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.

Sunday, 8 October 1911

Scott

"Matterhorn Iceberg (with Thomas Clissold climbing) and Mount Erebus in the background, during the British Antarctic ('Terra Nova') Expedition (1910-1913). Photograph taken on the 8th of October 1911, by Herbert George Ponting." [1]

"Troubles rarely come singly," wrote Scott. Anxiety over Taylor, who had gone missing on a bicycle trip to Turk's Head, and a series of mishaps over the last few days put Scott into a dark mood. One of the best dogs had died of a mysterious ailment, and Atkinson had reported that the pony Jehu would not make even the start of the journey. Forde's fingers were badly frostbitten after the Corner Camp trip. The cook Clissold fell from an iceberg while posing for a photograph, to Ponting's great consternation, and suffered concussion and a hurt back.

"It is trying, but I am past despondency. Things must take their course," wrote Scott. "[It] is hard to have two sick men after all the care which has been taken." [2]


Notes:

[1] Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand. Posing for the photographer quickly became known, perhaps inevitably, as "ponting".
[2] R.F. Scott, diary, 8 and 10 October, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1. Taylor recalled many years later, "I had a few keen arguments with Scott -- the only ones I knew about. He scolded me very deservedly when I was lost some six miles south of the hut.... Yet in spite of this he gave me command of the second Western Party" (quoted by David Crane in Scott of the Antarctic [New York : Knopf, c2005], p.450).