Monday, I need to get out early.
I'll not be able to reply until Monday evening so go for it.
In 1852 a small squadron of British ships under command of one of Great Britain�s best traveled Admirals set sail to effect a rescue mission in the North. In time four of the five became bogged down in the ice, and all of the ice bound ships were abandoned. In each ship�s case, in spite of the ice, the officers and crew were stunned to leave a perfectly good ship. In 1855 an American Whaler captain claimed salvage to one of the ships that had freed itself and sailed on its own 2000 kilometers from where it was abandoned, still with some sails up, but with significant water in the hold. He then, with a skeleton crew, and no mean feat of seamanship, righted the ship and eventually got it in one piece to Connecticut, where in turn, he sold it to the U.S. government, who then in a political gesture refitted the warship as a U.S.S. and sailed it back to England, and gave it back to them to be a H.M.S. complete with food stocks, books, wine, and accoutrements that were found on board at salvage claim. It was a big deal. The British in the meantime courts marshaled the (rookie in ice)Admiral (who was found technically innocent, but thereafter shunned for additional service) for abandoning seaworthy vessels. Somewhat embarrased Magesty�s Navy smiled politely then stripped, �mothballed� the ship, and let it sit. Britain eventually dismantled it in 1879. They did however return part of the ship to the U.S. in two forms. Question for today. What was the name of the ship? Who returned part of it to the U.S., and what happened to the returned items?