranean Sea, ''Erebus'' was refitted as an exploration vessel for
Antarctic
The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...
service, and on 21 November 1840 – captained by
James Clark Ross
Sir James Clark Ross (15 April 1800 – 3 April 1862) was a British Royal Navy officer and polar explorer known for his explorations of the Arctic, participating in two expeditions led by his uncle John Ross, and four led by William Edwa ...
– she departed from
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...
(now
Tasmania) for Antarctica in company with
HMS ''Terror''. In January 1841, the crews of both ships landed on
Victoria Land, and proceeded to name areas of the landscape after
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
politicians, scientists, and acquaintances.
Mount Erebus
Mount Erebus () is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica (after Mount Sidley), the highest active volcano in Antarctica, and the southernmost active volcano on Earth. It is the sixth-highest ultra mountain on the continent.
With a sum ...
, on
Ross Island
Ross Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound. Ross Island lies within the boundaries of Ross Dependency, an area of Antarctica claimed by New ...
, was named after one ship and
Mount Terror after the other.
The crew then discovered the
Ross Ice Shelf
The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica (, an area of roughly and about across: about the size of France). It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than long, and between hi ...
, which they were unable to penetrate, and followed it eastward until the lateness of the season compelled them to return to Van Diemen's Land. The following season, 1842, Ross continued to survey the "Great Ice Barrier", as it was called, continuing to follow it eastward. Both ships returned to the
Falkland Islands before returning to the Antarctic in the 1842–1843 season. They conducted studies in
magnetism, and returned with
oceanographic data and collections of
botanical
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and
ornithological
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...
specimens. The plants were described in the resulting ''
The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the years 1839–1843, under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross''.
Birds collected on the first expedition were described and illustrated by
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray FRS (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother ...
and
Richard Bowdler Sharpe in ''The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Erebus & HMS Terror. Birds of New Zealand'', 1875. The revised edition of Gray (1846) (1875). The future botanist
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of t ...
, then aged 23, was assistant-surgeon to
Robert McCormick.
Franklin expedition
In 1845 HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS left
Greenhithe
Greenhithe is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is located east of Dartford and west of Gravesend.
Area
In the past, Greenhithe's waterfront on the estuary of the ...
, England on May 19, 1845, on a voyage of exploration to the Canadian
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
, under Sir
John Franklin. Both ships were outfitted with
steam engines from the
London and Greenwich Railway
The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway in the capital, the first to be built specifically for passengers, and the first entirely elevated railway.
Origins
The idea for t ...
steam locomotives. That of ''Erebus'' was rated at and could propel the ship at . The ships carried 12 days' supply of coal.
The ships had
iron plating added to their
hulls.
Sir John Franklin sailed in ''Erebus'', in overall command of the expedition, and ''Terror'' was again commanded by
Francis Crozier
Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier (17 October 1796 – disappeared 26 April 1848) was an Irish officer of the Royal Navy and polar explorer who participated in six expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. In May 1845, he was second-in-command ...
. The expedition was ordered to gather magnetic data in the
Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories and N ...
and to complete a crossing of the
Northwest Passage, which had already been partly charted from both the east and west but had never been entirely navigated.
The ships were last seen by Europeans entering
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay (Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; kl, Avannaata Imaa; french: Baie de Baffin), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arctic ...
in August 1845, by two whaling vessels. The disappearance of the Franklin expedition set off a massive search effort in the Arctic. The broad circumstances of the expedition's fate were first revealed when
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trade, fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake b ...
doctor
John Rae collected artefacts and testimony from local
Inuit in 1853. Later expeditions up to 1866 confirmed these reports.
Both ships had become icebound and had been abandoned by their crews, totaling about 130 men, all of whom died from a variety of causes, including
hypothermia,
scurvy and
starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, ...
while trying to trek overland to the south. Subsequent expeditions until the late 1980s, and
autopsies
An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any dis ...
of crew members, also revealed that ''Erebus'' and ''Terror''s shoddily canned
rations
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...
may have been tainted by both
lead and
botulism
Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum''. The disease begins with weakness, blurred vision, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weaknes ...
. Oral reports by local
Inuit that some of the crew members resorted to
cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, bo ...
were at least somewhat supported by
forensic evidence of cut marks on the
skeletal remains of crew members found on
King William Island
King William Island (french: Île du Roi-Guillaume; previously: King William Land; iu, Qikiqtaq, script=Latn) is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, which is part of the Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between and making it the 61 ...
during the late 20th century.
In April 1851 the British transport ship ''Renovation'' spotted two ships on a large ice floe off the coast of
Newfoundland. The identities of the ships were not confirmed. It was suggested over the years that these might have been ''Erebus'' and ''Terror'', though it is now certain they could not have been and were most likely abandoned
whaling ships.
Wreckage discovery
On 15 August 2008,
Parks Canada, an agency of the
Government of Canada, announced a
Can$
The Canadian dollar ( symbol: $; code: CAD; french: dollar canadien) is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, there is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviation Can$ is often suggested by notable style ...
75,000 six-week search deploying the
icebreaker , with the goals of finding the ships and reinforcing Canada's claims regarding
sovereignty over large portions of the Arctic.
The search was headed by underwater archeologist Robert Grenier, of Parks Canada, and local historian Louie Kamookak, who had collected Inuit oral histories related to the wreck, as well as working with the written records. Kamookak, who died in 2018 at the age of 58, was made an officer of the
Order of Canada and a member of the
Order of Nunavut
The Order of Nunavut (french: Ordre du Nunavut, iu, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᓯᔾᔪᑦ ᐅᔭᒥᒃ, italic=no, translit=Nunavumni Ilisaqsijjutujamik, ikt, Nangariyauyunut Nunavunmi) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian territory ...
for his work.
The wreckage of one of Franklin's ships was found on 2 September 2014 by a Parks Canada team led by Ryan Harris and Marc-André Bernier.
On 1 October 2014, it was announced that the remains were those of ''Erebus''. Recovery of the
ship's bell was announced on 6 November 2014. On 4 March 2015, it was announced that a diving expedition on ''Erebus'', by Parks Canada and
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
divers, would begin in April.
Although the exact location has not been released, Nancy Anilniliak, the Field Unit Superintendent of the Nunavut Field Unit, has restricted access to a rectangular area in Wilmot and Crampton Bay, to the west of the
Adelaide Peninsula
Adelaide Peninsula (''Iluilik''), ancestral home to the ''Illuilirmiut'' Inuit, is a large peninsula in Nunavut, Canada. It is located at south of King William Island. Its namesake is Queen Adelaide, consort of King William IV of the United Kingdo ...
. The area runs from Point A () to Point B () to Point C () to Point D ().
On 12 September 2016, it was announced that the wreck of HMS ''Terror'' had been found submerged in Terror Bay, off the south-west coast of King William Island. The wrecks are designated a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
with the precise location of the designation in abeyance.
On 23 October 2017, British
Defence Minister Sir
Michael Fallon
Sir Michael Cathel Fallon (born 14 May 1952) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 2014 to 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Sevenoaks from 1997 to 2019, ...
announced that the United Kingdom would transfer the ownership of both ships to Canada, retaining only a few relics and any gold, along with the right to repatriate any human remains.
In September 2018,
Parks Canada announced that ''Erebus'' condition had deteriorated significantly, with a section of the upper deck detaching from the ship, flipping over, and moving towards the stern. Parks Canada attributed the deterioration to "an upwards buoyant force acting on the decking combined with storm swell in relatively shallow water". It was then confirmed that the United Kingdom will own the first 65 artifacts brought up from ''Erebus'' while the wrecks of both ships and other artifacts will be owned by Canada and the
Inuit. Taking advantage of "sublime" weather conditions in the summer of 2019, Parks Canada were able to recover a number of artifacts from ''Erebus'', namely personal items belonging to members of the crew, which were unveiled at Parks Canada's conservation lab in Ottawa in February 2020. The planned exploration of the wreck sites in 2020 was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, with access to the wrecks restricted to the Inuit Guardians keeping watch on the sites and for those with harvesting rights in the surrounding waters. Underwater archaeology team leader Marc-Andre Bernier remarked that Parks Canada was "concerned about ''Erebus''", given the wreck's shallower depths and the earlier reports of damage. Parks Canada's Underwater Archaeology Team returned to the wrecks in May 2022, after a two-year postponement caused by the pandemic; particular attention would be paid to any further damage to ''Erebus'', due to her shallower depths.
Public access
On 5 September 2019, passengers of Adventure Canada on were the first members of the public to visit the site of the wreck of the ''Erebus''.
The wreck site is within the
Wrecks of HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS ''Terror'' National Historic Site and is managed jointly by
Parks Canada and local
Inuit, and public access to the site is not usually allowed. The visit by Adventure Canada passengers was a trial by Parks Canada in creating a visitor experience for the wreck site.
Legacy
In art, entertainment, and media
HMS ''Erebus'' is featured, often alongside HMS ''Terror'', in fictional works that use the Franklin expedition in their backstories, such as:
*
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ...
mentions ''Erebus'' and
''Terror'', in the context of
Captain Ross's expedition, in
Jules Verne's ''
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea'' (1870), as background to establish the difficulty of reaching the
South Pole, while Captain Nemo stands upon its fictional summit.
*''Erebus'' and ''Terror'' are mentioned in
Joseph Conrad's novella ''
Heart of Darkness'' (1899).
*''Terror and Erebus'' (1965) is a verse radio play for
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
by Canadian poet
, subsequently published in her collection ''Afterworlds'' (1987).
*''Terror and Erebus (A Lament for Franklin)'' (1997) is an
oratorio for solo baritone and chamber ensemble by Canadian composer Henry Kucharzyk, adapted from MacEwen's verse drama and crediting her for its libretto.
*''Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition'' (2001), by Scott Cookman, offers a journalistic account of Franklin's expedition.
*''Erebus'' and ''Terror'' appear in
Dan Simmons' novel ''
The Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
'' (2007), which is a fictional account of the expedition's fate.
**''
The Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
'' is a 2018 American television series based on Simmons' book.
*
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler (July 15, 1931 – February 24, 2020) was an American adventure novelist and underwater explorer. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached ''The New York Times'' fiction best-seller list ...
's novel, ''
'' (2008), uses ''Erebus'' and ''Terror'' as part of the plot as well as the establishing backstory of the ill-fated expedition.
*"Erebus" (2012) is a radio play for
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...
, based on the Franklin expedition, by British poet
Jo Shapcott
Jo Shapcott FRSL (born 24 March 1953, London) is an English poet, editor and lecturer who has won the National Poetry Competition, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, the Costa Book of the Year Award, a Forward Poetry Prize and the Cholmondeley Aw ...
.
*''Erebus: The Story of a Ship'' (2018, published by Hutchinson (a division of
Random House), by
Michael Palin, is an account of the ship, covering its loss in the Arctic, Antarctic exploration, and back to its construction in Milford Haven. The book was serialized on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...
in 2018.
*''Erebus and Terror'' is the sixth track on the 2016 album, ''Further Than Rust'' by Canadian folk band, Nickeltree.
*''The Erebus and the Terror'', an instrumental piece composed by
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, is the third track on the 1987 album
Something of Time by
Nightnoise
Nightnoise was a music ensemble active from 1984 to 1997. Their original blend of Irish traditional music, Celtic music, jazz, and classical chamber music inspired a generation of Irish musicians. They released seven albums on the Windham Hill ...
.
*''Erebus and Terror'' is the ninth track on the 2019 album, ''Embrace of the Godless Aeon'' by Welsh symphonic black metal band
Hecate Enthroned
Hecate Enthroned are an English symphonic black metal band initially founded with members from both Wales and England, but are now primarily based around Cheshire, England. The band formed in 1993 as a blackened death metal act under the name ...
.
In namesakes
*
Mount Erebus
Mount Erebus () is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica (after Mount Sidley), the highest active volcano in Antarctica, and the southernmost active volcano on Earth. It is the sixth-highest ultra mountain on the continent.
With a sum ...
, located on
Ross Island
Ross Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound. Ross Island lies within the boundaries of Ross Dependency, an area of Antarctica claimed by New ...
adjacent to the volcanically inactive
Mount Terror, is the second-highest
volcano in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
(after
Mount Sidley) and the southernmost active volcano on Earth.
*
Erebus Bay
Erebus Bay () is a bay about wide between Cape Evans and Hut Point Peninsula, on the west side of Ross Island. The bay was explored by the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, under Robert Falcon Scott. It was named by Scott's secon ...
lies between
Cape Evans
Cape Evans is a rocky cape on the west side of Ross Island, Antarctica, forming the north side of the entrance to Erebus Bay.
History
The cape was discovered by the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, under Robert Falcon Scott, ...
and
Hut Point Peninsula
Hut Point Peninsula () is a long, narrow peninsula from wide and long, projecting south-west from the slopes of Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica. McMurdo Station (US) and Scott Base (NZ) are Antarctic research stations located on the ...
, on the west side of
Ross Island
Ross Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound. Ross Island lies within the boundaries of Ross Dependency, an area of Antarctica claimed by New ...
.
*
Erebus and Terror Gulf
Erebus and Terror Gulf is a gulf on the southeast side of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, bordered on the northeast by the Joinville Island group and on the southwest by the James Ross Island group. It was named for HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS '' ...
, in Antarctica. Named for the vessels used by Royal Navy Captain Sir James Clark Ross in exploring the area in 1842–43.
Erebus and Terror Gulf
/ref>
*Erebus crystal An erebus crystal is a crystal of anorthoclase (a type of feldspar) found in the immediate area surrounding Mount Erebus near McMurdo Station, Antarctica. This type of feldspar is rich in sodium, potassium, and aluminium silicate. Similar crystals ...
is a type of feldspar found in the immediate area surrounding Mount Erebus
Mount Erebus () is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica (after Mount Sidley), the highest active volcano in Antarctica, and the southernmost active volcano on Earth. It is the sixth-highest ultra mountain on the continent.
With a sum ...
; the crystals grow in the magma beneath Mount Erebus and are ejected out of the mountain encased in glassy volcanic bombs
A volcanic bomb or lava bomb is a mass of partially molten rock (tephra) larger than 64 mm (2.5 inches) in diameter, formed when a volcano ejects viscous fragments of lava during an eruption. Because volcanic bombs cool after they l ...
.
*Erebus (crater)
Erebus is a crater lying situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planet Mars, this extraterrestrial geological feature was visited by the ''Opportunity'' rover on the way to the much larger crater Victoria. It ...
is a geological feature on the planet Mars, named for HMS ''Erebus'', and visited by the ''Opportunity'' rover on the way to the much larger crater Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seyche ...
.
*Erebus Street in the suburb of Keilor Park
Keilor Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Brimbank local government area. Keilor Park recorded a population of 2,684 at the 2021 census.
Keilor ...
in Melbourne, Australia
See also
* European and American voyages of scientific exploration
The era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration followed the Age of Discovery and were inspired by a new confidence in science and reason that arose in the Age of Enlightenment. Maritime expeditions in the Age of Discovery were ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erebus (1826)
1826 ships
Arctic exploration vessels
Bomb vessels of the Royal Navy
Exploration ships of the United Kingdom
Franklin's lost expedition
History of Antarctica
Maritime incidents in April 1845
National Historic Sites in Nunavut
Ships built in Pembroke Dock
Shipwrecks of the Canadian Arctic coast
History of the Ross Dependency