Friday, 16 February 1912

Scott

"Evans has nearly broken down in brain, we think," wrote Scott. "He is absolutely changed from his normal self-reliant self." [1]

Oates brusquely noted, "Camp at 8.15 owing to poor Evans having a partial collapse. He first had to get out of his harness and hold on to the sledge and later he said he could not get on. If he does not get by tomorrow God knows how we are going to get him home. We could not possibly carry him on the sledge." [2]

Wilson, more charitably, thought that Evans' collapse "had much to do with the fact that he has never been sick in his life and is now helpless with his hands frost-bitten." [3]


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 16 February, 1912, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[2] L.E.G. Oates, diary, 16 February, 1912, quoted by Sue Limb and Patrick Cordingly in Captain Oates, Soldier and Explorer (London : Batsford, 1982), p.158.
[2] E.A. Wilson, diary, 16 February, 1912, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.534.