The dark side of the white, polar world The polar regions have,
for centuries, been considered to be otherworldly. But where
does this idea come from, and why do even Western scientists
find themselves taking it seriously? In 1845, John Franklin set
out from England to find the fabled Northwest Passage through
the Arctic and was never seen again. Along with 134 men aboard
two ships, he vanished into the great white silence. Numerous
rescue expeditions were launched in the years following,
eventually turning up a small number of bodies. Some of the men
had attempted the march south to Canada after two years trapped
in frozen hell - perishing en route. According to reports from
local Inuit, the last remaining men had chopped up their dead
shipmates and tried to boil them in kettles. In 1992, forensic
investigations on bodies confirmed that "de-fleshing" had taken
place. John Franklin and his ships have never been found. It is
the most enduring and horrifying of polar mysteries - dreams of
heroic discovery turni