Erebus and Terror

[shipstamps]

When the New Zealand transAntarctic Expedition leaves for the Ross Dependency about the middle of this month (Dec 56) it will carry from New Zealand a stock of specially printed stamps for use by members of the expedition while in the Ross Dependency area. A post office will be established there, which will be known as Scott Base P.O., and it is expected that this office will be opened early in January 1957 and will remain open for an indefinite period. Four values of stamps will be on sale at the Antarctic post office, the denominations and designs being respectively: 3d, depicting H.M.S. Erebus with Mt. Erebus in the background; 4d, Shackleton and Scott, with a map of the Dependency in the background; 8d, a map of the Ross Dependency showing the geographical relationship of that area to New Zealand; is 6d, portrait of the Queen.
The design of the 3d stamp is illustrated. It seems a great pity that the artist, Mr. L. C. Mitchell, of Wellington, N.Z., did not incorporate the consort of the Erebus in this design, H.M.S. Terror, for the two ships made Antarctic and Arctic history together nine years before sharing the same fate. Their associ¬ation began in September 1839, when, under command of Capt. James Clark Ross, they sailed from England for a voyage of discovery in the Antarctic. The ships first crossed the Antarctic Circle on January 1, 1841 and in a short time discovered a long range of land, which Ross named Victoria; a volcano upwards of 12,000 ft., which was named Mt. Erebus, after the ship; and a "marvellous range of ice-cliffs," to quote Capt. Ross, which effectually, and to all appearances permanently, barred the way to any nearer approach to the South Pole. The ships returned to England on September 7, 1843 having lost only one man by illness in four years. For his important discoveries on this voyage Ross received the gold medals of the geographical societies of London and Paris and was knighted.
This successful voyage stimulated the Admiralty to embark on a further undertaking — to solve the problem of whether the North-West Passage was available to navigation under any circumstances. The two ships, Erebus and Terror, just returned from the Antarctic after their remarkable voyage were to be commissioned for the Arctic voyage—an obvious choice—but Ross declined the leadership of this expedition and Sir John Franklin claimed the post, although then nearly 60. He had been Governor of Van Diemen's Land for a period of seven years and was anxious to return to the Royal Navy, especially when he knew an opportunity offered for a Polar voyage. His knowledge of Polar seas stood Franklin in good stead and he was given the post despite his age.
The task of equipping the Erebus and the Terror for the Arctic voyage was begun at Woolwich Dockyard in 1845. They were towed from Sheerness to Woolwich on February 8. Both ships had been specially strengthened for Capt. Ross's voyage to the Antarctic and had returned in excellent condition; the altera¬tions decided on were improvements, not repairs. As an additional protection against ice, the bows of the ships were covered with sheet iron which extended along the sides for a length of 20ft. For the benefit of the ships' companies each vessel was installed with an apparatus for warming the cabins by hot water.
Each ship was provided with a crew library of 12,000 volumes, and, by public subscription, music was provided for the ships' companies by means of a pair of barrel-organs, which could play 50 different tunes each, 10 of them being psalms or hymns. It was decided to equip the ships, which were 3-masted, barque-rigged bomb-vessels, with screw propellers, driven by railway engines. The engine for the Erebus was obtained from the Greenwich Railway. It was of 20 h.p. and under the most favourable conditions it could propel the ship at four knots, this being regarded at the time as a most valuable addition to the ship's equipment. Each ship had a special appliance fitted to raise the screw out of the water as soon as any risk arose of the blades becoming fixed in ice.
These were the first ships in the annals of Arctic exploration to be fitted with screw propellers. Everything which seemed likely to be needed for the voyage was provided freely, and it seems probable that no Arctic expedition had ever been so lavishly equipped. The men engaged on fitting out the ships worked 11 hours a day to complete their task in good time. On April 28, the Erebus left the dockyard, the Terror the following day. Both the flush-decked ships had black hulls, white masts and yellow weather works.
Sir John Franklin's expedition sailed from Greenhithe in May 1845 and reached the upper part of Baffin Bay in safety; it then sailed into the unknown. It did not return, and its fate remained a mystery for 14 years, during which time relief and search expeditions on an unprecedented scale were organised and sent out to the Baffin Bay area. The first expedition set out in 1847 to be followed by five in 1848; three in 1849; 10 in 1850 (including four sent out by the Admiralty); two in 1851; nine in 1852; five in 1853 (in¬cluding two by the United States Navy); two in 1864; one in 1855; and a last one in 1857 fitted out at the personal expense of Lady Franklin.
In 1850 traces of the missing ships were discovered on Beechey Island, where the expedition passed its first winter and at the same time deposited vast stocks of preserved meat in cannisters. This had putrefied and had been condemned by survey, thus fatally diminishing the three years' provisions which were supposed to be on board. It was not until 1859 that the fate of the expedition was known when the yacht Fox, sent out by Lady Franklin, came across traces of the lost explorers. Numerous relics were then found; a boat, a few skeletons, clothing, chronometers, and other instruments including watches. There were also books, and at last, towards the end of May, a written paper, the contents of which, together with what was told by the Eskimos, cleared up the mystery. The paper, which was an official form issued to be left for transmission by any casual finder was dated "28 May, 1847. H.M. ships Erebus and Terror wintered in the ice in lat. 70 deg. 05 min. N., long 98 deg. 23 min. W. Having wintered in 1846-7 (a mistake for 1845-6) at Beechey Island in lat. 74 deg. 43 min. N., long. 91 deg. 39 min. W., after having ascended Wellington Channel to lat. 77 deg. and returned by the West side of Cornwallis Island. All well ....." In 1846 they proceeded to the South-West and eventually reached within 12 miles of the North extreme of King William's Land where progress was arrested by the approaching winter.
On the same form, written in the margin, appeared: "25 April, 1848.— H.M. ships Erebus and Terror were deserted on 22 April, five leagues N.N.W. of this, having been beset since 12 September, 1846. The officers and crews, consisting of 105 souls, under the command of Capt. F. R.M. Crozier, landed here in lat. 69 deg. 37 min. N., long. 98 deg. 41 min.W. Sir John Franklin died on 11 June, 1847, and the total loss by deaths in the expedition has been to this date nine officers and 15 men. Start tomorrow, 26th, for Back Fish River." That was all.
From the Eskimos it was learned that one of the ships sank in deep water, the other, much battered, was forced on shore. There was no further news of the men. Every man perished. Since the finding of the written record Franklin has been recognised as the discoverer of the North-West Passage for he had found its entrance though ice prevented him travelling through the strait, and the Erebus and Terror have the honour of being the first ships to enter the North-West Passage. As a result of the numerous relief expeditions sent out, the map of the Arctic regions North of America was turned from a blank void into a distinct representation of islands, straits and seas.

Sea Breezes 12/56

Ross SG1,33. FSAT SG146,189 Brit Ant SG200,204,2008?

[Anatol]

PMR 2019; [P].