South with Scott Part 21

We fought these untoward events with a will and conquered, but it cut into our provision reserve.

Every detail of our food supplies, clothing, and depots made on the interior ice sheet and over that long stretch of 700 miles to the Pole and back worked out to perfection. The advance party would have returned to the glacier in fine form and with surplus of food, but for the astonishing failure of the man whom we had least expected to fail. Edgar Evans was thought the strongest man of the party.

The Beardmore Glacier is not difficult in fine weather, but on our return we did not get a single completely fine day; this with a sick companion enormously increased our anxieties.

As I have said elsewhere we got into frightfully rough ice, and Edgar Evans received a concussion of the brain--he died a natural death, but left us a shaken party, with the season unduly advanced.

But all the facts above enumerated were as nothing to the surprise which awaited us on the Barrier. I maintain that our arrangements for returning were quite adequate, and that no one in the world would have expected the temperatures and surfaces which we encountered at this time of the year.

On the summit in Lat.i.tude 85 degrees 86 degrees we had -20 degrees -30 degrees. On the Barrier in Lat.i.tude 82 degrees, 10,000 feet lower, we had -30 degrees in the day, -47 degrees at night pretty regularly, with continuous head wind during our day marches. It is clear that these circ.u.mstances come on very suddenly, and our wreck is certainly due to this sudden advent of severe weather, which does not seem to have any satisfactory cause. I do not think human beings ever came through such a month as we have come through, and we should have got through in spite of the weather but for the sickening of a second companion, Captain Oates, and a shortage of fuel in our depots, for which I cannot account, and finally, but for the storm which has fallen on us within 11 miles of the depot at which we hoped to secure our final supplies. Surely misfortune could scarcely have exceeded this last blow. We arrived within 11 miles of our old One Ton Camp with fuel for one last meal and food for two days. For four days we have been unable to leave the tent--the gale howling about us. We are weak, writing is difficult, but for my own sake I do not regret this journey, which has shown that Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another, and meet death with as great a fort.i.tude as ever in the past. We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last. But if we have been willing to give our lives to this enterprise, which is for the honour of our country, I appeal to our countrymen to see that those who depend on us are properly cared for.

Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for.

(Signed) R. SCOTT.

This chapter would be incomplete without Wilson's own beautiful lines from the "South Polar Times";

THE BARRIER SILENCE

The Silence was deep with a breath like sleep As our sledge runner slid on the snow, And the fateful fall of our fur-clad feet Struck mute like a silent blow.

On a questioning "hush," as the settling crust Shrank shivering over the floe; And the sledge in its track sent a whisper back Which was lost in a white-fog bow.

And this was the thought that the Silence wrought As it scorched and froze us through, Though secrets hidden are all forbidden Till G.o.d means man to know.

We might be the men G.o.d meant should know The heart of the Barrier snow, In the heat of the sun, and the glow And the glare from the glistening floe, As it scorched and froze us through and through With the bite of the drifting snow.

CHAPTER XVII

THE SECOND WINTER--FINDING OF THE POLAR PARTY

The foregoing story of triumph and disaster going hand in hand to Scott dwarfed the remaining chapters of the Expedition's history into insignificance. I venture, however, to give a resume of what was happening elsewhere in this region at the time.

The Norwegian explorers commenced their trip homeward to Framheim in the Bay of Whales, a distance of 870 English miles, on December 17, 1911 and made the amazing marching average of 22 1/2 miles a day for this distance.

On January 25, 1912, at 4 a.m., Amundsen's men regained the shelter of their winter quarters, when poor Scott was still only 30 miles from the Pole on his return journey.

This undoubtedly establishes the superiority of dogs in great numbers for Polar sledge travelling, for Scott delayed his start on account of the inability of his ponies to face the severity of the Barrier weather conditions before November 1. Peary in the North had already with dogs achieved what Amundsen did in the South. Captain Amundsen has always expressed his wonder at our performance--and in his modest way he told me he himself could never have manhauled as Scott's men did.

Concerning the attempts to support the Southern party, Scott's instructions were quite clear, and they were certainly obeyed. As a matter of fact there was never any anxiety felt for the Southern party until after March 10. They themselves never imagined they would reach Hut Point before that time, and as the last supporting party had won through short-handed, and after pulling in harness for 1500 miles, it was not considered likely that the Southern party would fail--unless overtaken by scurvy.

What actually happened was this. Stores were landed by those at the base station on the re-arrival of the "Terra Nova," and Atkinson, who was the senior member of those not now returning in her to civilisation, took over the dogs according to Scott's directions. He proceeded to Hut Point with Dimitri and the two dog teams on 13th February, and was kept in camp by bad weather until 19th, when Crean reached the Hut and brought in the news of my breakdown and collapse at Corner Camp. A blizzard precluded a start for the purpose of relieving me, but this expedition was undertaken immediately the weather abated. It was only during a temporary clear that Lashly and I were rescued.

Considering my condition, Atkinson judged that if help could be obtained from Cape Evans, his duty was to stay with me and save my life if possible, and to depute Cherry-Garrard or Wright to take the dog-teams out to One Ton Camp with Dimitri.

Scott would have preferred Wright to remain at Cape Evans, because he had now relieved Simpson as physicist--Simpson being recalled by the Indian Government.

So it was decided that Cherry-Garrard should take out the teams, which he did, with twenty-four days' food for his own unit and two weeks' surplus stores for the Southern party, with all kinds of special delicacies.

The real object of this trip was to hasten the Southern party's return rather than to succour them.

Cherry-Garrard and Dimitri had a tough time of it. They, however, reached One Ton Camp on March, and were held there by blizzard weather, which made travelling impossible. Temperatures of 40 degrees below zero and lower were experienced, the dogs were suffering acutely, and Cherry-Garrard had to decide on the better course--to remain at One Ton Camp, which Scott would surely make, if thus far north, with two competent navigators in his team, or to scout and risk missing the party, whilst using up the dogs' remaining strength. He very properly remained at One Ton Camp and made his depot on 10th March, and after satisfying himself that over a month's travelling rations were in the depot, Cherry-Garrard started homeward, but he had by no means a sinecure in this journey back--his dogs went wild at the start, smashed the sledge-meter adrift, fought, and would keep no definite direction, thick weather set in, and they had a fearful time marching northwards.

The season was rapidly closing, and without the practice in fog navigation which the naval officers had, the situation of the unit was alarming. The two men got into severe pressure and found great open creva.s.ses--this with their dogs ravenous and out of hand. Dimitri practically collapsed, and being unable to express himself properly in English, one can picture what Cherry-Garrard had to contend with. Late on March 16 they won through to Hut Point in exceedingly bad condition.

Atkinson was seriously alarmed, and had two more sick men to nurse back to strength.

The dogs were frost-bitten, gaunt, and quite unfit for further work that season. Meantime during the absence of the dog teams, before there was anxiety on Scott's account, Pennell, responding to Atkinson's letter for help, brought the "Terra Nova" up towards Hut Point, and a party under Rennick conveyed me in pitiful state to the ship in my sleeping-bag.

I was placed in the Captain's cabin, and given Drake and Day as nurses. I owe them a great debt too. Atkinson had still to remain at my side, for I was even then at death's door--and, it is only due to Atkinson's unremitting care that I am alive to-day. He came up therefore in the ship and partic.i.p.ated in the search for Campbell in the vicinity of Evans's Coves, but after several unsuccessful attempts the "Terra Nova"

temporarily abandoned her objective and returned to Cape Evans on March 4. Here Keohane was picked up and taken with Atkinson to Hut Point--Pennell relieved Atkinson of further responsibility on my account and then landed him with Keohane here. It was impressed on Atkinson that there was very little chance of relieving Campbell with ice conditions as they were. They laid up a store of seal meat and blubber against the return of Scott's company, while the ship made another fruitless attempt to relieve Campbell. She did not return South after this on account of the sea freezing and her own coal shortage, but proceeded back to New Zealand, in accordance with her Commanding Officer's instructions.

Pennell was not justified in keeping the "Terra Nova" any later in the McMurdo Sound.

Now let us consider poor Atkinson. He had Dimitri and Cherry-Garrard at Hut Point in a state of collapse--he had on 16th March the knowledge that the Polar Party were still on the Barrier with a season closing in and a certainty of low temperature--there was no communication with Cape Evans, for the ice had gone out and left open water between the two positions.

After discussing the situation fully, Atkinson and Keohane started out alone to succour Scott's party. It was on March 26 that Atkinson and Keohane set out, this being later in the year than we had sledged in 1911, when it will be remembered we gave up depot-laying on account of the hardship entailed, although we were fresh men and had not undergone the severe test of a long season's sledge work. Atkinson could only manage about nine miles daily, he and Keohane got practically no sleep owing to the cold, and they turned homeward after depositing a week's food supply at Corner Camp, in case it could be made use of. Atkinson was morally certain that the Polar Party had perished by this time, and, as he states in his record of proceedings ("The last year at Cape Evans, 'Scott's Last Expedition,' Vol. II."), Scott's last diary entry was made before he and Keohane reached Corner Camp. Atkinson arrived back at Hut Point on April 1, 1912, utterly worn out, and in great concern on Campbell's account, for the Northern party were known to be somewhere on the coast. He could do nothing without a.s.sistance from Cape Evans, and he awaited, therefore, the opportunity of reaching the base station as we all had done when stranded at Hut Point twelve months previously. On April 10, leaving Cherry-Garrard to tend the dogs, Atkinson, Keohane, and Dimitri made their way to Cape Evans via the Castle Rock, Glacier Tongue route, as described in the earlier part of this narrative, but, as it happens, under almost unparalleled conditions, for they sailed over the ice, riding on their sledge, such was the excellence of the sea-ice surface.

The indefatigable Atkinson called the members together to discuss plans and decide as to future relief work. The idea of making a farther journey on to the Ice Barrier to succour Scott was rejected as useless--for there was no hope whatever for the Southern party, and Atkinson himself knew what the Barrier travelling was like. There was, however, a chance of relieving Campbell and his five companions, known to have been set ash.o.r.e in the neighbourhood of Terra Nova Bay, and with this end in view, Atkinson, Wright, Keohane, Williamson, Gran, and Dimitri set off on April 13.

The last two were left at Hut Point whilst Atkinson and the other three worked round the Southern end of McMurdo Sound on the sea-ice and up the coast to b.u.t.ter Point. It was a dangerous proceeding, but Atkinson was undaunted by the perils of the sea ice breaking up, and he carried out a tip-and-run sort of journey with great pluck and endurance, establishing a depot of a fortnight's foodstuffs at b.u.t.ter Point. On April. 20 the ice was seen to break up and drift seawards from b.u.t.ter Point, thus finally putting a stop to any further search or relief work.

A somewhat hazardous return journey landed Atkinson's team at Hut Point, and his whole party was re-collected at the Cape Evans Base by May 1 with the dogs.

Here Lashly was looking after the seven mules presented by the Indian Government, which the ship had brought down to enable Scott to explore further the extent of the Victoria Land Coast, S.E. of the Beardmore.

Everything at Cape Evans in the scientific line was carried on as in the preceding winter, and although the staff was reduced the records and observations were continued as heretofore.

The Second Winter Party consisted of:

_Officers_--Atkinson, Wright, Debenham, Nelson, Cherry-Garrard, Gran.

_Men_--Archer, Williamson, Crean, Lashly, Keohane, Dimitri, Hooper.

Mr. Archer, our capable chief cook and steward, replaced Clissold, and Williamson exchanged with Forde. The winter work of the Hut was reorganised by Atkinson, so that every one was detailed to do that for which he was best suited. Considering what the party had faced already, that they were living in the shadow of a great disaster, and that Campbell's fate was in doubt, one must feel that in a way they had the hardest time of all in the Expedition. They had to sit down, as it were, and wait in uncertainty for the winter to pa.s.s, then go out in search to ascertain the fate of their leader, and probably that of Campbell.

I can only give a brief summary of the second winter, taken from Atkinson's and Gran's accounts: the weather was probably exceptional from the persistency of the early winter blizzards. There was a great dearth of seal-meat, due to the ice blowing out from the North Bay and to the lack of ice everywhere in May month.

Debenham gave great joy to the company after examining the geological specimens brought by Atkinson's supporting party from the Beardmore.

Fossils of plants and small marine animals were found amongst them.

Ice formed at the end of May, but again blew out in June--close on to midwinter, when the sea was seen to be phosph.o.r.escent, and Atkinson writes: "We had a wonderful show of phosph.o.r.escence--we saw a seal chasing a school of fish, the fish outlined with phosph.o.r.escence, and the seal with a glowing snout and all his body bright in hot pursuit."

On midwinter day, after the attendant festivities, Atkinson called the members together and outlined his plans for the coming season.

He says, "Two alternatives lay before us. One was to go South and try to discover the fate of Captain Scott's party. I thought it most likely that they had been lost in a creva.s.se on the Beardmore Glacier. Whether their bodies could be found or not, it was highly desirable to go even as far as the Upper Glacier Depot, nearly 600 miles from the Base, in the hope of finding a note left in some depot which could tell whether they had fulfilled their task or turned back before reaching the Pole. On general grounds it was of great importance not to leave the record of the Expedition incomplete, with one of its most striking chapters a blank.

"The other alternative was to go West and North to relieve Campbell and his party, always supposing they had survived the winter. If they had come through the winter every day of advancing summer would improve their chances of living on in Terra Nova Bay. At the same time there was good prospect of their ultimately being relieved by the ship, if indeed she had not taken them off in the autumn. As for ourselves, it seemed most improbable that we could journey up the coast owing to the abnormal state of the ice. Instead of being frozen for the winter, the whole Sound to the north and west of Inaccessible Island was open water during July; the ice was driven out by the exceptionally strong and frequent winds, and there was little chance of a firm road forming for the spring. Under these conditions officers and men unanimously supported the decision to go South."

An important fact is noted by Atkinson which is worth including for the guidance of future expeditions. Six new sledges came down per "Terra Nova" from Messrs. Hagen of Christiania, with tapered runners--the breadth of the runner in front being 4 inches, diminishing to 2 1/2 on the after part of the sledge. Compared with our original 12-foot pattern the new sledges contrasted to great advantage over the old. The idea seems to be that the broad iron portion should run over and smooth the track for the after tapered portion.

The sun returned after its four months' absence on August 23 and found the little party in excellent health and cheerful spirits. The mules and dogs had been carefully exercised to be ready and fit for the new journey South. A depot was laid 12 miles south of Corner Camp in mid-October, and another by the dogs soon after. On October 29 Wright, Nelson, Gran, Lashly, Crean, Williamson, Keohane, and Hooper left with six mules, sledges, and a considerable provision store to search for Captain Scott and the Polar Party. Atkinson followed with Cherry-Garrard and Dimitri on 1st November, taking the best available dogs in two teams. Without any great trouble they reached One Ton Camp on November 10, having joined forces with the mule party. Atkinson notes that here he found, as we had done before, an oil shortage from paraffin tins in the depot leaking, although there was no hole discernible. Some stores had been spoilt in consequence. On the morning of 12th November the party found what they sought--Scott's tent, snowed up and presenting a cairn-like appearance.