South with Scott Part 20

A letter from Captain Amundsen to Captain Scott:

"Poleheim, 15th _December_, 1911.

"DEAR CAPTAIN SCOTT,--As you probably are the first to reach this area after us, I will ask you kindly to forward this letter to King Haakon VII. If you can use any of the articles left in the tent please do not hesitate to do so. The sledge left outside may be of use to you.

With kind regards I wish you a safe return.

"Yours truly, ROALD AMUNDSEN."

Also another note:

"The Norwegian Home, Poleheim, is situated in 89 degrees 58 minutes S.

Lat. S.E. by E. compa.s.s 8 miles.

(Signed) ROALD AMUNDSEN. "15th _December_, 1911."

The Norwegian Explorers' names recorded at Poleheim were: Roald Amundsen, Olaf Bjaaland, Helmer Hanssen, Oskar Wisting, Sverre Ha.s.sel.

Scott left a note in the Norwegian tent with the names of himself and his companions, and in his diary he agreed that the Norwegian explorers had made thoroughly sure of their work and fully carried out their programme.

Scott considered the Pole to be 9500 feet above the Barrier--1000 feet lower than the Plateau alt.i.tude in 88 degrees.

Bowers took the sights to fix the South Pole.

On the 19th January the northward march was commenced: the party had before them then a distance of over 900 miles (statute). Bowers writes on this date quite nonchalantly:

" ... A splendid clear morning, with fine S.W'ly wind blowing--during breakfast time I sewed a flap attachment on to my green hat so as to prevent the wind from blowing down my neck on the march. We got up the mast and sail on the sledge and headed North, picking up Amundsen's cairn and our outgoing tracks shortly afterwards. Along this we travelled until we struck the other cairn and finally the Black Flag where we had made our sixth (?) outward camp. We then with much relief left all traces of the Norwegian behind, and I headed on my own track till lunch camp, when we had come 8.1 miles. In the afternoon we pa.s.sed No. 2 Cairn of the British route, and fairly slithered along with a fresh breeze. It was heavy travelling for me, not being on ski, but one does not mind being tired if a good march is made. We did 16 altogether for the day, and so should pick up our last depot to-morrow afternoon. The weather became fairly thick soon after noon, and at the end of the afternoon there was considerable drift with a mist caused by ice crystals and parhelion.

"_January_ 20.--Good sailing breeze again this morning; it is a great pleasure to have one's back to the wind instead of having to face it.

It came on thicker later, but we sighted the last depot soon after 1 p.m. and reached it at 1-15 p.m. The red flag on the bamboo pole was blowing out merrily to welcome us back from the Pole, with its supply of the necessaries of life below. We are absolutely dependent on our depots to get off the Plateau alive, and so welcome the lovely little cairns gladly. At this one, called the 'Last Depot,' we picked up four days' food, a can of oil, some methylated spirit (for lighting purposes), and some personal gear we had left there. The bamboo was bent on to the floor-cloth as a yard for our sail instead of a broken sledge runner of Amundsen's, which we had found at the Pole and made a temporary yard of. As we had marched extra long in the forenoon in order to reach the depot, our afternoon march was shorter than usual.

The wind increased to a moderate gale, with heavy gusts and considerable drift. We would have had a bad time had we been facing it. After an hour I had to s.h.i.+ft my harness aft so as to control the motions of the sledge.

"Unfortunately the surface got very sandy latterly, but we finished up with 16.1 miles to our credit and camped in a stiff breeze, which rendered itself into a blizzard a few hours later. I was glad we had our depot safe.

"_January_ 21.-Wind increased to force 8 during night, with heavy drift; in the morning it was blizzing like blazes, and marching was out of the question. The wind would have been of great a.s.sistance to us, but the drift was so thick that steering a course would have been next to impossible, so we decided to await developments and get under way as soon as it showed any signs of clearing. Fortunately it was short lived, and instead of lasting the regulation two days it went off in the afternoon, and 2.45 found us off with our sail full. It was good running on ski, but soft plodding for me on foot. I shall be jolly glad to pick up my dear old ski. They are nearly 200 miles away yet, however. The breeze fell altogether latterly, and I s.h.i.+fted up into my old place, a middle number of the five. Our distance completed was 5.52 miles when camp was made again. Our old cairns are of great a.s.sistance, also the tracks, which are obliterated in places by heavy drift and hard sastrugi, but can be followed easily.

"_January_ 22.--We came across Evans's sheep-skin boots this evening.

They were almost covered after their long spell since they fell off the sledge. The breeze was in from the S.S.W., but got bright and light. At lunch camp we had completed 8.2 miles. In the afternoon the breeze fell altogether and the surface acted on by the sun became perfect sand-dust. The light sledge pulled by five men came along like a drag without a particle of slide or go in it. We were all glad to camp soon after 7 p.m. I think we were all pretty tired out. We did altogether 19.5 miles for the day. We are now only 30 miles from the 1 1/2 degree depot and should reach it in two marches with any luck.

"_January_ 23.--Started off with a bit of a breeze which helped us a little. After the first two hours it increased to force 4 S.S.W., and filling the sail we sped along merrily, doing 8 3/4 miles before lunch. In the afternoon it was even stronger. I had to go back in the sledge and act as guide and brakesman. We had to lower the sail a bit, but even then she ran like a bird. We are picking up our old cairns famously. Evans got his nose frost-bitten, not an unusual thing with him, and as we were all getting pretty cold latterly, we stopped at a quarter to seven, having done 15 1/2 miles. We camped with considerable difficulty owing to the force of the wind.

"_January_ 24.--Evans got his fingers all blistered with frostbites, otherwise we are all well, but thinning, and in spite of our good rations getting hungrier daily.

"I sometimes spend much thought on the march with plans for making a pig of myself on the first opportunity. As this will be after a farther walk of 700 miles they will be a bit premature. It was blowing a gale when we started, and it increased in force. Finally, with the sail half down, one man detached tracking ahead, and t.i.tus and I breaking back, we could not always keep the sledge from over-running.

The blizzard got worse and worse, till having done only 7 miles we had to camp soon after 12 o'clock. We had a most difficult job camping, and it has been blowing like blazes all the afternoon. I think it is moderating now--9 p.m.

"We are only 7 miles from our depot and the delay is exasperating.

"_January_ 25.--It was no use turning out at our usual time (5.45 a.m.) as the blizzard was as furious as ever.

"We therefore decided on a late breakfast and no lunch unless able to march. We have only three days' food with us and shall be in Queer Street if we miss the depot.

"Our bags are getting steadily wetter, so are our clothes.

"It shows a tendency to clear off now (breakfast time), so, D.V., we may march after all. I am in tribulation as regards meals now, as we have run out of salt, one of my favourite commodities. It was owing to Atkinson's party taking back an extra tin by mistake from the Upper Glacier Depot.

"Fortunately we have some depoted there, so I will only have to endure another two weeks without it.

"10 p.m.--We have got in a march after all, thank the Lord.

"a.s.sisted by the wind we made an excellent run down to our 1 1/2 Depot, where the big red flag was blowing out of driving drift. Here we picked up 14 cans of oil, and one week's food for five men, together with some personal gear depoted.

"We left the bamboo and the flag on the cairn. I was much relieved to pick up this depot; now we have only one other source of anxiety in the endless snow summit, viz., the third depot in Lat.i.tude 86 degrees 56 minutes S. In the afternoon we did 5.2 miles. It was a miserable march, blizzard all the time and our sledge either sticking on sastrugi or overrunning the traces. We had to lower the sail half down, and t.i.tus and I hung on to her--it was most strenuous work as well as much colder than pulling ahead. Most of the time we had to brake back with all our strength to keep the sledge from overrunning.

Bill got a bad go of sun-glare from following the track without goggles on.

"_January_ 26.--This day last year we started the depot journey. I did not think so short a time would turn me into an old hand at Polar travelling, neither did I imagine all the time that I would be returning from the Pole.

"_January_ 29.--Our record march to-day. With a good breeze and improving surface we were soon in amongst the double tracks where the supporting party left us. Then we picked up the memorable camp where I transferred to the advance party. How glad I was to change over. The camp was much drifted up, and immense sastrugi . . . etc."

Day's marches, temperatures, and so on, then his diary commences missing days out and only contains two line entries in short, sharp notes such as:

"_January_ 31.--Picked up depot 11.20 a.m. Picked up my ski 6.15 p.m.

No wind latterly--heavy surface. 13 1/2--Bill's leg--Evans's fingers--extra biscuits, etc."; and

"_February_ 11.--Very heavy surface--ice crystals--movement of upper currents--Evans cook--finer weather--lower temperature--sastrugi.

Run 11.1."

It was probably the beginning of the end.

February brought little to the party but bad luck and reverses. Wilson had strained a tendon in his leg. Evans's fingers were in a bad state through frostbite, and on the first of the month Scott himself had fallen and shaken himself badly. Temperatures low, too low for any good surface.

February 4 found the party amongst creva.s.ses, both Scott and Evans falling into them. Notwithstanding all their troubles they made a fine pace over the ice-capped plateau and down the Beardmore. Evans's fall on February 4 crocked him up a good deal, and he suffered from facial frostbites. His condition all the time now was causing the gravest anxiety. The summit journey ended on February 7. On the 8th valuable geological specimens were collected and brought along, and then the descent of the Great Glacier commenced. The Beardmore temperatures to begin with were rather high, and Scott seems to have considered this a disadvantage, for he says it made the party feel slack. Evans was rested half-way down the Beardmore, Oates looking after him, while the other made a halt for geological investigation by the Cloudmaker depot.

But poor Evans had sustained a severe concussion through falling and hitting his head on the 4th, and the party on his account was so delayed that the surplus foodstuffs rapidly diminished, and the outlook became serious. Bad weather was again encountered, and on February 17, near the foot of the Glacier, Seaman Evans died. Wilson expressed the opinion that Evans must have injured his brain by the fall. It was a great surprise to all of us to hear of Evans failing so early, as he was known to be a man of enormous strength, and a tried sledger. He was also a veteran in Antarctic experience, having made some wonderful journeys under Scott in the "Discovery" days.

After reaching the Lower Glacier Depot on the 17th the bereaved little band pushed Northward with fine perseverance, although they must have known by their gradually shortening marches that little hope of reaching their winter quarters remained. Their best march on the Barrier was only 12 miles, and in the later stages their marches dropped to 4. The depots were, as stated, some 65 miles apart, but the temperatures fell as they advanced, instead of rising, as expected, and we find them recording -46.2 degrees one night. Surfaces were terrible--"like pulling over desert sand, not the least glide in the world."

Poor Oates's feet and hands were badly frostbitten--he constantly appealed to Wilson for advice. What should he do, what could he do? Poor, gallant soldier, we thought such worlds of him. Wilson could only answer "slog on, just slog on." On March 17, which was Oates's birthday, he walked out to his death in a n.o.ble endeavour to save his three companions beset with hards.h.i.+ps, and as Captain Scott himself wrote, "It was the act of a brave man and an English gentleman--we all hope to meet the end with a similar spirit, and a.s.suredly the end is not far."

Scott, Wilson, and Bowers fought on until March 21, only doing about 20 miles in the four days, and then they were forced to camp 11 miles south of One Ton Depot. They were kept in camp by a blizzard which was too violent to permit them to move, and on March 25 Captain Scott wrote his great message to the public:

MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC

The causes of the disaster are not due to faulty organisation, but to misfortune in all risks which had to be undertaken.

1.--The loss of pony transport in March, 1911, obliged me to start later than I had intended, and obliged the limits of stuff transported to be narrowed.

2. The weather throughout the outward journey, and especially the long gale in 83 degrees S., stopped us.

3. The soft snow in lower reaches of glacier again reduced pace.