Sunday, 18 February 1912

Scott

Within half an hour after P.O. Evans' death, the remaining party struck camp and got down to the Lower Barrier Depot, and gave themselves five hours' sleep "after the horrible night." A short march then took them across the divide to Shambles Camp. "Here with plenty of horsemeat we have had a fine supper, to be followed by others such, and so continue a more plentiful era if we can keep good marches up. New life seems to come with greater food almost immediately, but I am anxious about the Barrier surfaces." [1]

With the supplies available at the intermediary depots, they had four weeks' full rations to cover the 240 miles to One Ton Depot, allowing an average daily march of eight to nine miles.

Hauling the semi-conscious Lt. Evans on a sledge in bitter temperatures and with low food, Lashly and Crean decided that Crean would go on ahead to fetch help. "We had about a day's provisions with extra biscuit taken from the motor, and a little extra oil taken from the same place, so we gave Crean what he thought he could manage to accomplish the Journey of 30 miles geographical on, which was a little chocolate and biscuits. We put him up a little drink, but he would not carry it. What a pity we did not have some ski," Lashly observed, "but we [had] dumped them to save weight." With only three biscuits and a little chocolate, Crean set out on the thirty-some miles to Hut Point. Lashly himself went on a mile or so to Corner Camp where he picked up what supplies he could, and a piece of fabric to make a signal flag. "I found a note left at Corner Camp by Mr. Day saying there was a lot of very bad crevasses between there and the sea ice, especially off White Island. This put me in a bit of a fix, as I, of course, at once thought of Crean. He being on foot was more likely to go down than he would had he been on ski. I did not tell Mr. Evans anything about the crevasses, as I certainly thought it would be best kept from him. I just told him the note was there and all was well." [2]

The Second Western Geological Party on the deck of the Terra Nova, 1912. From left, Taylor, Debenham, Gran, and Forde. [3]

Pennell in the Terra Nova was unable to pick up Campbell's Northern Party at Evans Cove but sighted the Second Western Geological Party trekking south and collected them.


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 18 February, 1912, quoted in Scott's Last Journey, v.1.
[2] William Lashly, diary, 18 February, 1912, quoted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard in The Worst Journey in the World, ch.XII.
[3] Scott Polar Research Institute.

Wednesday, 14 February 1912

Scott

"[A] fairly good march," wrote Scott, after six and a half miles along a line of moraines that led them out onto the glacier.

"There is no getting away from the fact that we are not going strong. Probably none of us: Wilson's leg still troubles him and he doesn't like to trust himself on ski; but the worst case is Evans, who is giving us serious anxiety. This morning he suddenly disclosed a huge blister on his foot. It delayed us on the march, when he had to have his crampon readjusted. Sometimes I fear he is going from bad to worse, but I trust he will pick up again when we come to steady work on ski like this afternoon. He is hungry and so is Wilson. We can't risk opening out our food again, and as cook at present I am serving something under full allowance. We are inclined to get slack and slow with our camping arrangements, and small delays increase. I have talked of the matter to-night and hope for improvement. We cannot do distance without the ponies. The next depot [43] some 30 miles away and nearly 3 days' food in hand." [1]


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 14 February, 1912, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.

Tuesday, 13 February 1912

Scott

In a clear moment, Wilson caught sight of the depot flag. "It was an immense relief," Scott wrote, "and we were soon in possession of our 3 1/2 days' food. The relief to all is inexpressible; needless to say, we camped and had a meal."

"Yesterday was the worst experience of the trip and gave a horrid feeling of insecurity. Now we are right up, we must march. In future food must be worked so that we do not run so short if the weather fails us. We mustn't get into a hole like this again. Greatly relieved to find that both the other parties got through safely." [1]

To the north, Lt. Evans could now go no further on his own. Lashly had seen this coming, and they had left behind some of their gear a few days earlier to lighten their sledge. "So we stopped and camped," he wrote, "and decided to drop everything we can possibly do without, so we have only got our sleeping bags, cooker, and what little food and oil we have left. Our load is not much, but Mr. Evans on the sledge makes it pretty heavy work for us both, but he says he is comfortable now. This morning he wished us to leave him, but this we could not think of. We shall stand by him to the end one way or other, so we are the masters to-day. He has got to do as we wish and we hope to pull him through. This morning when we depôted all our gear I changed my socks and got my foot badly frostbitten, and the only way was to fetch it round. So although Mr. Evans was so bad he proposed to stuff it on his stomach to try and get it right again. I did not like to risk such a thing as he is certainly very weak, but we tried it, and it succeeded in bringing it round, thanks to his thoughtfulness, and I shall never forget the kindness bestowed on me at a critical time in our travels, but I think we could go to any length of trouble to assist one another; in such time and such a place we must trust in a higher power to pull us through. When we pack up now and have to move off we have to get everything ready before we attempt to move the tent, as it is impossible for our leader now to stand, therefore it is necessary to get him ready before we start. We then pull the sledge alongside his bag and lift him on to it and strap him on. It is a painful piece of work and he takes it pretty well, but we can't help hurting him, as it is very awkward to lift him, the snow being soft and the light so bad, but he dont complain. The only thing we hear him grind his teeth." [2]

Atkinson and Dimitri and the two dog teams left Cape Evans for Hut Point. This was a week or so earlier than he had planned, because the sea ice -- the means of getting from one place to the other -- was beginning to break up.


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 13 February, 1912, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[2] William Lashly, diary, 13 February, 1912, quoted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard in The Worst Journey in the World, ch.XII. He does not mention his diary, but he obviously kept that with him as well.

Friday, 19 January 1912

Scott

Picking up a Norwegian cairn and their own tracks, the Polar party soon came to the black flag they had seen three days earlier; they took it now as a yard for their sail. "So that is the last of the Norwegians for the present," Scott wrote rather grimly. [1]

They had seven days' food with them, with a further four days' worth cached at their final depot of 15th January, and a week's depoted on the 10th. Their outward journey had taken them sixteen days.

Lashly, outside the hut at Cape Evans, photographed by Debenham in 1912. [2]

With Lt. Evans suffering badly from snow-blindness, Lashly was now leading the party, through a maze of ghastly pressure ice and crevasses ("Dont want many days like this," he had written on the 17th). At the Mid-Glacier depot, they put everything in order and started off for the next one, at the foot of the Beardmore. "I picked some rock to-day which I intend to try and get back with, as it is the only chance we have had of getting any up to the present, and it seemed a funny thing: the rock I got some pieces of looked as if someone before me had been chipping some off. I wonder if it was the Doctor's party [Atkinson's], but we could not see any trace of their sledge, but we could account for that, as it was all blue ice and not likely to leave any marks behind. After travelling for some distance we got on the same ridge as we ran along on the outward Journey and passed what we took to be the Doctor's Xmas Camp. We had not gone far past before we got into soft snow, so we decided to camp for lunch.... Last night we left a note for Capt. Scott, but did not say much about our difficulties just above the Cloudmaker, as it would be better to tell him when we see him." [3]


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 19 January, 1912, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[2] Scott Polar Research Institute.
[3] William Lashly, diary, 19 January, 1912, quoted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard in The Worst Journey in the World, ch.XII.

Monday, 1 January 1912

Scott

"Stick of chocolate to celebrate the New Year," wrote Scott. "The supporting party not in very high spirits, they have not managed matters well for themselves. Prospects seem to get brighter -- only 170 miles to go and plenty of food left." [1]

That evening, with an extra cup of tea in the newly-double-lined tent, the five officers sat up until two in the morning, writing and talking. Oates, Lt. Evans recalled, "talked on and on, and his big, kind, brown eyes sparkled as he recalled little boyish escapades at Eton. ... [He] talked for some hours. At length Captain Scott reached out and affectionately seized him in the way that was itself characteristic of our leader, and said, 'You funny old thing, you have quite come out of your shell, Soldier. Do you know, we have all sat here talking for nearly four hours?'... [That night,] we warmed to each other in a way that we had never thought of, quite oblivious to cold, hardship, scant rations, or the great monotony of sledge hauling." [2]


Amundsen

The Norwegians reached the Devil's Glacier, but having arrived back at a different spot had hit a path between the chasms and avoided the Devil's Ballroom completely. "We were bloody lucky," Amundsen wrote with obvious relief. "In a few hours the whole glacier was conquered." [3]

They still were not completely certain where they were, and thus of the location of their next depot at the edge of the glacier. "The Captain thinks we are East of the depot," Bjaaland wrote, "so do the others. I, on the other hand, believe just as firmly that were are a little to the West. Tomorrow we shall see." [4]


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, 1 January, 1912, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1. This is apparently a bowdlerized version, as Roland Huntford gives the phrase as "they have mismanaged matters for themselves" (Race for the South Pole, p.216).
[2] E.R.G.R. Evans, "My Recollections of a Gallant Comrade", Strand Magazine, December 1913, quoted by Sue Limb and Patrick Cordingly in Captain Oates, Soldier and Explorer (London : Batsford, 1982), p.152.
[3] Roald Amundsen, diary, 2 January 1912, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.500.
[4] Olav Bjaaland, diary, 2 January 1912, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.500.

Sunday, 24 December 1911

Scott

The surface of the plateau, though still jumbled with crevasses and ridges, was covered now with a hard layer of icy snow, which Bowers cheerfully called "quite a holiday" after the softer surface of the climb. [1]

In camp that night, Christmas Eve was celebrated with a four-course meal, which Scott described the next day in his diary: "The first [course], pemmican, full whack, with slices of horse meat flavoured with onion and curry powder and thickened with biscuit; then an arrowroot, cocoa and biscuit hoosh sweetened; then a plum-pudding; then cocoa with raisins, and finally a dessert of caramels and ginger. After the feast it was difficult to move. Wilson and I couldn't finish our share of plum-pudding. We have all slept splendidly and feel thoroughly warm -- such is the effect of full feeding." [2]


Amundsen

A case of Horlick's Malted Milk Tablets from the Norwegian expedition. [3]

The first depot of the homeward journey, at 88° 25', was reached on Christmas day. They had indulged themselves at the Pole and overspent their chocolate allowance, going short for the past week or so since then as a result.

It was eight days' travelling to the next depot at 86° 26', 124 miles away. They now had twelve days' full rations for all, and a reserve of pemmican. "So we are well provided for. I am [therefore] putting aside a sample of each item of food that has been at the Pole," wrote Amundsen, adding drily, "The suppliers will presumably appreciate it." [4]

Having brought no extra food for Christmas, Wisting collected biscuit crumbs and with some powdered milk improvised a kind of pudding in the style of the traditional Norwegian risgrøt, or rice porridge. "Well now you are lighting the candles at home," Amundsen wrote. "We are together with you [in spirit], even if the distance is great. But wait a little -- after not too long, you will have us back again, and then with victory in our hands." [5]

"Ah how are you doing Mother," Bjaaland wrote wistfully, "hope you are well and enjoying life, will soon be seeing you." It was 600 more miles back to Framheim. "It will be a long hard yomp," he added. [6]


Notes:

[1] H.R. Bowers, diary, 24 December, 1911, quoted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard in The Worst Journey in the World, ch.X.
[2] R.F. Scott, diary, 25 December, 1911, in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[3] Christie's.
[4] Roald Amundsen, diary, 25 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.498. It was, of course, Christmas day by the Norwegians' one-day-off reckoning (see the note in the sidebar).
[5] Roald Amundsen, diary, 25 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.204-205.
[6] Olav Bjaaland, diary, 25 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.205. "Yomp" is Royal Marines slang for a long-distance march carrying full kit, and Bjaaland is presumably using it in that sense; Huntford suggests that the word is back-formed from the Norwegian jump, "jump", pronounced "yomp".

Wednesday, 20 December 1911

Scott

"Camp under the Wild Mountains, 20 December 1911." [1]

At evening camp, Scott told off the next returning party. "Atkinson, Wright, Cherry-Garrard, and Keohane. All are disappointed -- poor Wright rather bitterly, I fear. I dread this necessity of choosing -- nothing could be more heartrending. I calculated our programme to start from 85° 10' with 12 units of food [one unit was a week's supplies for four men] and eight men. We ought to be in this position to-morrow night, less one day's food. After all our harassing trouble one cannot but be satisfied with such a prospect." [2]

"Aitch [sic], Cherry, Keohane and I turn back tomorrow night," Wright fumed in his diary. "Scott a fool. Teddy goes on. I have to make course back. Too wild to write more tonight. Teddy slack trace 7/8th of today." [3] Later he recalled more calmly, "Cherry was, I know, very disappointed and so was I. The reason for my disappointment was that I was quite certain that both Cherry and I were in better shape than at least one who was chosen to go on. I must have shown my disappointment since the Owner, most kindly, softened the blow by pointing out that I would have the responsibility as navigator of the party, of seeing that we did not get lost on the way back. It did soften the blow to a great extent. I was not entirely happy but soon recovered and indeed, probably took this responsibility too seriously." [4]

"This evening has been rather a shock," Cherry wrote in his diary. "As I was getting my finnesko on to the top of my ski beyond the tent Scott came up to me, and said that he was afraid he had rather a blow for me. Of course I knew what he was going to say, but could hardly grasp that I was going back -- to-morrow night. The returning party is to be Atch, Silas, Keohane and self." [5]

"Scott was very put about, said he had been thinking a lot about it but had come to the conclusion that the seamen with their special knowledge, would be needed: to rebuild the sledge, I suppose. Wilson told me it was a toss-up whether Titus or I should go on: that being so I think Titus will help him more than I can. I said all I could think of -- he seemed so cut up about it, saying 'I think, somehow, it is specially hard on you.' I said I hoped I had not disappointed him, and he caught hold of me and said 'No -- no -- No,' so if that is the case all is well. He told me that at the bottom of the glacier he was hardly expecting to go on himself: I don't know what the trouble is, but his foot is troubling him, and also, I think, indigestion."


Amundsen

Amundsen raised the daily allowance of pemmican from 350g to 400g per man. "God reward him for that," Bjaaland wrote. "Now I'm so full and satisfied, I can't express it in words." [6]


Notes:

[1] "The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott", 5 October 2011, Guardian.co.uk. "Scott took this impressive image to capture the interesting geological features around Mount Wild. On the sledge in the camp, two figures can be seen sketching. On the left, Apsley Cherry Garrard is drawing the view towards Mount Buckley; on the right, Edward Wilson is making detailed sketches and notes of the geological features so clearly visible in Scott's photograph. The other figure that can be seen is probably Birdie Bowers.... Scott returned his camera to base with the First Supporting Party as they departed from the top of the Beardmore Glacier towards Cape Evans.... Bowers, with his lighter camera, was chosen by Scott to become the photographer for the final pole party."
[2] R.F. Scott, diary, 20 December, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[3] Charles S. Wright, diary, 20 December, 1911, quoted by David Crane in Scott of the Antarctic (New York : Knopf, c2005), p.476.
[4] Charles S. Wright, Silas : the Antarctic Diaries and Memoir of Charles S. Wright (Columbus : Ohio State University, 1993), quoted by David Crane in Scott of the Antarctic (New York : Knopf, c2005), p.476.
[5] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, diary, 20 December, 1911, quoted in The Worst Journey in the World, ch.10.
[6] Olav Bjaaland, diary, 21 December 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.497.

Saturday, 16 December 1911

Scott

After ten hours' march, they had covered 11 miles, over new snow covering ice-hard old sastrugi. "The sledges were so often brought up by this," wrote Scott, "that we decided to take to our feet, and thus made better progress, but for the time with very excessive labour. The crust, brittle, held for a pace or two, then let one down with a bump some 8 or 10 inches. Now and again one's leg went down a crack in the hard ice underneath." [1]

"We must push on all we can, for we are now 6 days behind Shackleton, all due to that wretched storm. So far, since we got amongst the disturbances we have not seen such alarming crevasses as I had expected; certainly dogs could have come up as far as this. At present one gets terrible hot and perspiring on the march, and quickly cold when halted, but the sun makes up for all evils. It is very difficult to know what to do about the ski; their weight is considerable and yet under certain circumstances they are extraordinarily useful. Everyone is very satisfied with our summit ration. The party which has been man-hauling for so long say they are far less hungry than they used to be. It is good to think that the majority will keep up this good feeding all through."


Amundsen

The Norwegians broke camp early in the morning. Amundsen gave the honour of skiing to the Pole to Bjaaland. "Thank you," Bjaaland said quietly. "The blokes in Morgedal will be grateful. It'll be fun, the finish to this race." [2]

Bjaaland took off, running dead straight, followed by Hassel, then Helmer Hanssen with his sledge, and Amundsen last to check the line of march. It was, he wrote, "pure pleasure to see Bj. keep his course. He moved as if he had a marked line to follow." [3] At eleven a.m., they arrived.

They pitched camp, and prepared for final observations, building two snow pedestals, one for the artificial horizon and the other to rest the sextant when they were not using it. Hourly observations were then taken for the next twenty-four hours, all four navigators -- Amundsen, Hassel, Wisting, and Helmer Hanssen -- taking it in pairs watch on and watch off. They each counter-signed the other's observation books.

In the tent that evening, Bjaaland made a speech in honour of the day, "in extremely well chosen words," Helmer Hanssen recalled. "In a shining humour, he let the curtain drop by presenting both past and present, with the very best prospects for the future, for our journey home." [4] He then passed around a box of cigars, presenting the case and remaining cigars to Amundsen with a little bow. "And this I give to you in memory of the Pole." [5] Amundsen was deeply touched, for Bjaaland himself did not smoke, and had carried the box all of the way from Framheim as a Christmas present.

"All the dogs are lying stretched out in the heat of the sun," finished Amundsen, "and enjoying life despite the poor rations -- apparently in good condition. It has been so clear today that we can see for many nautical miles around. We have all used the telescope industriously to see if there is any sign of life in any direction -- but in vain. We are the first here all right."


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 16 December 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[2] Tryggve Gran, Kampen om Sydpolen, p. 144 (Oslo : Mortensens, 1961), quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.492.
[3] Roald Amundsen, diary, 17 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.190.
[4] Helmer Hanssen, "Minner fra Sydpolsturen", Polar-Årboken, 1941, p.17, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.493.
[5] Johann Austbø, Olav Bjaaland, p.80, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.493.

Wednesday, 13 December 1911

Scott

Wilson sketching on the Beardmore Glacier, lunch camp, 13 December 1911, photographed by Scott. [1]

"We did perhaps half a mile in the forenoon," Bowers wrote. "Anticipating a better surface in the afternoon we got a shock. Teddy [Evans] led off half an hour earlier to pilot a way, and Captain Scott tried some fake with his spare runners [he lashed them under the sledge to prevent the cross-pieces ploughing the snow] that involved about an hour's work. We had to continually turn our runners up to scrape the ice off them, for in these temperatures they are liable to get warm and melt the snow on them, and that freezes into knobs of ice which act like sandpaper or spikes on a pair of skates. We bust off second full of hope having done so well in the forenoon, but pride goeth [before a fall]. We stuck ten yards from the camp, and nine hours later found us little more than half a mile on. I have never seen a sledge sink so. I have never pulled so hard, or so nearly crushed my inside into my backbone by the everlasting jerking with all my strength on the canvas band round my unfortunate tummy. We were all in the same boat however."

"I saw Teddy struggling ahead and Scott astern, but we were the worst off as the leading team had topped the rise and I was too blind to pick out a better trail. We fairly played ourselves out that time, and finally had to give it up and relay. Halving the load we went forward about a mile with it, and, leaving that lot, went back for the remainder. So done were my team that we could do little more than pull the half loads. Teddy's team did the same, and though Scott's did not, we camped practically the same time, having gone over our distance three times. Mount Kyffin was still ahead of us to the left: we seemed as if we can never come up with it. To-morrow Scott decided that if we could not move our full loads we would start relaying systematically. It was a most depressing outlook after such a day of strenuous labour." [2]

"A most damnably dismal day," Scott called it in his diary. "We can but toil on, but it is woefully disheartening. I am not at all hungry, but pretty thirsty. (T. +15°.) I find our summit ration is even too filling for the present. Two skuas came round the camp at lunch, no doubt attracted by our 'Shambles' camp." [3]

From the Beardmore onwards, the daily ration per man was 12 oz. pemmican (340g), 2 oz. butter (57g), 1 lb. biscuit (454g), 0.86 oz. cocoa (24g), 3 oz. sugar (85g), and 0.7 oz. tea (20g). [4]


Amundsen

"The dogs are so hungry they're eating their own crap, and if they can get at it, they eat the lashing on the sledges and bite deep into the wood," Bjaaland wrote in his diary. "We can now lie and look towards the Pole, and I hear the axle creaking, but tomorrow it will be oiled. The excitement is great. Shall we see the English flag -- God have mercy on us, I don't believe it." [5]


Notes:

[1] "The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott", 5 October 2011, Guardian.co.uk.
[2] H.R. Bowers, diary, 13 December, 1911, quoted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard in The Worst Journey in the World, v.2.
[3] R.F. Scott, diary, 13 December, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[4] Roland Huntford, in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), "A Note on Diet" (figures rounded slightly here). Diana Preston gives the cocoa ration as 0.57 oz. (16g) (A first-rate tragedy : Robert Falcon Scott and the race to the South Pole [Boston : Houghton Mifflin, c1998], p.111).
[5] Olav Bjaaland, diary, 14 December 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.182.

Monday, 11 December 1911

Scott

The Beardmore Glacier, discovered by Shackleton on his Nimrod expedition in 1908. This aerial photograph was taken in 1956. [1]

"[Lt. Evans's team] started quite well," wrote Scott, "but got into difficulties, did just the wrong thing by straining again and again, and so, tiring themselves, went from bad to worse. Their ski shoes, too, are out of trim. Just as I thought we were in for making a great score, this difficulty overtakes us -- it is dreadfully trying. The snow around us to-night is terribly soft, one sinks to the knee at every step; it would be impossible to drag sledges on foot and very difficult for dogs. Ski are the thing, and here are my tiresome fellow-countrymen too prejudiced to have prepared themselves for the event." [2]

Wright, with Atkinson and Lashly on Lt. Evans's team, wrote somewhat testily in his diary, "Scott came back to wonder why we were behind the other teams. I was in front with Evans and had found one could do better by pulling at an angle of about 15° to the side and thus get a grip on the surface without my ski sliding back. Scott then said to Birdie, 'See that's the way to do it,' to which Birdie unthinkingly replied, 'Yes, but look at the loss of pull due to the angle.' I felt like reminding Birdie that the cosine at 15° would not lose more than 1 per cent effort of the straight pull.... However I kept my peace, for conditions were then at their worst and any argument ... should be avoided." [3]

The camp at Lower Glacier Depot, 11th December, 1911, photographed by Scott. [4]

In the afternoon, Meares and Dimitri finally turned for home with the dog teams. "They have done splendidly," Cherry wrote in his diary. "It looks as if Amundsen may have hit off the right thing." [5]

"The dogs should get back quite easily," Scott added, "there is food all along the line." There were in fact only two depots between the foot of the Beardmore and 80° (to Amundsen's seven), the Mid-Barrier depot and One Ton, 120 miles apart.

The dogs were supposed to have turned back two days earlier. In order to provide Meares with two days' more food, everyone else in the party gave up one biscuit daily, almost five percent of an already-low ration. [6]


Amundsen

At 89° 15', they started now to go downhill, sinking gently from the summit.

"[The] same fine terrain and going," Amundsen wrote in his diary. [7] In sunshine and clear skies, the men had done seventeen miles instead of their stipulated fifteen.

"The Pole is in sight," Bjaaland wrote. "Hope and pray to my God that the weather may continue fine. I whipped the dogs on to keep level with Helmer Hanssen's." [8]

With the goal fast approaching, nerves were tight. Hassel found Amundsen "distant and cantankerous", writing in his diary, "One would think the man has a screw loose. He has many times in the last few days actually initiated quarrels, an extraordinary stand to take for a Governor and leader for whom peace and good camaraderie should be the main target." [9]

In King Edward VII Land, Prestrud's Eastern Party had their first day of real sunshine. "At our midday rest we found ourselves abreast of the bay, where, on the outward journey, we had laid down our depot of seals' flesh. I had intended to turn aside to the depot and replenish our supply of meat as a precaution, but Johansen suggested leaving out this detour and going straight on. We might thereby run the risk of having to go on short rations; but Johansen thought it a greater risk to cross the treacherous ground about the bay, and, after some deliberation, I saw he was right. It was better to go on while we were about it." [10]


Notes:

[1] Wikipedia.
[2] R.F. Scott, diary, 11 December, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[3] Charles Wright, diary, 11 December, 1911, quoted by David Crane in Scott of the Antarctic (New York : Knopf, c2005), p.472.
[4] Henry Fountain, "Antarctic Odyssey, Through the Eyes of a Polar Pioneer", New York Times, October 17, 2011.
[5] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, diary, 11 December 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.465.
[6] R.F. Scott, diary, 11 December, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[7] Roald Amundsen, diary, 12 December ,1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.484.
[8] Olav Bjaaland, diary, 12 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.484.
[9] Sverre Hassel, diary, [12 December, 1911], quoted by Tor Bomann-Larsen in Roald Amundsen (Stroud, Gloucestershire : Sutton, c2006, c1995), p.108.
[10] Kristian Prestrud, "The Eastern Sledge Journey", in Roald Amundsen's The South Pole, ch.15. Note that the date is given as 12th December; see Hinks' note on dates in "The Observations of Amundsen and Scott at the South Pole" (The Geographical Journal, April 1944, p.169).

Thursday, 7 December 1911

Scott

"The storm continues and the situation is now serious," wrote Scott. "One small feed remains for the ponies after to-day, so that we must either march to-morrow or sacrifice the animals. That is not the worst; with the help of the dogs we could get on, without doubt. The serious part is that we have this morning started our Summit rations, that is to say, the food calculated from the Glacier depot has been begun. Resignation to misfortune is the only attitude, but not an easy one to adopt. It seems undeserved where plans were well laid and so nearly crowned with a first success. I cannot see that any plan would be altered if it were to do again, the margin for bad weather was ample according to all experience, and this stormy December -- our finest month -- is a thing that the most cautious organiser might not have been prepared to encounter. It is very evil to lie here in a wet sleeping-bag and think of the pity of it, whilst with no break in the overcast sky things go steadily from bad to worse (T. 32°)." [1]

Teddy Evans, a trifle petulantly, wrote in his diary, "I think it would be fairer to shoot [the ponies] now, for what is a possible twelve miles to help?... Why, our party have never been out of harness for nearly 400 miles, so why should not the other eight men buckle to and do some dragging instead of saving work in halfpenny numbers?" [2]

With little else to do, Cherry's thoughts turned towards food. "Henceforward our full ration will be 16 oz. biscuit, 12 oz. pemmican, 2 oz. butter, 0.57 oz. cocoa, 3.0 oz. sugar and 0.86 oz. tea. This is the Summit ration, total 34.43 oz., with a little onion powder and salt. I am all for this: Seaman Evans and others are much regretting the loss of chocolate, raisins and cereals. For the first week up the glacier we are to go one biscuit short to provision Meares on the way back. The motors depôted too much and Meares has been brought on far farther than his orders were originally bringing him. Originally he was to be back at Hut Point on December 10. The dogs, however, are getting all the horse that is good for them, and are very fit. He has to average 24 miles a day going back. Michael is well out of this: we are now eating him. He was in excellent condition and tastes very good, though tough." [3]


Amundsen

Sledges, dogs, and men, having passed Shackleton's southernmost latitude, 7th December, 1911. [4]

"One of our big days," Amundsen began his diary.

"'His Grace'" the sun emerged and they found the observed latitude, 88° 16', agreed with the dead reckoning to within a mile: "a brilliant victory, after 1 1/2 deg. [ninety miles] in thick fog and snow drift ... so now we are ready to take the pole in any kind of weather on offer." [5]

Amundsen, going ahead as forerunner, "suddenly heard a stout, hearty cheer behind. I turned round. In the light breeze from the South, the brave, well-known colours waved from the first sledge, we have passed and put behind us [Shackleton's] record. It was a splendid sight. The sun had just broken through in all its glory and illuminated in a lovely manner the beautiful little flag .... My goggles clouded over again, but this time it was not the South wind's fault." [6]

"As my dogs were horribly worn, I was 1 mile behind," wrote Bjaaland, "and when I reached 88° 23' the Norwegian flag was flying, and I seemed to walk on springs. I congratulated the Captain, he was in a brilliant humour, you can be sure. Extra chocolate in honour of the occasion. Tomorrow rest day. The sun is shining." [7]

Prestrud at the top of Scott's Nunatak, probably 7th December, 1911. [8]

In the Alexandra Mountains, Prestrud's party dug themselves out after a four-day blizzard. "After six hours' hard work," he wrote later, "we got the tent set up a few yards to windward of its first position; the place where it had stood was now a well about seven feet deep. Unfortunately there was no chance of immortalizing this scene of excavation. It would have been amusing enough to have it on the plate; but drifting snow is a serious obstacle to an amateur photographer -- besides which, my camera was on Stubberud's sledge, buried at least four feet down." [9]

Afterwards, they dashed off at last to the peaks they had sighted days earlier, which he named Scott's Nunataks -- "after Captain Scott, who first saw them" in 1902.


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 7 December, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[2] E.R.G.R. Evans, diary, [date not given], quoted by David Crane in Scott of the Antarctic (New York : Knopf, c2005), p.469.
[3] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World, ch.IX.
[4] Roald Amundsen Bildearkiv, Nasjonalbiblioteket.
[5] Roald Amundsen, diary, 8 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.484.
[6] Roald Amundsen, diary, 8 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.459.
[7] Olav Bjaaland, diary, 8 December, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.170.
[8] Roald Amundsen Bildearkiv, Nasjonalbiblioteket.
[9] Kristian Prestrud, "The Eastern Sledge Journey", in Roald Amundsen's The South Pole, ch.15. Note that the date is given as 8th December; see Hinks' note on dates in "The Observations of Amundsen and Scott at the South Pole" (The Geographical Journal, April 1944, p.169).

Sunday, 26 November 1911

Scott

"We now keep a steady pace of 2 miles an hour," Scott noted, "very good going." [1]

Here at 81° 35' they left their Middle Barrier depot, with one week's rations for each returning unit. This reduced the weight on their sledges by 200 lbs. (90.7 kg).

"The sastrugi," added Scott, "seem to be gradually coming more to the south and a little more confused; now and again they are crossed with hard westerly sastrugi. The walking is tiring for the men, one's feet sinking 2 or 3 inches at each step. Chinaman and Jimmy Pigg kept up splendidly with the other ponies. It is always rather dismal work walking over the great snow plain when sky and surface merge in one pall of dead whiteness, but it is cheering to be in such good company with everything going on steadily and well. The dogs came up as we camped. Meares says the best surface he has had yet."

The Second Western Geological Party -- Taylor, Debenham, Gran, and Forde -- arrived at Granite Harbour to begin their work in the Mackay Glacier area.


Amundsen

At three in the morning, a break in the weather came, allowing them to jump out of their sleeping bags and get their bearings. By eight they were off again, with sticky going.

After fifteen miles in heavy drift, they reached level ground and 86° S. "Smooth lies the Plateau before us," wrote Amundsen, "flat as a drawing room floor. We have thus won a victory. Dragged ourselves through storm and drift and are lying now on the Plateau in sunshine ... extremely pleased with the prospects.... [Now] the road to the Pole is clear -- may we soon be there." [2]

Amundsen here took up his position as forerunner, to give the dogs something to follow.


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 26 November, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[2] Roald Amundsen, diary, [27 November, 1911], quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.453.

Wednesday, 22 November 1911

Scott

"Leading ponies on the Barrier. November 20, 1911", a drawing by Wilson. [1]

"The weather is glorious," Scott wrote at Camp 18, "and the ponies can make the most of their rest during the warmest hours, but they certainly lose in one way by marching at night. The surface is much easier for the sledges when the sun is warm, and for about three hours before and after midnight the friction noticeably increases. It is just a question whether this extra weight on the loads is compensated by the resting temperature. We are quite steady on the march now, and though not fast yet get through with few stops. The animals seem to be getting accustomed to the steady, heavy plod and take the deep places less fussily." [2]

"There was a homelike air about ["the Owner's"] tent at supper time," Cherry wrote later, here remembering the earlier Depot Journey, "and, though a lunch camp in the middle of the night is always rather bleak, there was never anything slovenly. Another thing which struck me even more forcibly was the cooking. We were of course on just the same ration [as everyone else]. I was hungry and said so. 'Bad cooking, ' said Wilson shortly; and so it was. For in two or three days the sharpest edge was off my hunger. Wilson and Scott had learned many a cooking tip in the past, and, instead of the same old meal day by day, the weekly ration was so manœuvred by a clever cook that it was seldom quite the same meal. Sometimes pemmican plain, or thicker pemmican with some arrowroot mixed with it: at others we surrendered a biscuit and a half apiece and had a dry hoosh, i.e. biscuit fried in pemmican with a little water added, and a good big cup of cocoa to follow. Dry hooshes also saved oil. There were cocoa and tea upon which to ring the changes, or better still 'teaco' which combined the stimulating qualities of tea with the food value of cocoa. Then much could be done with the dessert-spoonful of raisins which was our daily whack. They were good soaked in the tea, but best perhaps in with the biscuits and pemmican as a dry hoosh. 'You are going far to earn my undying gratitude, Cherry, ' was a satisfied remark of Scott one evening when, having saved, unbeknownst to my companions, some of their daily ration of cocoa, arrowroot, sugar and raisins, I made a 'chocolate hoosh. ' But I am afraid he had indigestion next morning. There were meals when we had interesting little talks, as when I find in my diary that: 'we had a jolly lunch meal, discussing authors. Barrie, Galsworthy and others are personal friends of Scott. Some one told Max Beerbohm that he was like Captain Scott, and immediately, so Scott assured us, he grew a beard. '"

"But about three weeks out the topics of conversation became threadbare. From then onwards it was often that whole days passed without conversation beyond the routine Camp ho! All ready? Pack up. Spell ho. The latter after some two hours' pulling." [3]


Amundsen

A gale blew up which kept the Norwegians in their tent -- "luckily the bad weather chose a rest day," wrote Amundsen. [4] The climb had been hard on the dogs.

"From here on," he added, thinking of the flat, featureless plateau ahead of them, "we will build a cairn every other mile. At each degree we will lay a depot with human food for seven days and dog food for six days … this will quickly lighten the sledges of ours."

Prestrud's Eastern Party came to the edge of the Barrier. "To-day," he wrote later, "we were to see something besides sky and snow. An hour after breaking camp this morning two snowy petrels came sailing over us; a little while later a couple of skua gulls. We welcomed them as the first living creatures we had seen since leaving winter-quarters. The constantly increasing 'water-sky' to the north had long ago warned us that we were approaching the sea; the presence of the birds told us it was not far off. The skua gulls settled very near us, and the dogs, no doubt taking them for baby seals, were of course ready to break the line of march, and go off hunting, but their keenness soon passed when they discovered that the game had wings." [5] They took a sounding off the edge of the ice, which showed a depth of 130 fathoms (nearly 238 metres).


Notes:

[1] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World, p.206.
[2] R.F. Scott, diary, 22 November, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[3] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World, ch.IX.
[4] Roald Amundsen, diary, 23 November, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.142.
[5] Kristian Prestrud, "The Eastern Sledge Journey", in Roald Amundsen's The South Pole, ch.15. Note that the date here is given as 23rd November; see Hinks' note on dates in "The Observations of Amundsen and Scott at the South Pole" (The Geographical Journal, April 1944, p.169).

Tuesday, 21 November 1911

Scott

Scott's party overtook Lt. Evans and the former motor party, now man-hauling. Evans, determined to prove himself to Scott, had pushed his party ahead, and had been waiting almost a week, killing time by building an enormous cairn they dubbed "Mount Hooper".

"They all look very fit," Scott wrote of the former motor party -- Day, Lashly, Hooper, and Teddy Evans -- "but declare themselves to be very hungry. This is interesting as showing conclusively that a ration amply sufficient for the needs of men leading ponies is quite insufficient for men doing hard pulling work; it therefore fully justifies the provision which we have made for the Summit work. Even on that I have little doubt we shall soon get hungry. Day looks very thin, almost gaunt, but fit." [1]

There were now sixteen men, with sledges, ponies, and dogs. With three different kinds of transport, they had to begin their day's travel with five separate starts, spread out over several hours to allow for different speeds, beginning with the slowest: first the man-haulers, then three pony teams separately, and finally Meares with Dimitri and the dogs. It reminded even Scott of "a somewhat disorganised fleet". [2]

At the cairn here at 80° 32', known more formally as the Upper Barrier Depot, Cherry noted later, they left "three S (summit) rations, two cases of emergency biscuits and two cases of oil, which constituted three weekly food units for the three parties which were to advance from the bottom of the Beardmore Glacier. This food was to take them back from 80° 32' to One Ton Camp. We all camped for the night 3 miles farther on: sixteen men, five tents, ten ponies, twenty-three dogs and thirteen sledges." [3]


Amundsen

Hassel depoted his sledge at the Butcher's Shop, and the eighteen remaining dogs were divided between Bjaaland's, Helmer Hanssen's, and Wisting's teams. "From the Pole," Amundsen added, "12 dogs in two teams." [4]

All unnecessary items were also depoted here, including some items of reindeer-skin clothing, as they were too warm.

"We still have ca. 54 litres of paraffin left."

They were 274 miles from the Pole.


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 18 November, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[2] R.F. Scott, [diary, 2 November 1911], quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.425.
[3] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World, ch.IX.
[4] Roald Amundsen, diary, 22 November, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.

Friday, 17 February 1911

Scott

Deciding that the ponies could take no more of the relentless southern drift, Scott decided to turn back. They were at 79° 29' S. They called the place One Ton Depot, for the amount of stores it contained, and marked it with a single flag; the route from the previous depot was not marked at all.

Scott noted in his diary the amount of stores depoted, by weight and ration: seven weeks' full provision bags for 1 unit [four men], two days' provision bags for 1 unit, eight weeks' tea, six weeks' extra butter, seven weeks' full ration of biscuit, twelve weeks' worth of oil for 1 unit, five sacks of oats, four bales of fodder, a tank of dog biscuit, miscellaneous dog harness, two sledges, two pairs of skis and one of poles, a thermometer, and a tin each of cocoa and matches, "considerably over a ton of stuff. It is a pity we couldn't get to 80°, but as it is we shall have a good leg up for next year and can at least feed the ponies full up to this point." [1]

"[It] wasn't quite where we had planned it to be," Gran wrote in his diary of the depot. "I am rather disappointed and foresee difficulties with the complicated transport arrangements. Of one thing I am certain, that we shall need luck if we are to reach the Pole next year." [2]


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 17 February, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[2] Tryggve Gran, diary, 17 February, 1911, in The Norwegian with Scott ([Greenwich] : National Maritime Museum, 1984), p.59.