The Location of the Ships? Maybe.

A clue.

A clue that forms a theory.

After flying high and low over King William Island this last summer, there is, among the intriguing sights and discoveries - one particular location, one most likely previously discovered, which I have been ruminating over.  Perhaps it has been previously written elsewhere, but I haven't seen or heard it.  It is of no matter.  

This is what I thought about the site that I had viewed up close and/or may be the same "Boat Place" spoken of so frequently.  It has been said that it is most likely to have been the place of the pinnace from HMS Erebus.  A large boat 28 foot long and 7 foot 3 inches wide, abandoned by the men of the Franklin expedition during their attempt to escape overland in 1848.  These areas (or this area if there is more than one abandoned lifeboat), lie at the crux of Erebus Bay.  After I was there, I called it "Hell's Corner".  There is not a spot on Earth that I have yet seen where I can think of a more miserable place to die.  Certainly a slow death in despair. 

It was documented that the boat was pointing back to the ships when found.  And - it was thought to be only a year later.  During the year before, they must have passed this specific area heading south.  The question that I kept thinking was: "When retreating back to the ships, why did they stop there?  Why that particular spot?"  

Several skeletons cannibalized around this boat, one mangled inside -- and -- ONE LAST SKELETON DRESSED WARMLY LEANING BACK IN THE END SEAT.  Surely our last survivor could have hiked back to the shelter of the ships in sight (if not the last few men too).  It was but a 3 or 4 day hike with a pack on the back at most.  But no, the skeleton says that he had to be hanging around there alive for weeks, if not months.  So many men as this would not have been cannibalized inside of a week or two.  Maybe a man dying a week to feed the remaining.  The bones were all concentrated there in that spot, not on a marching trail.

Yes, I was there.  And from that specific vantage point this last spring/summer I could see most of the distance clearly all the way up the coast, that flat horizon of sea ice.  This boat location to Victory Point is inside of 50 miles (I can see the western side of the state of Michigan's shores across Lake Michigan as I am looking to the east here on the Chicago lake front on a clear day - and that's 60 miles with bad eyes).  Back then it must have been also the same flat sea ice.  One could surely look up the coast from this position and plainly see the ships to the naked eye at least as two small specks on the horizon, on the crisp cold clear days.  And maybe they had a telescope, although I didn't see one among the artifacts that are documented on this site as collected from there.

Then what is so special about this spot, given all these clues?

It is this:

Despair.  This is the key word. 

Despair, because as they rounded the corner (yes, after being there myself, it's a definite corner) to finally be able to have the clear angle to see up the coast to the north, THERE WERE NO SHIPS.  HM Ships Erebus and Terror were quickly gone. Not languishing to the south where everyone has been looking.  If those ships were south with the masts sticking up, those specific men would have seen them on the way and would have been on them, dead or alive, not rotting away there as they did in the sand and rock.

So if turning the corner as they did and not seeing the ships, then why continue any farther?  No reason to.  There was no place to go, no ships, no salvation.  That's why "there".  That spit, where I took those pictures of those wood pieces of boat or sledge, was a long skinny projection out to the west, probably the best point for the first good clear "look see" to the north/northwest, where the ships were when they had abandoned them the previous year.  That's when it hit me.  I believed that this is why they stopped there at that specific location.  It must have been a shock and then a crushing blow to their moral, and their spirit, what little they may have had left.  To them it must have seemed that either the ships had sunk, or a few of their comrades had made it back safely on board and had then sailed on without them.

So working the puzzle backwards, that leads to those two obvious initial starting thoughts (and surely more):

1) If the men had stopped there to die because the ships were gone, then the ships could not have drifted too far in that one year since abandoned.  If they had sunk, then they must have sunk up there, due WNW or W --- or at most WSW of Victory Point (approximately one year's pack ice drift south of the "5 leagues NNW of" position of VP, as written in the famous note).

Or (2), if the men had stopped there to die because the ships were gone, then if it was a warm summer in 1848.  While "the mice were away, the two cats sailed away".  The ships became beset in the ice again and sunk somewhere else.  Not likely as I believe the ice coring "tree ring" samples from that decade proved out that it was all cold summers in those years.  This from a previous scientific expedition executed several years ago.  Maybe someone might have a look closer at those findings and see.

Is that it?  No.

Or (3) remotely - Did some men indeed make it back to the ship(s), only to sail somewhere else to die?!  Hmmm.  And is it too remote to  speculate?  

I leave you with that!

Of course I have some other ending thoughts and locations.  Time may tell.

Homeward Bound

Had to turn back to the airport when leaving the on the first run homeward bound.  Once coming out over Queen Maud Gulf, the headwinds rose to 60 KTS.  Never would of made Baker Lake. 

The next day was better.  Transitioning from Gillam to Red Lake encountered many large forest fires and had to climb over the smoke plumes, and then navigate around others further south which were exceeding 12,000 feet.

From 11,000 feet

Ontario forest fires ahead.  Near Deer Lake in Ontario, about 120 miles north of Red Lake

Copycats

There seems to be a case building that maybe the Canadian government team has been taking a painstaking approach in making applicants divulge every last detail of their project, then after rejecting, copying the good parts.

Autonomous underwater vehicle

My 2003 application proposed zodiac boat with side-scan sonar to look for the ships.  HMS Investigator found last year by government team with zodiac boat and side-scan sonar, partnering with a defector of my team.

Procom 2009 bid proposed AUV's (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle).  This year, the Canadian government team now has proposed adding AUV's to their arsenal. 

Should we look for the Canadian government team to commence aerial thermal scanning for Sir John Franklin's tomb for 2012?

Canadian Government Paranoia?

Canadian Arctic Sovereignty?  Camon Canada, really?!

Ran across this from 2008 out of Ottawa.  I guess it all does seem to add up.  If the Canadian government can't find it, nobody can.

The six-week search - the first season in what could be a three-year project headed by Parks Canada’s senior underwater archeologist Robert Grenier and Inuit historian Louie Kamoukak - is set to get under way within days aboard a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker.

But Baird stressed repeatedly that the search aboard the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Sir Wilfrid Laurier is intended to not only locate an “exciting” piece of global maritime heritage, but also to reinforce Canada’s Arctic sovereignty - an issue Prime Minister Stephen Harper flagged earlier this week as a key component of his party’s re-election strategy.

“We think every bit of weight we can put behind our case for sovereignty is important,” Baird said. “Adding history to that equation can only enhance that case.”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

Footnote:
Looks like the ships are just a vehicle for the government to assert their sovereignty.  So sad to use that as the legacy for those famous English sailors. 

NBC and CBC reports

NBC televised on July 12th and 13th news here.

Twitter here.

You Tube here.

CBC online article on July 11 here.

CBC update and radio telecast here.  CLEY response.  Well known Canadian author and Franklin specialist Ken McGoogan seems to support my mission's qualifications.

Intent

I have just seen comments on my mission which are really off target and based on some far out uninformed speculation.  Just to clarify, as stated in my very first post on this site, all my work is dedicated to the people of Gjoa Haven.  In the past I have worked to help the Lakota of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.  I am also now working with some of the Sayisi Dene out of Churchill, Manitoba (the "Caribou People") who were torn from their homeland in the 1950's.  I have a long record in helping native people and cultures.  The community of Gjoa Haven should benefit from anything that is found by myself or anyone else, whether Canadian, American or other in nationality.  It is part of their heritage too.  And that, along with my historical curiosity and sense of adventure, has always been my motivation to come here.

CBC - U.S. man's search for Franklin's grave shut down

CBC article from July 11 here.

And the question still is:

Why did CLEY decline Mr. Carlson's application before Gjoa Haven Counsel had a chance to vote either way?  

Gjoa Haven community's opinion does not matter?

CLEY stalled by advising Mr. Carlson that the reason that the permit application review process was not finished was because of waiting for "Stakeholder Response" (Gjoa Haven's Counsel).

In less than 24 hours after Mr. Carlson advised CLEY the "good news" that Gjoa Haven was going to approve him, CLEY emailed that he was declined.  Then subsequent arrest and jail threats for simply overflight of known site "boat place".

From CLEY's website: 

The Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth was established to provide leadership within the Government of Nunavut in the development and implementation of policies, programs and services aimed at strengthening the culture, language, heritage and physical activity of Nunavummiut...............promoting healthy active living by supporting amateur sport and local recreational opportunities in communities, and encouraging ongoing dialogue between Elders and youth and the government. 

Intriguing Ground Anomaly

Here is a pic of the ground anomaly that I had found to the far northwest on King William Island, mentioned last week.  The photo was taken from about 300 to 400 feet AGL.  It really stood out from many other deformations.  

Intriguing ground anomaly

When I went around for a lower pass, there appeared to be what seemed like a small piece of battered wood partially buried there.  Note the gray rectangular gravel area that appears to have at some point been disturbed, slightly darker shade.   

Detail 1

Or it may be a grave of an Aboriginal.  Or it may be nothing.  But if a grave - Aboriginal type of graves, at least from what I have seen, have been surrounded or covered with rocks, built up above the ground.   I am not an expert in this area.  The only way to know for sure is to land nearby and hike over for a close up look, and also activate the magnetometer.  Unless of course the wood has an inscription of some kind.  

Or like I said before, it may be a false lead, nothing.

Video and Pictures of "Boat Place"

Included are three of my aerial passes over Boat Place (video link below is aerial pass number 3).  This third pass is closest and in that view, on the end of the small island spit, one can see what appears to be the remains of the lifeboat on sledge that the Franklin men were dragging. Below are some of the close up pictures (click any to enlarge).  Larger pieces that are revealed in the close ups look to me like the remains of a sledge. Maybe, maybe not.

Boat Place - pass 1

Boat Place - pass 2

Boat Place - pass 1 (close up)

Boat Place - pass 2 (close up)

Rings a Bell

See further correspondence from 2010 by Procom, including Stenton's actions here.  Then threats of criminal charges, see here.

The same uncooperative and blocking actions by CLEY.  It is almost the exact same sequence that I have just encountered.  There is definitely something afoot with a pattern of preventing any activities from all outsiders related to Franklin discovery.

Received Personal Threats from head of CLEY, Doug Stenton

After my blog post referencing my low pass flight above a long ago previously discovered Franklin site, famously known to all as “Boat Place”, I was threatened in an email by D. Stenton who runs CLEY (Culture, Language, Elders and Youth) with arrest, fine and jail time.  In addition, it was also insinuated that I could be blocked from ever getting a future permit.

D. Stenton

The threatening email that I speak of was sent by Stenton’s assistant Julie Ross, but was most likely ghost written by him, as he made reference to me as “him” in third person, in the words she copied/pasted and wrote to me (see email thread link here).

Seriously now, does anyone now think that I could have ever received a permit from CLEY this year, let alone in the future?  I have now rationalized that even if I had, right here and now, ten world-acclaimed scientists, archeologists and paleontologists, the answer would be the same.  Even with all the other authorities and Hamlets approving my proposed work, this game is fixed.  I think the attitude is “If I can’t get it, nobody can”.

This is now at the ridiculous level.  So for those who care to read on, here are all the facts and details of how CLEY deals the cards from the bottom:

CLEY’s feedback to me has been almost nil in the last month or two.  No response to my queries on permit status.  As posted earlier, on June 14^th they finally did send a cryptic note that told me that my permit approval was being stalled in so many words by the Gjoa Haven Mayor and Counsel (“waiting for Stakeholder’s response”).  We see now that this was a misrepresentation.  Also posted earlier, just hours after I emailed CLEY with the good news that Gjoa Haven was excited and supporting my cause and would be voting positively on it soon, I immediately received the one page rejection form letter.  (see CLEY emailthread here).  Obviously CLEY was hoping that they could use Gjoa Haven as a scapegoat.  At the time of the rejection, Gjoa Haven Counsel hadn’t even voted either way for my work.  It was still a full two weeks away.  So, just on my word, they immediately forwarded a rejection letter.  I guess it shows that the “Stakeholders” don’t really matter after all. 

So here is the sequence of what then went down on this matter –

After I received the denial letter, I responded positively in an email to CLEY indicating that I had guessed I was now technically a tourist and in honoring that, I would accordingly not use my equipment and/or not survey.  But thinking it would still be ok to fly over a known site or two and explore before I leave this place, I noted for confirmation.  (How did I assume that?  Because CLEY’s Julie Ross told me this in an email dated February 18, 2011, relating in that email to me that I was OK to have done that same thing when I was here last in 2003; that it was OK to look around.  And it was also OK that I documented the two graves that I observed and photographed back then, because I was classified as a “tourist”.)  

From that email Julie Ross (QUOTE) “…..Your 2003 activities now that they have been detailed were fine and would not have required a permit. This year you are not being a tourist you are looking for sites  :-)  ”  (UNQUOTE)

I mentioned my understanding in my note back to CLEY, to which I received:

NO RESPONSE.

A day later, wondering why no response, I emailed them again.  This time I asked if I could travel there to CLEY’s office in Igloolik personally, during that following week or two, on any day at their convenience, for a 30 minute debrief.  This, in order to better prepare for next year, to which I received:

NO RESPONSE.

One would think they didn’t care, or as it turns out they maybe didn’t have the respect to send a reply. Or it may have been on purpose, I do not know.  So I went out to see some sites.  Then I posted the part on the blog about “Boat Place”, to which I then I received: 

A RESPONSE;  A THREAT – IF YOU DO IT AGAIN, ARREST, FINE AND JAIL FOR YOU.

So of course I have complied with that email’s directive.  It would have been nice to have received some clarity ahead of time.  It is on record that I had asked.  But there was no answer to my query.  So, after this email was received, I immediately grounded myself and certainly have not attempted to fly to or near King William Island since.

Listen, I came up here out because of my passion for history and to try and help fill in a blank or two on the Franklin mystery, not to cause a big commotion.  I also wanted to help the people of Gjoa Haven in the process.  Canadian government funds had before been set aside for a national park and a road from Gjoa Haven to a yet to be determined region of King William Island.  The Hamlet’s leaders were undecided on where to put it all.  So in visiting them personally, we discussed a plan and agreement with the Hamlet that I could help in trying to find Franklin’s tomb for them, should it exist.  They would like to locate the park there.  This was hinted last year in my past discussions with the former Mayor, and this was my present discussions with Mayor Allan Aglukkaq.  It’s all positive stuff.

After considering the above communication sequence, it is plain to see now, taking into account the timing and content of these notes, that I was permit dead on the day on which I sent the application.  But of course, this ruling to deny my application was not before I was required to share my ideas in depth, my theories, equipment, detailed rational and lastly, the thermal camera manufacturer and specifications - for their benefit.  Then I was requested to submit a business type plan.  Interesting.

As it turned out, I had some correct intuition on all of this from the beginning.  It is why I came up here with my “boots on the ground”.  I met the people all around up here and was well received by same with open arms.  So in this effort I seem to have exposed the inner workings of one office of Canada’s government agencies – CLEY, and their perceived private ownership of Franklin.  Same happened to a Canadian team last year (see letter from ProCom here).

Perhaps some good will come out of it.  Maybe there will be closer scrutiny of CLEY’s motives and agenda.  Clearly there is an agenda.  Or maybe it is an order from higher officials in government above.

Although this has left me with a negative impression, it’s ok because this is a fruitful trip.  I stood out there on the land of King William Island.  I saw what it was like.  Taking everything into account, I’m happy with how it is going.

And as for projecting ahead for next year’s possibilities?   I would be excited to have a qualified team to go do the scanning and searching. And of course land the plane, look on the ground at the anomaly I saw and other new possible finds.  But I’m thinking that any permit attempt by me with any team is probably futile with the present CLEY administration.  Unless someone, some group or some movement changes the climate at that office.

Good News and Bad News

Just 5 minutes ago I received word from the hamlet office of Gjoa Haven that I was officially approved at the Gjoa Haven Counsel meeting last night to commence with my proposed work.  It's now official.  They are excited and support me fully to proceed with my work.  I want to help them too.  

The bad news is that I have also received an email from CLEY threatening me with a fine, arrest and jail, for future flying over King William Island.  I guess it is against the law to fly over the island or anywhere in this near region.  I will share the details very soon on that.

Interesting Find

The weather has been miserable up until the last couple of days.  Very high winds, rain, rain and more rain.  Internet access has been down for close to a week now, finally back up two days ago, but slow and very intermittent.  My only guess is that it must be that the satellite dishes are pointed below the horizon and signals have to be received through an almost endless horizontal cross section of the weather.

Anyway, to catch up more, included in my “site seeing” that day (when I looked at Boat Place) I also flew up to see Victory Point and Cape Felix just to have a look see.  No thermal, no "surveying" of course.  It was a little disappointing, not too exciting, not much to see.  Especially not landing yet.  But hey I was there. What was more fun was my “to and from” route, as I was looking down out my side window on the north and northwest coast and returning parallel on the interior of King William Island.  The topography is very intriguing because I found that a person can see any slight unnatural ground disturbance on this land, even if caused long ago. It is unlike Victoria Island or many of the other land masses up here that I have been flying over.  It’s so very monolithic, colorless, flat and even more barren, if that is possible.  Also, I did make one happenstance find significantly inland that could be a deep ground burial.  It appeared as a subtle rectangular disturbance of gravel.  Most of the aboriginal graves that I have seen, read or heard about are shallow or above ground with large flat rocks, wood, any debris.  I am not an expert on this but this was rather smooth, same color, but slightly different texture.  I had always considered that in burying Sir John, that they may have felt it fitting to march inland a mile or two, or three…or even more.  And then again, it could be just another anomaly - I saw many cracks here that went hundreds of yards long that were perfectly straight as if drawn on a string, and in some places where they would cross almost perfectly perpendicular.  

More later today or tomorrow.  Will catch up on other important events as you will soon see.

"Boat Place"

Had a good weather window today, so quickly picked up and flew a long ways to that somewhat famous location known long ago as "Boat Place".  This is where the lifeboat and human skeletal remains of uncertain Franklin crew members were originally found by one of the latter search mission expeditions.  Led by Francis Leopold McClintock, hired by Lady Franklin, on the ship called Fox.  It is probably the most intriguing and eery of all the sites.  Back then, inside the boat, which was purportedly being dragged back to the Erebus and Terror by some 15 men, a clothed skeleton was frozen sitting at one end of the boat and on the side, two shotguns leaning on the gunwale still locked and loaded.  Probably the last man in this sad band.  [Revised from picture showing the guns held in the hands of the last skeleton, the guns were actually leaning on the boat as depicted in the new picture here, thanks for clarifiation to William Battersby, who actually coincidentally had lunch last week with Leopold McClintock's great great granddaughter]. 

Not very accessible, it's on the north side of the Graham Gore Peninsula.  It looks much different than I had thought it would look like over the many years of reading and imagining.  A very small thin little spit of gravel and sand.  I was at very low altitude, with flaps down to slow the plane's airspeed - about 100 feet AGL (which means "above ground level", MSL is "above sea level").  Did some landing approaches nearby but when 10 feet off the ground, near eye level, the boulders that were very small from the air popped up like huge gophers.  Too many to dodge for a touch down, so I did a couple of go arounds...but no dice.  Taking no chances.  I can probably land a mile or two away and hike over, maybe in the next week or two if I pass nearby.

Leopold McClintock

In making some additional very low slow approaches, I recorded some good video and a couple of clear pics.  There is plainly visible a small pile of debris; planks or boards and other things.  I assume these are the last remains of the whale boat that they were dragging.  Glad to see that some things are still there.

What a sad and lonely little spot.  As I looked down, it was so isolated, but framed.  On this little spit of gravel and sand, in the shape of an "exclamation mark" actually.  You could almost see in one's imagination the complete whaleboat there, perched on the small gravel shelf, with the men in despair, sitting on the gentle gravel slope and looking out over Victoria Strait wondering what will become of them. 

To me it seemed surprisingly more of an obvious place to any observer on land or sea than I thought it would be.  It does not blend in as everything else does here, especially when flying or walking in the interior.

I will download and broadcast all these images tonight or tomorrow.  Images turned out well and in one picture, one can clearly see the pieces.  3 large planks are most noticeable.  2 of them appear as runners from sledge, maybe.....

Snow Today

Still grounded.  Snow in season today in Cambridge Bay.  Summer is late.  

By the way, I have had the privilege of parking in the restricted zone with the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) for the NWS Long Range Radar Station base.  The DEW Line is seeing significant activity here and the boys have been great hosts.

Cambridge Bay Airport, in the in the DND restricted zone - June 28, 2011

Baymaud - Cambridge Bay

The Baymaud sitting on the bottom adjacent Hamlet of Cambridge Bay

While waiting out the weather here today, though I would go check out the famous local shipwreck in one of the bays called the Baymaud and snap some pics of her.  The location is very accessible and one can get close if you are willing to hike around 2 miles there and 2 miles back.  I wore my immersion suit for the walk for a couple of reasons.  One, I was pondered saving a lot of time by walking straight across the bay ice, after seeing a local cross in an ATV earlier in the week.  Secondly, if not taking the big shortcut, the bridge to get across was closed because of the rushing river, and, well, of course I would be walking across that closed bridge.  After walking down a snow bank to the ice, I quickly thought better of it.  Thinking carefully about how fast the current just might be under the ice, given that just upstream, that bridge was closed for a good reason - the fast melt off was overflowing with swift current and rapids (video).  I was thinking the news would read: "Smart American guy with 2 hour survival suit falls thru ice and never comes up, sucked away by current - But we'll find him next month when the ice melts by O'Reilly Island".  So I decided on the long march.

Maud, as she looked originally

Originally christened the "Maud" by Amundsen, the ship was later sold to the Hudson's Bay Company and renamed the Baymaud.  

There is a big controversy going on here right now between Norwegian proponents that want to raise the Baymaud and bring her home to put in a museum, and the locals who want her to stay right where she is.

First Catholic Church here

Stern of Baymaud - June 26, 2011

Permit Update

No exceptions have been taken by the various agencies or groups except one - CLEY (the archeology division; Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, the group who umbrella approves/disapproves permits).  Groups that have been favorable include NIRB (Nunavut Impact Review Board), Cambridge Bay Hamlet, Kitikmeot Inuit Association, and as recently posted, Gjoa Haven Hamlet has just signaled go.  

I have made more than one inquiry over the last month to CLEY on what the latest status was on my permit for my Phase 1, which is only to take thermal pictures.  Their answer was that they were waiting for "Stakeholder response".  Stakeholder means "the Hamlets".  

So, taking this lead and developing initiative, with time  and effort here, I mitigated that.  But yesterday, under 24 hours after I sent the note to CLEY about my Gjoa Haven progress and good news, I received a short one page letter back that officially advised that they regret to inform me that, based on lack of archeology experience, they are denying me the permit for this Phase 1.  

But how could that be?  Gjoa Haven Hamlet did not vote yet?  That's coming up July 5th.

So, for this trip I will not be doing the thermal work.  However, I will be "out there" and spending time with people here in Cambridge Bay and of course Gjoa Haven.  My work here and now is still an important step.  So instead of phase 1 of 2 summers, I will simply look at this as Phase 1 of 3 summers. Although, I have to say that I am very surprised that I need an approved archeologist with me in order to just take pictures of the ground from up in the air at 3,000 feet.  

Be that as it may, I will still stay and "explore".  It's all good.  Now starts the most intriguing part of this year's mission.

Weather turning bad

Looks like the weather is turning bad tonight here in this region for the next several days.  Will have to probably stay on the ground as the temperatures aloft will be at or below freezing and with all the clouds and overcast, significant icing will be probable.  Will focus on preparing and staging fuel.  I will have to manually separate/filter all the fuel from each barrel that I obtain from now on to make sure all water is removed.

Images over King William Island

To view numerous pictures along the flight path from Cambridge Bay to Gjoa Haven, and a couple of pictures on the way back, go to "To Gjoa Haven"

Tied down at Cambridge Bay - Day after return, morning 6-23-11

Looking south over river discharging into Washington Bay