South with Scott Part 10

If motors break down temporarily you will have time for repairs.

If motors break down irretrievably, take 5 weeks' provision and 3 gallons extra summit oil on 10 foot sledge and continue South easy marches. Arrange as best you can for ponies to overtake you three or four marches due South One Ton Camp. Advance as much weight (man food) as you can conveniently carry from One Ton Camp, but I do not wish you to tire any of party. The object is to relieve the ponies as much as possible on leaving One Ton Camp, but you must not risk chance of your tracks being obliterated and pony party missing you.

(Signed) R. F. SCOTT.

On October 23 I wrote my final letters to my wife and friends lest I should get back to Cape Evans after the departure of the "Terra Nova": we had by now decided that another winter was imperious, and as far as possible those who were likely to remain a second winter wrote to this effect, and left their letters in Simpson's charge. Before my departure with the motors I also spent some time with my leader, and he gave me all his instructions to the various parties to read.

They are so explicit and comprehensive that I may well append certain of them here, for they clearly show how Scott's organisation covered the work of the ship, the base, the western party, the dog teams, and even the arrangements for Campbell's party.

I.--INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMANDING OFFICER, "Terra Nova."

_October_, 1911.

The expedition suffered a considerable loss of ponies in March, but enough remain to carry out the Southern Plan, under favourable circ.u.mstances.

This loss and experience with the remaining animals have decided me to start the Southern journey at a later date than originally intended.

As at present arranged the Southern Party leaves at the end of this month (October), and it is estimated that if all goes well the earliest date at which the most advanced party can return to McMurdo Sound is March 15.

As it is probable the ship will be obliged to leave the Sound before this party has returned, arrangements have been made to pa.s.s a second winter at Cape Evans, and as is clearly desirable, the Scientific Staff will remain to continue their work.

If fresh transport is brought by the ship, other members of the Expedition will remain to work it, and it is probable that an attempt will be made to cross the Barrier in a S.S.E.ly direction in 1912-13.

The ship must be prepared to return to the Sound in 1912-13 to relieve those that remain for the second winter.

Details concerning past events can be learned from the bearers of these instructions.

In all that follows I want you to understand clearly that you should proceed in accordance with your judgment rather than the letter of these instructions, where the further information you possess may cause it to appear more expedient.

Subject to this condition I wish you to carry out the following programme:--

I a.s.sume that you arrive at the rendezvous, Granite Harbour, on or about January 15, and pick up the Western Geological Party as arranged.

The party will consist of Griffith-Taylor, Debenham, Gran, and Forde.

The first copy of this doc.u.ment may be found by you at the depot made by this party on the Bluff at the entrance of the Harbour, but I hope that Taylor himself will hand it to you.

In case the party should be absent it is well to quote Taylor's plan in brief:

To November 10--Exploring along coast North of Granite Harbour.

November 14 to 28--Exploring coast and inland South of Granite Harbour.

December 8 to January 8-Exploring inland of Granite Harbour region.

Taylor will make every effort to return to Granite Harbour in time to meet you, and should the party be absent you may a.s.sume that it has probably been delayed inland. On the chance that it may have been cut off you may proceed to search the coast in a Southerly direction if ice conditions permit.

The time occupied in the search must be left to your judgment, observing that the party will reach Granite Harbour with sufficient provision to last till April, 1912, and should be able to work its way back to this depot.

All things considered, I do not think you need be anxious about the party, even if you find a search impracticable, having regard to your future movements, and you will remember that the search will be more easily prosecuted as the season advances.

Should the party be recovered at once, as is most probable, I wish you to take it to Evans Coves, and land it without delay. The provisions carried by the party should be sufficient to support it for about two months, to provide for the possibility of the failure of the ship to return.

I imagine this landing will be effected about January 18 or 19, and the party should be instructed to be prepared to be re-embarked on February 15. It will, of course, be under your orders, and you should be careful that the place for relief is thoroughly understood by all concerned.

After landing this party you will proceed to Cape Evans, and should you reach it on or about January 23 you will have three weeks in McMurdo Sound before proceeding to finally relieve the Geological Party.

There will be a great deal of work to be done and very little a.s.sistance: the order in which it is performed must depend on the state of the ice, etc., but of course the practical work of relieving the station must take precedence in point of importance.

Simpson will remain in charge of the station, and is provided with complete lists of the stores remaining, together with the requirements for the future. Bowers will have left a letter for you concerning these matters. It is probable that a good many of the stores you bring will not be required on sh.o.r.e, and in any case you will easily determine what is wanted. If 10 tons of patent fuel remain, we shall not require more than 15 tons of additional fuel.

In addition to stores I hope you will be landing some fresh transport animals. Oates has drawn a plan for extending the stable accommodation, which will be left with Simpson. The carpenter should be landed for this work and for the few small alterations in the hut accommodation which may be necessary.

The Discovery Hut at Cape Armitage has now been put into fairly good order, and antic.i.p.ating that returning parties may have to remain there for some time, as we did last year, I am arranging to transport a quant.i.ty of stores to Hut Point. In case the ponies are unable to finish this work, I should like you to complete it at some convenient season.

According to circ.u.mstances you will probably wait till the ice has broken well back.

Mails and letters for members of the Southern Party should be taken to Hut Point and left in clearly marked boxes.

Simpson will inform you of the plan on which the Southern Journey is being worked. The first returning parties from the South should reach Hut Point towards the end of January. At as early a date as convenient I should like you to proceed to the Western side of the Sound

(i) To find a snug berth in which the ship can take shelter during gales.

(ii) To erect the meteorological hut if you have brought it with you.

From a recent sledge trip to the West I am inclined to think that excellent shelter could be found for the ship alongside the fast ice in the Ferrar Glacier Inlet or in New Harbour, and it might be well to make headquarters in such a place in time of disturbance. But it would be wise to keep an eye to the possibility of ice pressure across the Sound.

It might be possible to moor the ship under the shelter of b.u.t.ter Point by a hawser secured to balks of timber buried deep in the snow; she should he easy at a long scope. In regards to the hut my idea is to place it in as sheltered a spot as possible, at or near a spot which commands a view of the Strait, the main object being to make it a station from which the phenomena of blizzards, etc., can be observed. Simpson, who was with me in the West, will give you some idea of our impressions.

You will understand that neither of the above objects are of vital importance.

On the proper date you will return to Evans Coves to pick up the Geological Party.

I must a.s.sume that Campbell has been landed in the region of Robertson Bay in a place that is fairly accessible at this season. If this is so I think it is desirable that you should visit his station after leaving Evans Coves to communicate fresh instructions to him.

Campbell was directed to be prepared to embark on February 25, and it is probable that he will have returned a few days before that date.

In view of the return of the ship in 1912-13 I propose to give Campbell's Party the choice of remaining another winter in their station under certain conditions or of returning to New Zealand. Should they decide to stay, the necessary stores for them can now be landed. Should they decide to return, inform Priestley that he is at liberty to remain at Cape Evans for a second winter if he wishes to do so.

Should the party be absent from the station you must leave the instructions and return to McMurdo Sound. I do not think you should delay beyond February 24 on this service.

You should be back in McMurdo Sound at the end of February or March, and after collecting fresh news, I hope you will be able to moor the ship and await developments for at least ten days.

The term of this stay must be left entirely to your judgment, observing that whilst it is highly undesirable for you to miss the latest possible news, it would be more undesirable for you to be caught in the ice and forced to winter.

Concerning this matter I can only give you information as to what had happened in previous years:

Last year the Bays froze permanently on March 24.

Last year the Sound froze permanently on May 7 or 8.

By the Bays I mean the water south of Hut Point, inside Turtle Back Island, south of Glacier Tongue, inside the islands north of Glacier Tongue, and, I think, the western sh.o.r.es of the Sound.