The Voyages of Captain Scott : Retold from the Voyage of the Discovery and Scott's Last Expedition

onfidence a

done and great d

N

able as possible. With packing-cases a large L-shaped inner apartment was made, the intervals being stopped with felt, and a

he party as much meat as they wanted. 'We really have everything necessary for our comfort and only need a little more experience to make the best of our resources.... It is splendid to see the way in which everyone is learning the ropes, and the resourc

e gale which drove the Discovery ashore. The blizzard continued until noon on Tuesday, on which day the Western

orde in one team; Bowers, Oates, Cherry-Garrard and Atkinson in the other. 'It was very

stitutionally harder or whether better fitted by nature to protect themselves the other ten or a dozen animals were as fit as they could be. As it was found to be impossible to keep the dogs comfortable in the traces, the majority of them were allowed to run loose; for although Scott feared that this freedom would mean that there would be some fights to the death, he thought it preferable to the risk of losing the animals by keeping them on th

south of Hut Point, but the stretch from Hut Point to Turtle Back Island still refused to freeze even in calm weather, and Scott began to think that they might not be able to get back to Cape Evans before May. Soon afterwards, however, the sea began to freeze over completely, and on Thursday evening, April 6, a program, subject to the continuance of good weather, wa

unk of bread and butter and a steaming pannikin of tea, and life is well worth living. After lunch we ar

ght; for two nights ago (April 4) Wilson, who has proved a genius in the invention of "plats," almost ruined his reputation. He proposed to fry the seal liver in penguin blubber, suggesting that the latter could be freed from all rankness.... The "fry" proved redolent

ed no signs of contrition. 'Fun over a fry I made in my new penguin

ences are exchanged by a company which has very literally had world-wide experience. There is scarce a coun

a few would have little difficulty in sleeping the clock round, which goes to show that our exceedingly simple life is an exc

P.O. Evans and Taylor in one tent; E. Evans, Gran, Crean, Debenham and Wright in another; Wilson

wind-swept spot, and as the wind rose and the light became bad at the critical moment they camped for a short time. Half an hour later the weather cleared and a possible descent to the ice cliffs could be seen, but between Hutton Rock and Erebus all the slope was much cra

r were lowered. Next the sledges went down fully packed and then the remainder of the party, Scott being the last

er very heavy pulling for many hours they were so totally unable to see anything ahead, that at 10 P.M. they were compelled to pitch their camp under little Razor Back Island. During the night the wind began to rise, and in the morning a roaring blizzard was blowing, and obviously the ice on which they had pitched their camp was none too safe. For hours they waited vainly for a lull, until at 3 P.M. Scott and Bowers went round the Island, with the result that they resolved to shift their camp to a little platform under the weather side.

s were again under weigh. The distance, however, was only two miles, and after some very hard pulling they arrived off the point and

, that a strong northerly wind was bound to bring pack which would damp the swell; thirdly, that the locality was well protected by the Barne Glacier; and, lastly, that the beach itself showed no signs of

tune was in the air and that some abnormal swell had swept the beach.' So when he and his party turned the small headland and saw that the hut was intact, a real fear was mercifully removed. Very soon afterwards the travelers were seen by two men at work near the stables, and then the nine occupants (Simpson, Day, Nelson, Ponting, Lashly, Cli

three months, and have contact with clean, dry clothing. Such fleeting hours of comfort (for custom soon banished their delight) are the treasured remembrance of every Polar traveler.' Not for many hours or eve

switchboards were to be seen, and the tickings of many clocks, the gentle whir of a motor and occasionally the trembling note of an electric bell could

er been so well housed within the Polar regions and rarely without them. 'Such a palatial chamber for the development of negatives and

had been left entirely in his charge, and had been carried out with admirable success. The cook's corner was visited next, and Scott was very surprised to see the mechanical ingenuity shown by Clissold. 'Later,' he says, 'when I found that Clissold was called in to cons

some of the stalls would have to remain empty, though he appreciated fully the fact that there was ample and safe harborage for the

ers been made, but a small 'lean to' had also been built to serve as a hospital for any sick animal. The impressions, in short, that Scott rec

rs, Nelson, Crean and Hooper the second; and after a rather adventurous journey, in which 'Lashly was splendid at camp work as of old,' they reached Hut Point at 1 P.M. on the following day, and found everyone well and in good spirits. The party left at the hut were, however, very short of seal-meat, a caus

rard and Hooper the other. Scott's party were the leaders, and their sledge dragged so fearfully that the men with the second sledge had a very easy time in keeping up. Then Crean declared that although the loads were equal there was a great difference in the sledges. 'Bowers,' Scott says, 'politely assented when I voiced this sentime

ouble of sledding in cold weather. Clissold, however, was at hand with 'just the right meal,' an enormous dish of rice and figs, and cocoa in a bucket. The sledding season was at an end, and Scott admitted that

s for exercise were allotted to Bowers, Cherry-Garrard, Hooper, Clissold, P.O. Evans and Crean, besides Oates and Anton, but in makin

les; Cherry-Garrard employed himself in building a stone house for taxidermy and with a view to getting hints for a shelter at Cape Crozier during the winter, while Taylor and Debenham took advantage of the last of the light to e

ng day played havoc with the ice; and although the strait rapidly froze again, the possibility of every gale clearing the sea was too great to be pleasant. O

ook the editorship of the South Polar Ti

outh Polar Times will be

to place these contributions in this box as soon as possible.

r publication. It is not intended th

Contributors whose writings will lend themselves to illustrat

Ed

P

in the assistance he would receive from Wilson, and how abundantly these hopes were fulfilled has been widel

n their special subjects. But still the Discovery hut party did not appear, although the strait (by May 9) had been frozen over for nearly a week; and repeatedly Scott expressed a wish tha

had on these expeditions. One sees a remarkable reassortment of values. Under ordinary conditions it is

rd purpose that counts. So the "gods" dwindle an

hes and at intervals filling the gaps in his zoological work of Discovery times; withal ready and willing to giv

vers at least... So the current meteorological and magnetic

riving to saturate his mind with the ic

ellect of Taylor, and the thoroughness and conscientiousness of Debenham, Scott goes on to

h all arrangements fall, so that expenditure is easily and exactly adjusted to supply, and I have the inestimable advanta

ily blended. It is a restless activity admitting

pically self-suggested, because for the moment there is no one else to care for these animals.... He is for the open air, seemingly incapable of realizing any discomfort from it, and yet his hours within doors spent with equal p

laying out of the fish trap was his action and the catches are his field of labour.... His bench with its array of microscopes, etc.,

hole heart is in the life, with profound eagerness to help everyone. One has ca

in the best possible form for the sledding season. Opening out the stores, installing a blubber stove, etc

t boots, and generally working on sledding kit. In fact there i

he ponies and man haulage. With this opinion there was general agreement, for as regards glacier and summit work everyone seemed to distrust the dogs. At the end of the lecture he asked that the

weeks the weather at Hut Point had been exceptionally calm and fine, and with joy Scott saw that all of the dogs were looking remarkably well, and that the two ponies also seemed to have im

ter passed steadily on its way; the only stroke of misfortune being that one of the dogs died suddenly and that a post-mortem did not reveal any sufficient cause of death. This was

icycle wheels- and sleeping-bags, a cooker and a small quantity of provisions. The night was spent in Shackleton's hut, where a good quantity of provisions was found; but the most

G THE THERMOMETER ON T

n immense birthday cake appeared, the top of which had been decorated by Clissold with

ons, another at one corner of the dinner table airing its views on the origin of matter and the probability of its ultimate discovery, and yet another debating military problems.... Perhaps these arguments are practically unprofitable, but they give a great deal of pleasure to the part

and Scott took the opportunity to note a few points to which he wa

emory the approximate variation of the compass at various stages of the jou

e true course is to reac

take an observation

work out a meridian

edge the ability to work out a longitude

how to read t

the watch he carries and the rate which

coincidences of objects, the opening out o

nths ago I said that it would be a good thing for all the officers going South to have some knowledge of navigation so that in emergency they would know how to steer a sledge home. It appears that "Cherry" thereupon commenced a serious and arduous course of abstruse navigational problems which he found exceedingly tough and now despaired

t latitude sights-mathematics which I hate-till bedtime. It will b

d 8.30 the men were out and about doing odd jobs, Anton going off to feed the ponies, Demetri to see to the dogs. Repeatedly Hooper burst upon the slumberers with announcements of the time, and presently Wilson and Bowers met in a state of nature beside a washing basin filled with snow and proceeded t

d those who were not employed in this way generally exercised themselves in some way or other. After this the officers went steadily on with their special work until 6.30, when dinner was served and finished within the hour. Then came reading, writing, games, and usually the gramophone, but three night

clothes put on. 'Such signs, with the regular service on Sunday, mark the passage of the weeks. It is not a ver

r lunch the Editor handed over the first number of the S. P. T. to Scott. Everyone at once gathered at the top of the table; 'It was like a lot of schoolgirls round a teacher' is the editor's description of the scene, and Scott read aloud most of the contents. An article called 'Valhalla,' written by Taylor, some verses called 'The Sleeping Bag,' and Wilson's illustrations to 'Antarctic Archiv

ns of the evening. In preparation for dinner the 'Union Jacks' and sledge flags were hun

ad barely been begun, he went on to say that it was time they knew how they stood in every respect, and especially thanked the officer in charge of the stores and those who looked after the animals, for knowing the exact position as regards provision and transport. Then he said that in respect to the future chance must play

of the Expedition, and afterwards

a really genuine recognition of my attitude towards the scientific workers of the expedition, and I felt very warmly towards all these kind, good fellows for expressing it. If good will and fellowship count towards success, very sure

dst of this scene of revelry Bowers suddenly appeared, followed by satellites bearing an enormous Christmas tree, the branches of which bore flaming candles, gaudy crackers, and little presents for everyone; the distribution of which caused infinite amusement. Thus the high festiv

a long run of quiet days. After all we celebrated the birth of a season,