Beechey Island

Today after much fog and ice we managed to land on Beechey Island one if the main historical sites for the exploration of the North West Passage. Sir John Franklin spent the first Winter of his final and fatal 1845 expedition here. Three of his crewmen died and were buried in graves on the shingle foreshore. One sailor from a later expedition sent to find Franklin also died here and is buried alongside them. The main image is the Franklin Memorial and the four graves are in the first extra.

One of the parties sent to find Franklin built a house along the beach and left it well equipped in case Franklin’s crew returned. The ruins are in the second extra.

We are the last ship to sail the North West Passage this year, so this desolate place will be in peace under the approaching snow for the next 10 months.