The mystery of the fate of Sir John Franklin’s expedition to discover the Northwest Passage in 1845 has intrigued many. The last sighting of the ships Erebus and Terror was on July 26th, 1845. They were seen by the whaling ships Enterprise and The Prince of Wales at Baffin Bay. This three-act play by Michael Rowlands uses a tantalizing blend of fact and fiction as the men of the remaining ships, lead by Captain Francis Crozier and Captain Fitzjames, finally make their preparations for the ill-fated journey  across 900 miles to the safety of Back’s River. Crozier understands that the 105 men may have little chance of survival man-hauling their boats. He thinks back to the twenty-four men, who had died, including Sir John Franklin, and he sees nothing but false hope after things had started so promisingly. With Smithy, an old man who served with him on John Ross’s expedition to the South Pole, Crozier confides in him as the preparations are made for the final trek towards the safety of the Hudson Bay Company’s territory. I have included the opening scene from the play

The lights rise; the stooped figure of Charles Dickens can be seen scribbling at his writing bureau. The nib scratches across the page as he stops, seemingly satisfied, nods, and stands, walking toward the centre of the stage.

Dickens:    Difficulties do not breed terror. This inscription was engraved on one of his medals. A man’s character, inviolate, should never be traduced if he is not able to defend actions that are later called into question. I understand that John Rae may be a trustworthy fellow and his motives above reproach. At the very least, he should appear in London and address these terrible ill-founded rumours that have bred such calumny against these poor men. Can John Rae believe the stories that no-else have ever heard? How can there be verification of such ill based rumours when King William Island is devoid of life? Second hand evidence, no matter how the truth is manipulated, should never be spoken of in polite society. The flaws are many in Rae’s communication to The Times and I will shortly come to these. My abiding interest in this saga is that the truth should be known about Sir John Franklin’s expedition after all these years. I know how underhanded men can be when public opinion is overlooked.  The revelations of John Rae will do little to solve the enigma. There is a truth to be gleaned and John Rae is not the man in whom we should place our trust. The families of the missing men deserve so much more. The men of the Erebus and Terror upheld the highest values of the Royal Navy that have seen it become a force for good on the world’s oceans. While there was such hope as they left in search of the Northwest Passage, it should have led to a triumphant homecoming after three years away. I believe they did find their goal and that the West would have been linked to the East at long last. Do you recall the names of the crew? Captain Crozier, Captain Fitzjames, Preddie, Vincent, Vesconte. All the mens’ faces I may see when I suffer their anguish when they understand they would never see these shores again. Their patience would have been sorely tested, surrounded by the unyielding ice, as their ships remained entombed, awaiting rescue. An Englishman is never afraid to admit his weaknesses. The food they had was in plentiful supply and I damn Rae’s assertions that, even if a man is so enervated, he would resort to the role of a savage. What other motive is there for this man than the ten thousand pounds the Admiralty was offering for any evidence leading to the fate of the men on Sir John Franklin’s expedition. My aspersions are not meant to appease. I feel the terrible anger that the rest of Great Britain has. The Esquimau tall tales collated by Rae show no conclusive proof that the remains discovered belong to the complement of either ship. . .