I can't seem to find the artical for "Franklin expedition to find the Northwest passage " and the link sent me to a 404 error, what ever that is... Well anyway they did not abandon the desk LOL! I remembersomething from that I think... might have been on tv recently........ it is thought if I am correct the leaders went off in a fashion that was not tracable for rescue parties to follow, and the search started some 3 years later? i did not know about the desk.....Gezzzeeee