 The story's supposed background is that the "Octavius" had left England for the Orient in 1761, and successfully arrived at its destination the following year.The captain gambled on a return through the treacherous and then little known Northwest Passage, with the unfortunate result of trapping the vessel in sea ice north of Alaska; thus, the "Octavius" had made the Northwest Passage posthumously.The ship was never seen again after its encounter with the "Herald" (being carried away by the streams and wind in the night after their encounter).