"Entering this bay was the fatal error of our voyage": The Abandonment, Loss, and Discovery of HMS Investigator in Mercy Bay, Canada

Summary

Penetrating into the Western Arctic in 1850, HMS Investigator and its crew enjoyed initial success -- the charting of Prince of Wales Strait heralded at the time as the long-awaited discovery of the elusive Northwest Passage. A year later, however, the fortunes of the expedition would take a downward turn when Investigator was navigated into the confines of Mercy Bay and the regrettable decision was made to overwinter. The arrival of freeze-up would seal the fate of the ship, as it would remain beset by ice for two entire years forcing its eventual abandonment in 1853. This paper will provide an historical introduction to the 1850 expedition, an overview of the first two seasons of archaeological fieldwork, and a description of the atypical site formation conditions that the wreck presents. Ice maintains its strong influence over Investigator today, with signs of periodic impacts to the wreck caused by ice floes grounding on the hull structure.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• "Strengthened for Service in the Arctic Regions": The Wreck of Her Majesty’s Discovery Ship Investigator (1848-1854)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 733