Discovered Long-Lost Ship Confirmed As HMS Erebus

Remember early last month when we reported that one of the Franklin Expedition ships had been discovered? Less than a month later, the Canadian government has confirmed which of the two lost ships the recent discovery is: the HMS Erebus.

The Franklin Expedition was a mission in the 19th century by Sir John Franklin and crew to find the Northwest Passage. The ships — both the HMS Erebus and the still missing HMS Terror — unfortunately disappeared very soon after the expedition started, and have since been the stuff of myth.

As part of a bid to claim sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, and thanks in part to the melting effects of climate change, a grand effort by the Canadian government lead to the first ship's discovery. Hope stands that the HMS Terror will be discovered soon, as well.

The ship was found in shallow water near King William Island, and is said to be in "astonishing condition" by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's John Geiger. The discovery will hopefully help researchers finally determine what, exactly, happened to the ships and crew.

SOURCE: BBC