THE SECOND WINTER--FINDING OF THE POLAR PARTY
The foregoing story of triumph and disaster going hand in hand to Scott
dwarfed the remaining chapters of the Expedition's history into
insignificance. I venture, however, to give a resume of what was
happening elsewhere in this region at the time.
The Norwegian explorers commenced their trip homeward to Framheim in the
Bay of Whales, a distance of 870 English miles, on December 17, 1911 and
made the amazing marching average of 22 1/2 miles a day for this
distance.
On January 25, 1912, at 4 a.m., Amundsen's men regained the shelter of
their winter quarters, when poor Scott was still only 30 miles from the
Pole on his return journey.
This undoubtedly establishes the superiority of dogs in great numbers for
Polar sledge travelling, for Scott delayed his start on account of the
inability of his ponies to face the severity of the Barrier weather
conditions before November 1. Peary in the North had already with dogs
achieved what Amundsen did in the South. Captain Amundsen has always
expressed his wonder at our performance--and in his modest way he told me
he himself could never have manhauled as Scott's men did.
Concerning the attempts to support the Southern party, Scott's
instructions were quite clear, and they were certainly obeyed. As a
matter of fact there was never any anxiety felt for the Southern party
until after March 10. They themselves never imagined they would reach Hut
Point before that time, and as the last supporting party had won through
short-handed, and after pulling in harness for 1500 miles, it was not
considered likely that the Southern party would fail--unless overtaken by
scurvy.
What actually happened was this. Stores were landed by those at the base
station on the re-arrival of the "Terra Nova," and Atkinson, who was the
senior member of those not now returning in her to civilisation, took
over the dogs according to Scott's directions. He proceeded to Hut Point
with Dimitri and the two dog teams on 13th February, and was kept in camp
by bad weather until 19th, when Crean reached the Hut and brought in the
news of my breakdown and collapse at Corner Camp. A blizzard precluded a
start for the purpose of relieving me, but this expedition was undertaken
immediately the weather abated. It was only during a temporary clear that
Lashly and I were rescued.
Considering my condition, Atkinson judged that if help could be obtained
from Cape Evans, his duty was to stay with me and save my life if
possible, and to depute Cherry-Garrard or Wright to take the dog-teams
out to One Ton Camp with Dimitri.
Scott would have preferred Wright to remain at Cape Evans, because he had
now relieved Simpson as physicist--Simpson being recalled by the Indian
Government.
So it was decided that Cherry-Garrard should take out the teams, which he
did, with twenty-four days' food for his own unit and two weeks' surplus
stores for the Southern party, with all kinds of special delicacies.
The real object of this trip was to hasten the Southern party's return
rather than to succour them.
Cherry-Garrard and Dimitri had a tough time of it. They, however, reached
One Ton Camp on March, and were held there by blizzard weather, which
made travelling impossible. Temperatures of 40 degrees below zero and
lower were experienced, the dogs were suffering acutely, and
Cherry-Garrard had to decide on the better course--to remain at One Ton
Camp, which Scott would surely make, if thus far north, with two
competent navigators in his team, or to scout and risk missing the party,
whilst using up the dogs' remaining strength. He very properly remained
at One Ton Camp and made his depot on 10th March, and after satisfying
himself that over a month's travelling rations were in the depot,
Cherry-Garrard started homeward, but he had by no means a sinecure in
this journey back--his dogs went wild at the start, smashed the
sledge-meter adrift, fought, and would keep no definite direction, thick
weather set in, and they had a fearful time marching northwards.
The season was rapidly closing, and without the practice in fog
navigation which the naval officers had, the situation of the unit was
alarming. The two men got into severe pressure and found great open
crevasses--this with their dogs ravenous and out of hand. Dimitri
practically collapsed, and being unable to express himself properly in
English, one can picture what Cherry-Garrard had to contend with. Late on
March 16 they won through to Hut Point in exceedingly bad condition.
Atkinson was seriously alarmed, and had two more sick men to nurse back
to strength.
The dogs were frost-bitten, gaunt, and quite unfit for further work that
season. Meantime during the absence of the dog teams, before there was
anxiety on Scott's account, Pennell, responding to Atkinson's letter for
help, brought the "Terra Nova" up towards Hut Point, and a party under
Rennick conveyed me in pitiful state to the ship in my sleeping-bag.
I was placed in the Captain's cabin, and given Drake and Day as nurses. I
owe them a great debt too. Atkinson had still to remain at my side, for I
was even then at death's door--and, it is only due to Atkinson's
unremitting care that I am alive to-day. He came up therefore in the ship
and participated in the search for Campbell in the vicinity of Evans's
Coves, but after several unsuccessful attempts the "Terra Nova"
temporarily abandoned her objective and returned to Cape Evans on March
4. Here Keohane was picked up and taken with Atkinson to Hut
Point--Pennell relieved Atkinson of further responsibility on my account
and then landed him with Keohane here. It was impressed on Atkinson that
there was very little chance of relieving Campbell with ice conditions as
they were. They laid up a store of seal meat and blubber against the
return of Scott's company, while the ship made another fruitless attempt
to relieve Campbell. She did not return South after this on account of
the sea freezing and her own coal shortage, but proceeded back to New
Zealand, in accordance with her Commanding Officer's instructions.
Pennell was not justified in keeping the "Terra Nova" any later in the
McMurdo Sound.
Now let us consider poor Atkinson. He had Dimitri and Cherry-Garrard at
Hut Point in a state of collapse--he had on 16th March the knowledge that
the Polar Party were still on the Barrier with a season closing in and a
certainty of low temperature--there was no communication with Cape Evans,
for the ice had gone out and left open water between the two positions.
After discussing the situation fully, Atkinson and Keohane started out
alone to succour Scott's party. It was on March 26 that Atkinson and
Keohane set out, this being later in the year than we had sledged in
1911, when it will be remembered we gave up depot-laying on account of
the hardship entailed, although we were fresh men and had not undergone
the severe test of a long season's sledge work. Atkinson could only
manage about nine miles daily, he and Keohane got practically no sleep
owing to the cold, and they turned homeward after depositing a week's
food supply at Corner Camp, in case it could be made use of. Atkinson was
morally certain that the Polar Party had perished by this time, and, as
he states in his record of proceedings ("The last year at Cape Evans,
'Scott's Last Expedition,' Vol. II."), Scott's last diary entry was made
before he and Keohane reached Corner Camp. Atkinson arrived back at Hut
Point on April 1, 1912, utterly worn out, and in great concern on
Campbell's account, for the Northern party were known to be somewhere on
the coast. He could do nothing without assistance from Cape Evans, and he
awaited, therefore, the opportunity of reaching the base station as we
all had done when stranded at Hut Point twelve months previously. On
April 10, leaving Cherry-Garrard to tend the dogs, Atkinson, Keohane, and
Dimitri made their way to Cape Evans via the Castle Rock, Glacier Tongue
route, as described in the earlier part of this narrative, but, as it
happens, under almost unparalleled conditions, for they sailed over the
ice, riding on their sledge, such was the excellence of the sea-ice
surface.
The indefatigable Atkinson called the members together to discuss plans
and decide as to future relief work. The idea of making a farther journey
on to the Ice Barrier to succour Scott was rejected as useless--for there
was no hope whatever for the Southern party, and Atkinson himself knew
what the Barrier travelling was like. There was, however, a chance of
relieving Campbell and his five companions, known to have been set ashore
in the neighbourhood of Terra Nova Bay, and with this end in view,
Atkinson, Wright, Keohane, Williamson, Gran, and Dimitri set off on April
13.
The last two were left at Hut Point whilst Atkinson and the other three
worked round the Southern end of McMurdo Sound on the sea-ice and up the
coast to Butter Point. It was a dangerous proceeding, but Atkinson was
undaunted by the perils of the sea ice breaking up, and he carried out a
tip-and-run sort of journey with great pluck and endurance, establishing
a depot of a fortnight's foodstuffs at Butter Point. On April. 20 the ice
was seen to break up and drift seawards from Butter Point, thus finally
putting a stop to any further search or relief work.
A somewhat hazardous return journey landed Atkinson's team at Hut Point,
and his whole party was re-collected at the Cape Evans Base by May 1 with
the dogs.
Here Lashly was looking after the seven mules presented by the Indian
Government, which the ship had brought down to enable Scott to explore
further the extent of the Victoria Land Coast, S.E. of the Beardmore.
Everything at Cape Evans in the scientific line was carried on as in the
preceding winter, and although the staff was reduced the records and
observations were continued as heretofore.
The Second Winter Party consisted of:
_Officers_--Atkinson, Wright, Debenham, Nelson, Cherry-Garrard, Gran.
_Men_--Archer, Williamson, Crean, Lashly, Keohane, Dimitri, Hooper.
Mr. Archer, our capable chief cook and steward, replaced Clissold, and
Williamson exchanged with Forde. The winter work of the Hut was
reorganised by Atkinson, so that every one was detailed to do that for
which he was best suited. Considering what the party had faced already,
that they were living in the shadow of a great disaster, and that
Campbell's fate was in doubt, one must feel that in a way they had the
hardest time of all in the Expedition. They had to sit down, as it were,
and wait in uncertainty for the winter to pass, then go out in search to
ascertain the fate of their leader, and probably that of Campbell.
I can only give a brief summary of the second winter, taken from
Atkinson's and Gran's accounts: the weather was probably exceptional from
the persistency of the early winter blizzards. There was a great dearth
of seal-meat, due to the ice blowing out from the North Bay and to the
lack of ice everywhere in May month.
Debenham gave great joy to the company after examining the geological
specimens brought by Atkinson's supporting party from the Beardmore.
Fossils of plants and small marine animals were found amongst them.
Ice formed at the end of May, but again blew out in June--close on to
midwinter, when the sea was seen to be phosphorescent, and Atkinson
writes: "We had a wonderful show of phosphorescence--we saw a seal
chasing a school of fish, the fish outlined with phosphorescence, and the
seal with a glowing snout and all his body bright in hot pursuit."
On midwinter day, after the attendant festivities, Atkinson called the
members together and outlined his plans for the coming season.
He says, "Two alternatives lay before us. One was to go South and try to
discover the fate of Captain Scott's party. I thought it most likely that
they had been lost in a crevasse on the Beardmore Glacier. Whether their
bodies could be found or not, it was highly desirable to go even as far
as the Upper Glacier Depot, nearly 600 miles from the Base, in the hope
of finding a note left in some depot which could tell whether they had
fulfilled their task or turned back before reaching the Pole. On general
grounds it was of great importance not to leave the record of the
Expedition incomplete, with one of its most striking chapters a blank.
"The other alternative was to go West and North to relieve Campbell and
his party, always supposing they had survived the winter. If they had
come through the winter every day of advancing summer would improve their
chances of living on in Terra Nova Bay. At the same time there was good
prospect of their ultimately being relieved by the ship, if indeed she
had not taken them off in the autumn. As for ourselves, it seemed most
improbable that we could journey up the coast owing to the abnormal state
of the ice. Instead of being frozen for the winter, the whole Sound to
the north and west of Inaccessible Island was open water during July; the
ice was driven out by the exceptionally strong and frequent winds, and
there was little chance of a firm road forming for the spring. Under
these conditions officers and men unanimously supported the decision to
go South."
An important fact is noted by Atkinson which is worth including for the
guidance of future expeditions. Six new sledges came down per "Terra
Nova" from Messrs. Hagen of Christiania, with tapered runners--the
breadth of the runner in front being 4 inches, diminishing to 2 1/2 on
the after part of the sledge. Compared with our original 12-foot pattern
the new sledges contrasted to great advantage over the old. The idea
seems to be that the broad iron portion should run over and smooth the
track for the after tapered portion.
The sun returned after its four months' absence on August 23 and found
the little party in excellent health and cheerful spirits. The mules and
dogs had been carefully exercised to be ready and fit for the new journey
South. A depot was laid 12 miles south of Corner Camp in mid-October, and
another by the dogs soon after. On October 29 Wright, Nelson, Gran,
Lashly, Crean, Williamson, Keohane, and Hooper left with six mules,
sledges, and a considerable provision store to search for Captain Scott
and the Polar Party. Atkinson followed with Cherry-Garrard and Dimitri on
1st November, taking the best available dogs in two teams. Without any
great trouble they reached One Ton Camp on November 10, having joined
forces with the mule party. Atkinson notes that here he found, as we had
done before, an oil shortage from paraffin tins in the depot leaking,
although there was no hole discernible. Some stores had been spoilt in
consequence. On the morning of 12th November the party found what they
sought--Scott's tent, snowed up and presenting a cairn-like appearance.
From Gran's diary the following is taken:
"It has happened--horrible, ugly fate, only 11 miles from One Ton
Depot, Scott, Wilson, and Birdie. All ghastly. I will never forget it
as long as I live: a terrible nightmare could not have shown more
horror than this 'Campo Santo.' In a tent, snow covered to above the
door, we found the three bodies. Scott in the middle, half out of his
bag, Birdie on his right, and Uncle Bill on the left, lying head
towards the door. .. Bowers and Wilson seem to have passed away in a
kind of sleep.... Concerning our unlucky Polar Party we learned that
Petty Officer Evans died at the Lower Glacier Depot; he was done, and
had fallen coming down the Glacier: death was the result of a
concussion of the brain. On the Barrier they met with extreme low
temperatures. Down to -50 degrees in the night time for weeks, also
head wind.
"'Soldier' had got his feet frost-bitten badly and suffered
enormously. He understood that the salvation of the party depended on
his death--but as death would not relieve him he went out of the tent
in a blizzard to meet it. The three others arrived here at this camp
March 21 with food for two days and fuel for one meal. A terrible
blizzard prevented them from getting in, and on March 29 all was
finished.
"Scott writes in his diary: 'There is no more hope, and so God look
after our people....' All this only a day's march from plenty.... We
buried them this morning, a solemn undertaking. How strange it was to
see men bareheaded whilst the wind blew with the thermometer at -20
degrees. We are now going to look for 'Soldier' and then return to
look for Campbell. I must say our Expedition is not given much luck
... the sun is shining beautifully in this place of death: over the
Bluff this morning stood a distinct cross in clouds."
It continues: "November 12, Lunch time:
"We have built a cairn--a 12-foot cairn--and put a cross made of a pair
of skis on it...." Gran says later, and it is worth quoting: "When I saw
those three poor souls the other day, I just felt that I envied them.
They died having done something great. How hard death must be for those
who meet it having done nothing."
Atkinson in his account says:
"We recovered all their gear and dug out the sledge with their
belongings on it. Amongst these were 35 lb. of very important
geological specimens which had been collected on the moraines of the
Beardmore Glacier: at Doctor Wilson's request they had stuck to these
up to the very end, even when disaster stared them in the face and
they knew that the specimens were so much weight added to what they
had to pull...."
The following record was left:
"November 12, 1912, Latitude 79 degrees, 50 minutes, South. This cross
and cairn are erected over the bodies of Captain Scott, C.V.O., R.N.,
Doctor E.A. Wilson, M.B., B.C., Cantab., and Lieutenant H.R. Bowers,
Royal Indian Marine--a slight token to perpetuate their successful and
gallant attempt to reach the Pole. This they did on January 17, 1912,
after the Norwegian Expedition had already done so. Inclement weather
with lack of fuel was the cause of their death. Also to commemorate
their two gallant comrades, Captain L.E.G. Oates of the Inniskilling
Dragoons, who walked to his death in a blizzard to save his comrades,
about eighteen miles south of this position; also of Seaman Edgar
Evans, who died at the foot of the Beardmore Glacier. 'The Lord gave
and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'"
This was signed by all the members of the party.
"I decided then to march twenty miles south with the whole of the
Expedition and try to find the body of Captain Oates. For half the day
we proceeded south, as far as possible along the line of the previous
season's march. On one of the old pony walls, which was simply marked
by a ridge of the surface of the snow, we found Oates's sleeping-bag,
which they had brought along with them after he had left.
"The next day we proceeded thirteen miles more south, hoping and
searching to find his body. When we arrived at the place where he had
left them, we saw that there was no chance of doing so. The kindly
snow had covered his body, giving him a fitting burial. Here, again,
as near to the site of the death as we could judge, we built another
cairn to his memory, and placed thereon a small cross and the
following record: 'Hereabouts died a very gallant gentleman, Captain
L.E.G. Oates of the Inniskilling Dragoons. In March, 1912, returning
from the Pole, he walked willingly to his death in a blizzard, to try
and save his comrades, beset by hardships. This note is left by the
Relief Expedition of 1912.'"
Atkinson writes also, and it should be inserted most certainly here,
referring to their return after hunting for poor Oates's body:
"On the second day we came again to the resting place of the three and
bade them there a final farewell. There alone in their greatness they
will lie without change or bodily decay, with the most fitting tomb in
the world above them."
Atkinson could not have expressed himself more beautifully. My book
should end here, but there is an epilogue to it: it is the illuminating
story of Campbell and his northern party, with a short indication of what
was done elsewhere by the Expedition's men. The homeward journey was made
in sorrow and doubt, for Atkinson's little band of brothers had to
shoulder another responsibility--the determination of Campbell's fate.
On November 27, 1912, Gran's diary gives as follows:
"Great news again--great, good news. Campbell here and his party safe
at Cape Evans. They just missed us going out. They lived a winter à la
Eskimo, Igloo and so on, and have been quite comfortable, so they say.
Campbell is looking very well. He is now in command, and intends to do
only small trips--Erebus and so on...."
Atkinson now handed over to Campbell, and whilst mentioning this it is
just as well to call attention to the splendid services of Dr. Atkinson.
Grit and loyalty were his outstanding qualities. He was later on
specially promoted to Surgeon Commander for his work in the Expedition.