By 1839 he was the most experienced Arctic captain. He was appointed to lead
a British national expedition to the Antarctic. Studying earth magnetism
(1839-43), he discovered the Ross Sea and followed the Ross Ice Shelf for
hundreds of miles. He named the volcanoes Erebus and Terror for his two ships. He
returned home to great acclaim and knighthood. He was a hero and the handsomest
officer in the Royal Navy."