The Tent left by Amundsen at the South Pole (Polheim).              506
_From a sketch by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._

Buckley Island, where the fossils were found.                       518
_From a photograph by C. S. Wright._

PLATE IX. Buckley Island, sketched during the evening of
December 21, 1911.                                              522
_From sketches by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._

Mount Kyffin, sketched on December 13, 1911.                        524
_From a sketch by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._

Where Evans died, showing the Pillar Rock near which the
Lower Glacier Depot was made. Sketched on December 11, 1911.    526
_From a sketch by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._

Sledging in a high wind: the floor-cloth of the tent is the sail.   530
_From a sketch by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._

PLATE X. Mount Longstaff, sketched on December 1, 1911.
See also PLATE III., p. 338                                     532
_From sketches by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._

A Blizzard Camp: the half-buried sledge is in the foreground.       536
_From a sketch by Dr. Edward A. Wilson._


MAP

The Polar Journey                                                   542




CHAPTER VIII

SPRING


Inside was pandemonium. Most men had gone to bed, and I have a blurred
memory of men in pyjamas and dressing-gowns getting hold of me and trying
to get the chunks of armour which were my clothes to leave my body.
Finally they cut them off and threw them into an angular heap at the foot
of my bunk. Next morning they were a sodden mass weighing 24 lbs. Bread
and jam, and cocoa; showers of questions; "You know this is the hardest
journey ever made," from Scott; a broken record of George Robey on the
gramophone which started us laughing until in our weak state we found it
difficult to stop. I have no doubt that I had not stood the journey as
well as Wilson: my jaw had dropped when I came in, so they tell me. Then
into my warm blanket bag, and I managed to keep awake just long enough to
think that Paradise must feel something like this.

We slept ten thousand thousand years, were wakened to find everybody at
breakfast, and passed a wonderful day, lazying about, half asleep and
wholly happy, listening to the news and answering questions. "We are
looked upon as beings who have come from another world. This afternoon I
had a shave after soaking my face in a hot sponge, and then a bath.
Lashly had already cut my hair. Bill looks very thin and we are all very
blear-eyed from want of sleep. I have not much appetite, my mouth is very
dry and throat sore with a troublesome hacking cough which I have had all
the journey. My taste is gone. We are getting badly spoiled, but our
beds are the height of all our pleasures."[168]

But this did not last long:

"Another very happy day doing nothing. After falling asleep two or three
times I went to bed, read Kim, and slept. About two hours after each meal
we all want another, and after a tremendous supper last night we had
another meal before turning in. I have my taste back but all our fingers
are impossible, they might be so many pieces of lead except for the pins
and needles feeling in them which we have also got in our feet. My toes
are very bulbous and some toe-nails are coming off. My left heel is one
big burst blister. Going straight out of a warm bed into a strong wind
outside nearly bowled me over. I felt quite faint, and pulled myself
together thinking it was all nerves: but it began to come on again and I
had to make for the hut as quickly as possible. Birdie is now full of
schemes for doing the trip again next year. Bill says it is too great a
risk in the darkness, and he will not consider it, though he thinks that
to go in August might be possible."[169]

And again a day or two later:

"I came in covered with a red rash which is rather ticklish. My ankles
and knees are a bit puffy, but my feet are not so painful as Bill's and
Birdie's. Hands itch a bit. We must be very weak and worn out, though I
think Birdie is the strongest of us. He seems to be picking up very
quickly. Bill is still very worn and rather haggard. The kindness of
everybody would spoil an angel."[170]

I have put these personal experiences down from my diary because they are
the only contemporary record I possess. Scott's own diary at this time
contains the statement: "The Crozier party returned last night after
enduring for five weeks the hardest conditions on record. They looked
more weather-worn than any one I have yet seen. Their faces were scarred
and wrinkled, their eyes dull, their hands whitened and creased with the
constant exposure to damp and cold, yet the scars of frost-bite were
very few ... to-day after a night's rest our travellers are very
different in appearance and mental capacity."[171]

"Atch has been lost in a blizzard," was the news which we got as soon as
we could grasp anything. Since then he has spent a year of war in the
North Sea, seen the Dardanelles campaign, and much fighting in France,
and has been blown up in a monitor. I doubt whether he does not reckon
that night the worst of the lot. He ought to have been blown into
hundreds of little bits, but always like some hardy indiarubber ball he
turns up again, a little dented, but with the same tough elasticity which
refuses to be hurt. And with the same quiet voice he volunteers for the
next, and tells you how splendid everybody was except himself.

It was the blizzard of July 4, when we were lying in the windless bight
on our way to Cape Crozier, and we knew it must be blowing all round us.
At any rate it was blowing at Cape Evans, though it eased up in the
afternoon, and Atkinson and Taylor went up the Ramp to read the
thermometers there. They returned without great difficulty, and some
discussion seems to have arisen as to whether it was possible to read the
two screens on the sea-ice. Atkinson said he would go and read that in
North Bay: Gran said he was going to South Bay. They started
independently at 5.30 P.M. Gran returned an hour and a quarter
afterwards. He had gone about two hundred yards.

Atkinson had not gone much farther when he decided that he had better
give it up, so he turned and faced the wind, steering by keeping it on
his cheek. We discovered afterwards that the wind does not blow quite in
the same direction at the end of the Cape as it does just where the hut
lies. Perhaps it was this, perhaps his left leg carried him a little
farther than his right, perhaps it was that the numbing effect of a
blizzard on a man's brain was already having its effect, certainly
Atkinson does not know himself, but instead of striking the Cape which
ran across his true front, he found himself by an old fish trap which he
knew was 200 yards out on the sea-ice. He made a great effort to steady
himself and make for the Cape, but any one who has stood in a blizzard
will understand how difficult that is. The snow was a blanket raging all
round him, and it was quite dark. He walked on, and found nothing.

Everything else is vague. Hour after hour he staggered about: he got his
hand badly frost-bitten: he found pressure: he fell over it: he was
crawling in it, on his hands and knees. Stumbling, tumbling, tripping,
buffeted by the endless lash of the wind, sprawling through miles of
punishing snow, he still seems to have kept his brain working. He found
an island, thought it was Inaccessible, spent ages in coasting along it,
lost it, found more pressure, and crawled along it. He found another
island, and the same horrible, almost senseless, search went on. Under
the lee of some rocks he waited for a time. His clothing was thin though
he had his wind-clothes, and, a horrible thought if this was to go on, he
had boots on his feet instead of warm finnesko. Here also he kicked out a
hole in a drift where he might have more chance if he were forced to lie
down. For sleep is the end of men who get lost in blizzards. Though he
did not know it he must now have been out more than four hours.

There was little chance for him if the blizzard continued, but hope
revived when the moon showed in a partial lull. It is wonderful that he
was sufficiently active to grasp the significance of this, and groping
back in his brain he found he could remember the bearing of the moon from
Cape Evans when he went to bed the night before. The hut must be
somewhere over there: this must be Inaccessible Island! He left the
island and made in that direction, but the blizzard came down again with
added force and the moon was blotted out. He tried to return to the
island and failed: then he stumbled on another island, perhaps the same
one, and waited. Again the lull came, and again he set off, and walked
and walked, until he recognized Inaccessible Island on his left. Clearly
he must have been under Great Razorback Island and this is some four
miles from Cape Evans. The moon still showed, and on he walked and then
at last he saw a flame.

Atkinson's continued absence was not noticed at the hut until dinner was
nearly over at 7.15; that is, until he had been absent about two hours.
The wind at Cape Evans had dropped though it was thick all round, and no
great anxiety was felt: some went out and shouted, others went north with
a lantern, and Day arranged to light a paraffin flare on Wind Vane Hill.
Atkinson never experienced this lull, and having seen the way blizzards
will sweep down the Strait though the coastline is comparatively clear
and calm, I can understand how he was in the thick of it all the time. I
feel convinced that most of these blizzards are local affairs. The party
which had gone north returned at 9.30 without news, and Scott became
seriously alarmed. Between 9.30 and 10 six search parties started out.
But time was passing and Atkinson had been away more than six hours.

The light which Atkinson had seen was a flare of tow soaked in petrol lit
by Day at Cape Evans. He corrected his course and before long was under
the rock upon which Day could be seen working like some lanky devil in
one of Dante's hells. Atkinson shouted again and again but could not
attract his attention, and finally walked almost into the hut before he
was found by two men searching the Cape. "It was all my own damned
fault," he said, "but Scott never slanged me at all." I really think we
should all have been as merciful! Wouldn't _you_?

And that was that: but he had a beastly hand.

Theoretically the sun returned to us on August 23. Practically there was
nothing to be seen except blinding drift. But we saw his upper limb two
days later. In Scott's words the daylight came "rushing" at us. Two
spring journeys were contemplated; and with preparations for the Polar
Journey, and the ordinary routine work of the station, everybody had as
much on his hands as he could get through.

Lieutenant Evans, Gran and Forde volunteered to go out to Corner Camp and
dig out this depot as well as that of Safety Camp. They started on
September 9 and camped on the sea-ice beyond Cape Armitage that night,
the minimum temperature being -45 deg.. They dug out Safety Camp next
morning, and marched on towards Corner Camp. The minimum that night was
-62.3 deg.. The next evening they made their night camp as a blizzard was
coming up, the temperature at the same time being -34.5 deg. and minimum for
the night -40 deg.. This is an extremely low temperature for a blizzard. They
made a start in a very cold wind the next afternoon (September 12) and
camped at 8.30 P.M. That night was bitterly cold and they found that the
minimum showed -73.3 deg. for that night. Evans reports adversely on the use
of the eider-down bag and inner tent, but here none of our Winter Journey
men would agree with him.[172] Most of September 13th was spent in
digging out Corner Camp which they left at 5 P.M., intending to travel
back to Hut Point without stopping except for meals. They marched all
through that night with two halts for meals and arrived at Hut Point at 3
P.M. on September 14, having covered a distance of 34.6 statute miles.
They reached Cape Evans the following day after an absence of 61/2
days.[173]

During this journey Forde got his hand badly frost-bitten which
necessitated his return in the Terra Nova in March 1912. He owed a good
deal to the skilful treatment Atkinson gave it.

Wilson was still looking grey and drawn some days, and I was not too fit,
but Bowers was indefatigable. Soon after we got in from Cape Crozier he
heard that Scott was going over to the Western Mountains: somehow or
other he persuaded Scott to take him, and they started with Seaman Evans
and Simpson on September 15 on what Scott calls "a remarkably pleasant
and instructive little spring journey,"[174] and what Bowers called a
jolly picnic.

This picnic started from the hut in a -40 deg. temperature, dragging 180 lbs.
per man, mainly composed of stores for the geological party of the
summer. They penetrated as far north as Dunlop Island and turned back
from there on September 24, reaching Cape Evans on September 29, marching
twenty-one miles (statute) into a blizzard wind with occasional storms of
drift and a temperature of -16 deg.: and they marched a little too long; for
a storm of drift came against them and they had to camp. It is never very
easy pitching a tent on sea-ice because there is not very much snow on
the ice: on this occasion it was only after they had detached the inner
tent, which was fastened to the bamboos, that they could hold the
bamboos, and then it was only inch by inch that they got the outer cover
on. At 9 P.M. the drift took off though the wind was as strong as ever,
and they decided to make for Cape Evans. They arrived at 1.15 A.M. after
one of the most strenuous days which Scott could remember: and that meant
a good deal. Simpson's face was a sight! During his absence Griffith
Taylor became meteorologist-in-chief. He was a greedy scientist, and he
also wielded a fluent pen. Consequently his output during the year and a
half which he spent with us was large, and ranged from the results of the
two excellent scientific journeys which he led in the Western Mountains,
to this work during the latter half of September. He was a most valued
contributor to The South Polar Times, and his prose and poetry both had a
bite which was never equalled by any other of our amateur journalists.
When his pen was still, his tongue wagged, and the arguments he led were
legion. The hut was a merrier place for his presence. When the weather
was good he might be seen striding over the rocks with a complete
disregard of the effect on his clothes: he wore through a pair of boots
quicker than anybody I have ever known, and his socks had to be mended
with string. Ice movement and erosion were also of interest to him, and
almost every day he spent some time in studying the slopes and huge
ice-cliffs of the Barne Glacier, and other points of interest. With equal
ferocity he would throw himself into his curtained bunk because he was
bored, or emerge from it to take part in some argument which was
troubling the table. His diary must have been almost as long as the
reports he wrote for Scott of his geological explorations. He was a
demon note-taker, and he had a passion for being equipped so that he
could cope with any observation which might turn up. Thus Old Griff on a
sledge journey might have notebooks protruding from every pocket, and
hung about his person, a sundial, a prismatic compass, a sheath knife, a
pair of binoculars, a geological hammer, chronometer, pedometer, camera,
aneroid and other items of surveying gear, as well as his goggles and
mitts. And in his hand might be an ice-axe which he used as he went along
to the possible advancement of science, but the certain disorganization
of his companions.

His gaunt, untamed appearance was atoned for by a halo of good-fellowship
which hovered about his head. I am sure he must have been an untidy
person to have in your tent: I feel equally sure that his tent-mates
would have been sorry to lose him. His gear took up more room than was
strictly his share, and his mind also filled up a considerable amount of
space. He always bulked large, and when he returned to the Australian
Government, which had lent him for the first two sledging seasons, he
left a noticeable gap in our company.

From the time we returned from Cape Crozier until now Scott had been full
of buck. Our return had taken a weight off his mind: the return of the
daylight was stimulating to everybody: and to a man of his impatient and
impetuous temperament the end of the long period of waiting was a relief.
Also everything was going well. On September 10 he writes with a sigh of
relief that the detailed plans for the Southern Journey are finished at
last. "Every figure has been checked by Bowers, who has been an enormous
help to me. If the motors are successful, we shall have no difficulty in
getting to the Glacier, and if they fail, we shall still get there with
any ordinary degree of good fortune. To work three units of four men from
that point onwards requires no small provision, but with the proper
provision it should take a good deal to stop the attainment of our
object. I have tried to take every reasonable possibility of misfortune
into consideration, and to so organize the parties as to be prepared to
meet them. I fear to be too sanguine, yet taking everything into
consideration I feel that our chances ought to be good."[175]

And again he writes: "Of hopeful signs for the future none are more
remarkable than the health and spirit of our people. It would be
impossible to imagine a more vigorous community, and there does not seem
to be a single weak spot in the twelve good men and true who are chosen
for the Southern advance. All are now experienced sledge travellers, knit
together with a bond of friendship that has never been equalled under
such circumstances. Thanks to these people, and more especially to Bowers
and Petty Officer Evans, there is not a single detail of our equipment
which is not arranged with the utmost care and in accordance with the
tests of experience."[176]

Indeed Bowers had been of the very greatest use to Scott in the working
out of these plans. Not only had he all the details of stores at his
finger-tips, but he had studied polar clothing and polar food, was full
of plans and alternative plans, and, best of all, refused to be beaten by
any problem which presented itself. The actual distribution of weights
between dogs, motors and ponies, and between the different ponies, was
largely left in his hands. We had only to lead our ponies out on the day
of the start and we were sure to find our sledges ready, each with the
right load and weight. To the leader of an expedition such a man was
worth his weight in gold.

But now Scott became worried and unhappy. We were running things on a
fine margin of transport, and during the month before we were due to
start mishap followed mishap in the most disgusting way. Three men were
more or less incapacitated: Forde with his frozen hand, Clissold who
concussed himself by a fall from a berg, and Debenham who hurt his knee
seriously when playing foot-ball. One of the ponies, Jehu, was such a
crock that at one time it was decided not to take him out at all: and
very bad opinions were also held of Chinaman. Another dog died of a
mysterious disease. "It is trying," writes Scott, "but I am past
despondency. Things must take their course."[177] And "if this waiting
were to continue it looks as though we should become a regular party of
'crocks.'"[178]

Then on the top of all this came a bad accident to one of the motor axles
on the eve of departure. "To-night the motors were to be taken on to the
floe. The drifts made the road very uneven, and the first and best motor
overrode its chain; the chain was replaced and the machine proceeded, but
just short of the floe was thrust to a steep inclination by a ridge, and
the chain again overrode the sprockets; this time by ill fortune Day
slipped at the critical moment and without intention jammed the throttle
full on. The engine brought up, but there was an ominous trickle of oil
under the back axle, and investigation showed that the axle casing
(aluminium) had split. The casing had been stripped and brought into the
hut: we may be able to do something to it, but time presses. It all goes
to show that we want more experience and workshops. I am secretly
convinced that we shall not get much help from the motors, yet nothing
has ever happened to them that was unavoidable. A little more care and
foresight would make them splendid allies. The trouble is that if they
fail, no one will ever believe this."[179]

In the meantime Meares and Dimitri ran out to Corner Camp from Hut Point
twice with the two dog-teams. The first time they journeyed out and back
in two days and a night, returning on October 15; and another very
similar run was made before the end of the month.

The motor party was to start first, but was delayed until October 24.
They were to wait for us in latitude 80 deg. 30', man-hauling certain loads
on if the motors broke down. The two engineers were Day and Lashly, and
their two helpers, who steered by pulling on a rope in front, were
Lieutenant Evans and Hooper. Scott was "immensely eager that these
tractors should succeed, even though they may not be of great help to our
Southern advance. A small measure of success will be enough to show their
possibilities, their ability to revolutionize polar transport."[180]

Lashly, as the reader may know by now, was a chief stoker in the Navy,
and accompanied Scott on his Plateau Journey in the Discovery days. The
following account of the motors' chequered career is from his diary, and
for permission to include here both it and the story of the adventures of
the Second Return Party, an extraordinarily vivid and simple narrative, I
cannot be too grateful.

After the motors had been two days on the sea-ice on their way to Hut
Point Lashly writes on 26th October 1911:

"Kicked off at 9.30; engine going well, surface much better, dropped one
can of petrol each and lubricating oil, lunched about two miles from Hut
Point. Captain Scott and supporting party came from Cape Evans to help us
over blue ice, but they were not required. Got away again after lunch but
was delayed by the other sledge not being able to get along, it is
beginning to dawn on me the sledges are not powerful enough for the work
as it is one continual drag over this sea-ice, perhaps it will improve on
the barrier, it seems we are going to be troubled with engine
overheating; after we have run about three-quarters to a mile it is
necessary to stop at least half an hour to cool the engine down, then we
have to close up for a few minutes to allow the carbrutta to warm up or
we can't get the petrol to vaporize; we are getting new experiences every
day. We arrived at Hut Point and proceeded to Cape Armitage it having
come on to snow pretty thickly, so we pitched our tent and waited for the
other car to come up, she has been delayed all the afternoon and not made
much headway. At 6.30 Mr. Bowers and Mr. Garrard came out to us and told
us to come back to Hut Point for the night, where we all enjoyed
ourselves with a good hoosh and a nice night with all hands.


"_27th October 1911._

"This morning being fine made our way out to the cars and got them going
after a bit of trouble, the temperature being a bit low. I got away in
good style, the surface seems to be improving, it is better for running
on but very rough and the overheating is not overcome nor likely to be as
far as I can see. Just before arriving at the Barrier my car began to
develop some strange knocking in the engine, but with the help of the
party with us I managed to get on the Barrier, the other car got up the
slope in fine style and waited for me to come up; as my engine is giving
trouble we decided to camp, have lunch and see what is the matter. On
opening the crank chamber we found the crank brasses broke into little
pieces, so there is nothing left to do but replace them with the spare
ones; of course this meant a cold job for Mr. Day and myself, as handling
metal on the Barrier is not a thing one looks forward to with pleasure.
Anyhow we set about it after Lieutenant Evans and Hooper had rigged up a
screen to shelter us a bit, and by 10 P.M. we were finished and ready to
proceed, but owing to a very low temperature we found it difficult to get
the engines to go, so we decided to camp for the night.


"_28th October 1911._

"Turned out and had another go at starting which took some little time
owing again to the low temperature. We got away but again the trouble is
always staring us in the face, overheating, and the surface is so bad and
the pull so heavy and constant that it looks we are in for a rough time.
We are continually waiting for one another to come up, and every time we
stop something has to be done, my fan got jammed and delayed us some
time, but have got it right again. Mr. Evans had to go back for his spare
gear owing to some one [not] bringing it out in mistake; he had a good
tramp as we were about 15 miles out from Hut Point.


"_29th October 1911._

"Again we got away, but did not get far before the other car began to
give trouble. I went back to see what was the matter, it seems the petrol
is dirty due perhaps to putting in a new drum, anyhow got her up and
camped for lunch. After lunch made a move, and all seemed to be going
well when Mr. Day's car gave out at the crank brasses the same as mine,
so we shall have to see what is the next best thing to do.


"_30th October 1911._

"This morning before getting the car on the way had to reconstruct our
loads as Mr. Day's car is finished and no more use for further service.
We have got all four of us with one car now, things seems to be going
fairly well, but we are still troubled with the overheating which means
to say half our time is wasted. We can see dawning on us the harness
before long. We covered seven miles and camped for the night. We are now
about six miles from Corner Camp.


"_31st October 1911._

"Got away with difficulty, and nearly reached Corner Camp, but the
weather was unkind and forced us to camp early. One thing we have been
able to bring along a good supply of pony food and most of the man food,
but so far the motor sledges have proved a failure.


"_1st November 1911._

"Started away with the usual amount of agony, and soon arrived at Corner
Camp where we left a note to Captain Scott explaining the cause of our
breakdown. I told Mr. Evans to say this sledge won't go much farther.
After getting about a mile past Corner Camp my engine gave out finally,
so here is an end to the motor sledges. I can't say I am sorry because I
am not, and the others are, I think, of the same opinion as myself. We
have had a heavy task pulling the heavy sledges up every time we stopped,
which was pretty frequent, even now we have to start man-hauling we shall
not be much more tired than we have already been at night when we had
finished. Now comes the man-hauling part of the show, after reorganizing
our sledge and taking aboard all the man food we can pull, we started
with 190 lbs. per man, a strong head wind made it a bit uncomfortable for
getting along, anyhow we made good about three miles and camped for the
night. The surface not being very good made the travelling a bit heavy.

"After three days' man-hauling.


"_5th November 1911._

"Made good about 141/2 miles, if the surface would only remain as it is
now we could get along pretty well. We are now thinking of the ponies
being on their way, hope they will get better luck than we had with the
motor sledges, but by what I can see they will have a tough time of it.


"_6th November 1911._

"To-day we have worked hard and covered a good distance 12 miles, surface
rough but slippery, all seems to be going pretty well, but we have
generally had enough by the time comes for us to camp.


"_7th November 1911._

"We have again made good progress, but the light was very trying,
sometimes we could not see at all where we were going. I tried to find
some of the Cairns that were built by the Depot Party last year, came
upon one this afternoon which is about 20 miles from One Ton Depot, so at
the rate we have been travelling we ought to reach there some time
to-morrow night. Temperature to-day was pretty low, but we are beginning
to get hardened into it now.


"_8th November 1911._

"Made a good start, but the surface is getting softer every day and makes
our legs ache; we arrived at One Ton Depot and camped. Then proceeded to
dig out some of the provisions, we have to take on all the man food we
can, this is a wild-looking place no doubt, have not seen anything of the
ponies.


"_9th November 1911._

"To-day we have started on the second stage of our journey. Our orders
are to proceed one degree south of One Ton Depot and wait for the ponies
and dogs to come up with us; as we have been making good distances each
day, the party will hardly overtake us, but we have found to-day the load
is much heavier to drag. We have just over 200 lbs. per man, and we have
been brought up on several occasions, and to start again required a
pretty good strain on the rope, anyhow we done 101/2 miles, a pretty good
show considering all things.


"_10th November 1911._

"Again we started off with plenty of vim, but it was jolly tough work,
and it begins to tell on all of us; the surface to-day is covered with
soft crystals which don't improve things. To-night Hooper is pretty well
done up, but he have stuck it well and I hope he will, although he could
not tackle the food in the best of spirits, we know he wanted it. Mr.
Evans, Mr. Day and myself could eat more, as we are just beginning to
feel the tightening of the belt. Made good 111/4 miles and we are now
building cairns all the way, one about three miles: then again at lunch
and one in the afternoon and one at night. This will keep us employed.


"_11th November 1911._

"To-day it has been very heavy work. The surface is very bad and we are
pretty well full up, but not with food; man-hauling is no doubt the
hardest work one can do, no wonder the motor sledges could not stand it.
I have been thinking of the trials I witnessed of the motor engines in
Wolseley's works in Birmingham, they were pretty stiff but nothing
compared to the drag of a heavy load on the Barrier surface.


"_12th November 1911._

"To-day have been similar to the two previous days, but the light have
been bad and snow have been falling which do not improve the surface; we
have been doing 10 miles a day Geographical and quite enough too as we
have all had enough by time it goes Camp.


"_13th November 1911._

"The weather seems to be on the change. Should not be surprised if we
don't get a blizzard before long, but of course we don't want that.
Hooper seems a bit fagged but he sticks it pretty well. Mr. Day keeps on
plodding, his only complaint is should like a little more to eat.


"_14th November 1911._

"When we started this morning Mr. Evans said we had about 15 miles to go
to reach the required distance. The hauling have been about the same,
but the weather is somewhat finer and the blizzard gone off. We did 10
miles and camped; have not seen anything of the main party yet but shall
not be surprised to see them at any time.


"_15th November 1911._

"We are camped after doing five miles where we are supposed to be [lat.
80 deg. 32']; now we have to wait the others coming up. Mr. Evans is quite
proud to think we have arrived before the others caught us, but we don't
expect they will be long although we have nothing to be ashamed of as our
daily distance have been good. We have built a large cairn this afternoon
before turning in. The weather is cold but excellent."

*       *       *       *       *

They waited there six days before the pony party arrived, when the Upper
Barrier Depot (Mount Hooper) was left in the cairn.

FOOTNOTES:

[168] My own diary.

[169] Ibid.

[170] Ibid.

[171] _Scott's Last Expedition_, vol. i. p. 361.

[172] _Scott's Last Expedition_, vol. ii. p. 293.

[173] Ibid. pp. 291-297; written by Lieutenant Evans.

[174] Ibid. vol. i. p. 409.

[175] _Scott's Last Expedition_, vol. i. p. 403.

[176] Ibid. p. 404.

[177] _Scott's Last Expedition_, vol. i. p. 425.

[178] Ibid. p. 437.

[179] Ibid. p. 429.

[180] Ibid. p. 438.




CHAPTER IX

THE POLAR JOURNEY

Come, my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
TENNYSON, _Ulysses._

Take it all in all it is wonderful that the South Pole was
reached so soon after the North Pole had been conquered. From
Cape Columbia to the North Pole, straight going, is 413
geographical miles, and Peary who took on his expedition 246
dogs, covered this distance in 37 days. From Hut Point to the
South Pole and back is 1532 geographical or 1766 statute miles,
the distance to the top of the Beardmore Glacier alone being more
than 100 miles farther than Peary had to cover to the North Pole.
Scott travelled from Hut Point to the South Pole in 75 days, and
to the Pole and back to his last camp in 147 days, a period of
five months. A. C.-G.

(All miles are geographical unless otherwise stated.)


I. THE BARRIER STAGE

The departure from Cape Evans at 11 P.M. on November 1 is described by
Griffith Taylor, who started a few days later on the second Geological
Journey with his own party:

"On the 31st October the pony parties started. Two weak ponies led by
Atkinson and Keohane were sent off first at 4.30, and I accompanied them
for about a mile. Keohane's pony rejoiced in the name of Jimmy Pigg, and
he stepped out much better than his fleeter-named mate Jehu. We heard
through the telephone of their safe arrival at Hut Point.

"Next morning the Southern Party finished their mail, posting it in the
packing case on Atkinson's bunk, and then at 11 A.M. the last party were
ready for the Pole. They had packed the sledges overnight, and they took
20 lbs. personal baggage. The Owner had asked me what book he should
take. He wanted something fairly filling. I recommended Tyndall's
Glaciers--if he wouldn't find it 'coolish.' He didn't fancy this! So then
I said, 'Why not take Browning, as I'm doing?' And I believe that he did