North, we go! Leaving soon these green and black Shores of Disko, setting forth Arktos-bound, seeking not Hyperborea nor Ultima Thule, but rather the passage that is North by Northwest.
Ermine and ursine, walrus and whale, sea dogs and swimming unicorns will be our bounty. Thrice-masted and steam-engine blessed, our companion ships sailing side-by-side, named Terror and Erebus. With names such as these how can we not master the seas and fulfill our destiny!
Farewell to Home! I seek fame – if not fortune – my lucky star consigned to these worthy vessels, our good captain, Sir Franklin, and the 129 men who will carry this expedition forward to success. Come what may – no man can know his fate – though surely God does and just as surely, He will see our mission as both worthy and fated.
The Tide is turning; Time to set sail. God hear us and bless us all. Some may perish – may He grant me long life – but it is certain that the fortune of those that survive will be written in the stars…if not the books yet to be!
Words and image Jeff Clay