![]() ![]() David Livingstone went to Africa to put his medical expertise to use, spread Christianity, and bring awareness of the slave trade to the public. Perhaps the most widely recognized African explorer in his day, Dr. Map of Africa from Cary's New Universal Atlas Though risks were certainly involved in these expeditions, Africa was sensationalized in the press, depicted as mysterious and fraught with danger, further piquing the interest of folks back home. The public was transfixed by illustrated magazines with the latest news of adventurers in exotic locales. Lord Franklin alone with his sailors do dwellĮxpeditions to Africa - with its wide expanse and varied cultures, unfamiliar to Western eyes-made for equally compelling tales. In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow “Lady Franklin’s Lament,” often sung to the tune of a traditional Irish ballad, recounts the tragedy from the point of view of a sailor aboard ship who dreams of Lady Franklin mourning her husband’s disappearance. In about 1850, broadsides with the lyrics to another song began to circulate, testimony to the impact the story of the lost Franklin expedition had on the public. He hoped his song would drum up popular support for his unconventional (and unsuccessful) idea to use manned balloons to reach the North Pole. Cheyne, a British naval officer and veteran of three expeditions in search of Franklin. Among them was “Northward, Ho! or, Baffled, Not Beaten,” with lyrics penned by John P. Interest in all things Arctic also found its way into parlors and music halls in the form of popular songs. As his body traveled from New Orleans home to Philadelphia, crowds gathered to honor him along the way. He died far from home, in Cuba, at age 36. Kane earned respect and fame from both the scientific community and the public. While little was learned of the fate of the lost Franklin expedition on the journey, Kane’s gripping and colorful narrative made him a popular heroic figure. A considerable reward was offered, prompting numerous searches, over both land and sea.Įlisha Kent Kane, a Philadelphia surgeon, served as medical officer on the first American expedition in search of Franklin (1850–1851), financed by American merchant Henry Grinnell. Lady Jane Franklin, the explorer’s widow, sponsored numerous expeditions and was an active driver of the public’s interest in solving the mystery of the lost journey, fueling the far-fetched hope of finding survivors. The story was a sensation in Britain and America. The two ships, the Erebus and Terror, became ice-bound, stranding the crew, leading to starvation and death from extreme cold, lead poisoning and disease. 1855 Courtesy of the National Portrait Galleryįranklin’s fourth and final voyage, however, an 1845 attempt to map a stretch of the Northwest Passage, ended in disaster. Portrait of Elisha Kent Kane by unknown photographer Ambrotype, ca. ![]()
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