Friday, 9 February 1912

Scott

Lashly, Crean, and Lt. Evans reached the depot at One Ton. "Oh, what a God-send to get a change of food!" Lashly wrote with feeling. "We have taken enough food for 9 days, which if we still keep up our present rate of progress it ought to take us in to Hut Point. We cannot take too heavy a load, as there is only the two of us pulling now, and this our last port of call before we reach Hut Point, but things are not looking any too favourable for us, as our leader is gradually getting lower every day. It is almost impossible for him to get along, and we are still 120 miles from Hut Point." [1]

At Cape Evans, unloading of the Terra Nova began.


Amundsen

The Fram crossed the Antarctic Circle on her way to Hobart, "[creeping] forwards," Bjaaland wrote, "miserably slowly, headwinds and fog and rain and high seas on the beam." [2]

Amundsen spent hours every day in his cabin reading a year's worth of newspapers, preparing his telegrams and writing his story for the press, and writing the lecture he would give in the coming months. Nilsen translated this for him into English.

Johansen, miserable and disappointed, wrote to his wife, "When one is so far away and left to one's self in the great loneliness, one broods about one thing or the other... For my part, I can still be glad that I have not suffered any injury, but still possess my indomitable strength.... I did not get to the Pole. I naturally would have liked to.... The main thing is that ... we did good work [on King Edward VII Land]. But you know the great public asks who has been to the Pole. Well, I don't care. I dare to say that nevertheless I have also helped the Southern party to reach the Pole, even if I couldn't be on the final assault, and I know that I was appreciated by those with whom I worked.... Ah well, as things are, it has all turned out for the best." [3]


Notes:

[1] William Lashly, diary, 9 February, 1912, quoted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard in The Worst Journey in the World, ch.XII.
[2] Olav Bjaaland, diary, [date not given], quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.530.
[3] Hjalmar Johansen, letter to his wife, [date not given], quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.531.