Everyone knows the names of travelers from the time of the Great Geographical Discoveries. And what about those who were not so lucky, who did not return from their grandiose expeditions? We consider it our duty to tell about the seafarers who could not cope with the difficulties of the way. Make yourself comfortable.
From the North Sea to the Pacific Ocean, 1553
The expedition under the command of Hugh Willoughby set sail from the coast of England on June 23, 1553. It consisted of three ships: “Edward Bonaventura”, “Bona Esperanza” and “Bona Confidenza”. All of them went in search of a northeastern passage from the North Sea to the Pacific Ocean (along the northern possessions of Russia).
“Eduard Bonaventure” at Nikolsky estuary
Hugh Willoughby was an excellent soldier, but a very mediocre sailor. On August 3, after a severe storm, the ship Edward Bonaventure disappeared at sea, and two other ships managed to reach Novaya Zemlya. But no further — the ice stopped them.
The expedition turned back to spend the winter near the Kola Peninsula. The places seemed to be quite good — the Varzina River is nearby, there are a lot of fish and game, but something unexpected happened.
Left: Sir Hugh Willoughby. On the right: members of the expedition disembark
It is difficult to say exactly what happened, but in the spring fishermen discovered two ships — one of them was empty, the second was hiding 63 corpses. And they looked like statues — someone was opening a cupboard, someone was eating, someone was sitting at a desk, the same went for dogs.
What happened to them is a mystery. It’s hard to imagine how so many people could die at the same time. According to one version, it was carbon monoxide. But that’s just a guess.
By the way, the missing Edward Bonaventure was much more fortunate. The ship docked on the mainland near Arkhangelsk, and its captain Richard Chancellor traveled to Moscow, receiving an audience with Ivan the Terrible. Subsequently, he became the founder of an English company that obtained monopoly rights to trade with Russia.
On the left: The Chancellor of Ivan the Terrible. On the right: Chancellor in Kholmogory
From Russia to India, 1717
Prince Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky, on the orders of Peter I, went to India to win over the khans of Khiva and Bukhara along the way. The prince himself was a descendant of Kabardian nobility and before his baptism was named Devlet-Girey-murza.
On the left: Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky. On the right: Bekovich’s map, compiled for the Khiva campaign
The journey started from Astrakhan, and the team had to cross the Caspian Sea. The expedition consisted of 100 ships and 6,000 men, nothing foreshadowed trouble. But then the storm hit. A significant part of the ships went down, including the ship with the prince’s wife and two daughters.
However, the survivors continued their work. On the approach to Khiva, the khan’s troops attacked the expedition, there were 5 times more of them, but this did not give them the proper advantage. The fighting lasted for 3 days, and after that the khan called the prince to negotiate. Khan managed to persuade Bekovich to divide the army into five detachments and send them to different cities for temporary residence. Of course, the troops were slaughtered.
The surviving soldiers were sold into slavery, and the prince himself was beheaded. However, evil tongues claimed that Bekovich was not beheaded — for surrendering the army, he received a pardon from the khan and lived the rest of his life at his court. Whether this is true or not is not known for certain.
Leftward: A Russian detachment holding the line. On the right: the execution of Bekovich-Cherkassky
Circumnavigation of the globe, 1788
French navigator Jean-Francois de La Perouse disappeared along with all the members of the expedition in the Vanikoro Island area of the Santa Cruz group in the western Pacific Ocean.
Jean-Francois de Laperuz
220 people set sail on two ships, the Astrolabe and the Bussol, and the expedition itself was personally organized by Louis XVI. The travelers set sail on September 1, 1785 and rounded Cape Horn, visited Easter Island and California, after which we moved to the northwest. But then only misfortunes awaited them.
A dinghy carrying 21 members of the expedition was swept out to sea off the coast of Alaska during a storm, followed by a clash between the team and local residents on the island of Samoa — 12 people died, including the captain of the Astrolabe.
“Astrolabe” and “Bussol”
In January 1788, the ships met the British squadron off the coast of Australia and delivered letters to their homeland. There was no further news about the expedition. It is said that when Louis XVI went to be executed in 1793, he asked if there was any news from La Perouse.
By the way, in 1826, the remains of a French ship were discovered on the island of Vanikoro. Maybe it was the Astrolabe. Locals told of four sailors who survived and stayed on the island, the last of whom died in 1825.
Loss of ships
From the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, 1845
Perhaps the phrase “whatever you name the yacht, it will sail” makes sense. The ships that went on this expedition were called “Darkness” and “Horror”. The voyage was led by John Franklin, an experienced sailor and polar explorer (he was already 59 years old), who had the goal of exploring the Arctic Ocean.
“Darkness” and “Horror”
The expedition set sail on May 19, 1845 and disappeared, with 129 people on board. When it became clear that the sailors would not return, rescue missions were organized. As many as 39 pieces — from 1848 to 1854. All of them were unsuccessful, but over time, creepy finds began to appear: skeletons, graves, notes that clarified the essence of what had happened a little.
Sir John Franklin
Both ships were frozen in the ice in September 1846. They couldn’t move for a year and a half. On April 22, 1848, the surviving sailors decided to go to the mainland, converting the boats into sleds. There were 2000 km ahead — none of the 105 expedition members who set off survived.
A temporary home next to a ship frozen in ice
The rescue mission found the remains of the expedition at the mouth of the Bak River. It became clear that soon the sailors’ food ran out and people began to eat their dead comrades. However, it did not help them.
Search party
Franklin himself died on the ship “Darkness” on June 11, 1847, according to the note. The ship was found in 2014, and in 2016, the Horror was also found – the ships themselves escaped from the captivity of the ice, but soon sank.
Inventory of dead crew members’ belongings
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