Sixteen papers from the 1984 multidisciplinary symposium entitled “The Franklin Era in Canadian Arctic History, 1845-59” held in Ottawa, Ontario. The papers address a wide range of research topics and issues surrounding the disappearance of Sir John Franklin and his third expedition to the Canadian Arctic, 1845-1948, and the subsequent search efforts that spanned the period from 1847 to 1859.

An account, published in 1855, of a voyage to the Arctic by a French explorer on a British expedition.

Although Arctic explorer and Hudson Bay Company surveyor John Rae (1813-1893) travelled and recorded the final uncharted sections of the Northwest Passage, he is best known for his controversial discovery of the fate of the lost Franklin Expedition of 1845. Based on evidence given to him by local Inuit, Rae determined that Franklin's crew had resorted to cannibalism in their final, desperate days. Seen as maligning a national hero, Rae was shunned by British society. This collection of personal correspondence--reissued here for the first time since its original publication in 1953--illuminates the details of Rae's expeditions through his own words. The letters offer a glimpse into Rae's daily life, his ideas, musings, and troubles. Prefaced by the original, thorough introduction detailing his early life, John Rae's Arctic Correspondence is a crucial resource for any Arctic enthusiast. This new edition features a foreword by researcher and Arctic enthusiast Ken McGoogan, the award-winning author of eleven books, including Fatal Passage: The Untold Story of John Rae (HarperCollins, 2002).

Uncovering a wealth of archival information, Eavan O'Dochartaigh gives fresh and surprising insight into the Victorian image of the Arctic.

In April 1852 Emile Frederic de Bray sailed down the Thames on board Resolute. The ship was bound for the icy waters north of Canada as part of Sir Edward Belcher's Arctic Squadron searching for Sir John Franklin and his men, missing since the summer of 1845. De Bray's diaries of his years with Resolute have not been published before, in any language, and only one other account of this particular Franklin search expedition exists. Enseigne-de-vaisseau de Bray, seconded at his own request from the French navy, was something of a rarity among those who made up the search parties: he was not British. (One of his shipmates hoped for the best: 'The Frenchman does not seem an Englishman,' he observed, 'but I suppose he will improve on acquaintance.') As a result de Bray notices and comments on details and incidents his fellow officers would have considered unremarkable. Cape de Bray on the northwest coast of Melville Island commemorates the efforts of this intrepid French officer, who gained the respect of his fellows, was made a Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur by Napoleon III, and was awarded the Arctic Medal by Queen Victoria.

Through extensive research and reference to new archival material, Cavell recaptures and examines the experience of nineteenth-century readers.

The 1857 Nautical Magazine includes articles on privateering, cable-laying, French shipping legislation and military developments in the Crimea and Canton.

The 1833 Nautical Magazine includes articles on steam power, Arctic exploration, Australia, the Pacific, and detailed advice for young sailors.