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SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 


VOLUME I. 


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i; CAPTAIN mR F. *. SCOTT, RN,, C.V.O. 
| VOL. il. _ BEING THE REPORTS OF THE JOURNEYS 


| @ THE SCIENTIFIC Work UNDERTAKEN BY DR, E. A. WILSON 
AND THE SueViviec MeMEERS OF THE EXPEDITION 
| _ ARRANGED OF 
LEONARD HUXLEY 

WITH A PREFACE a 


_ SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, K.C.B., F.R.S. 


4 i 


With Photogravure Frontispieces, 6 Original Sketches in Photogravure by 
Dr. E. A Wilson, 18 Coloured Plates (16 from Drawings by Dr. Wilson), 
260 Full-Page and smaller Uustrations, from Photographs taken by Herbert 

|G. Ponting, and other Members of the e Eapeditn Panoramas and Maps 


VOLUME L__ 


LONDON 
_ $MITH, ELDER & CO. 15 WATERLOO PLACE, 


1913 


(AN rights cesecved) 


SCOTT'S 
EAST EXPEDITION 


IN TWO VOLUMES 


VOEI BEING THE JOURNALS OF 
GAPTAIN RE. SCOTT RN. CV.O: 
VOE IT BEING THE REPORTS OF THE JOURNEYS 


& THE SCIENTIFIC WORK UNDERTAKEN BY DR. E. A. WILSON 
AND THE SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION 


ARRANGED BY 
LEONARD HUXLEY 
WITH A PREFACE BY 


SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, K.C.B., F.R.S. 


With Photogravure Frontispieces, 6 Original Sketches in Photogravure by 
Dr. E. A Wilson, 18 Coloured Plates (16 from Drawings by Dr. Wilson), 
260 Full-Page and smaller Illustrations, from Photographs taken by Herbert 
G. Ponting, and other Members of the Expedition; Panoramas and Maps 


VOLUME I. 


LONDON 
SMITH. ELDER & CO.. 15 WATERLOO PLACE 


1913 


{All rights reserved] 


PREFACE 


FourTEEN years ago Robert Falcon Scott was a rising 
naval officer, able, accomplished, popular, highly thought 
of by his superiors, and devoted to his noble profession. 
It was a serious responsibility to induce him to take up 
the work of an explorer ; yet no man living could be found 
who was so well fitted to command a great Antarctic 
Expedition. The undertaking was new and _ unpre- 
cedented. The object was to explore the unknown 
Antarctic Continent by land. Captain Scott entered 
upon the enterprise with enthusiasm tempered by prudence 
and sound sense. All had to be learnt by a thorough 
study of the history of Arctic travelling, combined with 
experience of different conditions in the Antarctic Regions. 
Scott was the initiator and founder of Antarctic sledge- 
travelling. 

His discoveries were of great importance. The survey 
and soundings along the Barrier cliffs, the discovery of 
King Edward Land, the discovery of Ross Island and the 
other volcanic islets, the examination of the Barrier 
surface, the discovery of the Victoria Mountains—a range 
of great height and many hundreds of miles in length, 
which had only before been seen from a distance out at 


vi PREFACE 


sea—and above all the discovery of the great ice cap on 
which the South Pole is situated, by one of the most 
remarkable Polar journeys on record. His small but 
excellent scientific staff worked hard and with trained 
intelligence, their results being recorded in twelve large 
quarto volumes. 

The great discoverer had no intention of losing touch 
with his beloved profession though resolved to complete 
his Antarctic work. The exigencies of the naval service 
called him to the command of battleships and to con- 
fidential work of the Admiralty ; so that five years elapsed 
before he could resume his Antarctic labours. 

The object of Captain Scott’s second expedition was 
mainly scientific, to complete and extend his former 
work in all branches of science. It was his ambition that 
in his ship there should be the most completely equipped 
expedition for scientific purposes connected with the 
Polar regions, both as regards men and material, that 
ever left these shores. In this he succeeded. He had on 
board a fuller complement of geologists, one of them 
especially trained for the study of physiography, biologists, 
physicists, and surveyors than ever before composed the 
staff of a Polar expedition. Thus Captain Scott’s objects 
were strictly scientific, including the completion and 
extension of his former discoveries. The results will be 
explained in the second volume of this work. They will be 
found to be extensive and important. Never before, in 
the Polar regions, have meteorological, magnetic and tidal 
observations been taken, in one locality, during five years. 
It was also part of Captain Scott’s plan to reach the South 


PREFACE vii 


Pole by a long and most arduous journey, but here again 
his intention was, if possible, to achieve scientific results 
on the way, especially hoping to discover fossils which 
would throw light on the former history of the great range 
of mountains which he had made known to science. 

The principal aim of this great man—for he rightly has 
his niche among the Polar Dit Majores—was the advance- 
ment of knowledge. From all aspects Scott was among 
the most remarkable men of our time, and the vast number 
of readers of his journal will be deeply impressed with the 
beauty of his character. The chief traits which shone 
forth through his life were conspicuous in the hour of 
death. There are few events in history to be compared, 
for grandeur and pathos, with the last closing scene in that 
silent wilderness of snow. The great leader, with the 
bodies of his dearest friends beside him, wrote and wrote 
until the pencil dropped from his dying grasp. There was 
no thought of himself, only the earnest desire to give 
comfort and consolation to others in their sorrow. His 
very last lines were written lest he who induced him to 
enter upon Antarctic work should now feel regret for 
what he had done. 

‘If I cannot write to Sir Clements, tell him I thought 
much of him, and never regretted his putting me in 
command of the Discovery.’ 


CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM. 
September 1913. 


CONTENTS 


OF 


THE FIRST VOLUME 


CHAPTER I 


THROUGH STORMY SEAS Pace 


General Stowage—A Last Scene in New Zealand—Departure— 
On Deck with the Dogs—The Storm—The Engine-room 
Flooded—Clearing the Pumps—Cape Crozier as a Station— 
Birds of the South—A Pony’s Memory—Tabular Bergs—- 
An Incomparable Scene—Formation of the Pack—Move- 
ments of the Floes . 


CHAPTER II 
IN THE PACK 


A Reported Island—Incessant Changes—The Imprisoning Ice 
—Ski-ing and Sledging on the Floes—Movement of Bergs— 
Opening of the Pack—A Damaged Rudder—To Stop or not 
to Stop—Nicknames—Ski Exercise—Penguins and Music— 
Composite Floes—Banked VFires—Christmas in the Ice— 
The Penguins and the Skua—Ice Movements—State of the 
Ice-house—Still in the Ice—Life in the Pack—Escape from 


the Pack—A Calm—The Pack far to the North—Science in 


theIce . . 30 


CHAPTER III 
LAND 


Land at Last—Reach Cape Crozier—Cliffs of Cape Crozier— 
Landing Impossible—Penguins and Killers—Cape Evans as 
Winter Station—The Ponies Landed—Penguins’ Fatuous 
Conduct—Adventure with Killer Whales—Habits of the 
Killer Whale—Landing Stores—The Skuas Nesting—Ponies 


and their Ways—Dangers of the Rotting Ice 77 


| 
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ay 


wn 


SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION 


CHAPTER IV 


SETTLING IN 


Loss of a Motor—A Dog Dies—Result of Six Days’ Work— 


Restive Ponies—An Ice Cave—Loading Ballast—Pony 
Prospects—First Trip to Hut Point—Return: Prospects of 
Sea Ice—A Secure Berth—The Hut—Home Fittings and 
Autumn Plans—The Pianola—Seal Rissoles—The ie 
Stranded—Ice begins to go . 


CHAPTER V 


DEP6T LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 


Dogs and Ponies at Work—Stores for Depédts—Old Stores at 


Discovery Hut—To Encourage the Pony—Depét Plans— 
Pony Snow-shoes—Impressions on the March — Further 
Impressions—Sledging Necessities and Luxuries—A Better 
Surface—Chaos Without; Comfort Within—After the 
Blizzard—Marching Routine—The Weakest Ponies Return 
—Bowers and Cherry-Garrard—Snow Crusts and Blizzards 
—A Resented Frost-bite—One Ton Camp. - 3 “ 


CHAPTER VI 


ADVENTURE AND PERIL 


Dogs’ and Ponies’ Ways—The Dogs in a Crevasse—Rescue 


Work—Chances of a Snow Bridge—The Dog Rations—A 
Startling Mail—Cross the Other Party—The End of ‘ Weary 
Willy ’—The Ice Breaks—The Ponies on the 1 eee 
Back . : : : : . . fs 


CHAPTER VII 
AT DISCOVERY HUT 


Fitting up the Old Hut—A Possible Land Route—The Geological 


Party Arrives—Clothing—Exceptional Gales—Geology at 
Hut Point—An Ice Foot Exposed—Stabling at Hut Point— 
Waiting for the Ice—A Clear Day—Pancake Ice—Life at 
Hut Point—From Hut Point to Cape Evans—A Blizzard on 
the Sea Ice—Dates of the Sea Freezing . : : ° 


CHAPTER VIII 
HOME IMPRESSIONS AND AN EXCURSION 


Baseless Fears about the Hut—The Death of ‘ Hackenschmidt ’— 


The Dark Room—The Biologists’ Cubicle—An Artificer 
Cook—A Satisfactory tala oo an Ice Face—An 
Icy Run—On Getting Hot 5 4 “ 


Pacs 


106 


139 


176 


198 


228 


CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME xi 


CHAPTER Ix 


THE WORK AND THE WORKERS 
PAGE 
Balloons—Occupations—Many Talents—The Young Ice goes 
out—Football: Inverted Temperatures—Of Rainbows— 
Football : New Ice—Individual Scientific Work—Individuals 
at Work—Thermometers on the Floe—Floe Temperatures— 
A Bacterium in the Snow—Return of the Hut Point Party— 
Personal Harmony . ° 5 - | . : - 246 


CHAPTER X 
IN WINTER QUARTERS: MODERN STYLE 


On Penguins—The Electrical Instruments—On Horse Manage- 
ment—On Ice Problems—The Aurora—The Nimrod Hut— 
Continued Winds—Modern Interests—The Sense of Cold—On 
the Floes—A Tribute to Wilson : ‘ 5 ; iy 274 


CHAPTER XI 
TO MIDWINTER DAY 


Ventilation—On the Meteorological Instruments—Magnesium 
Flashlight—On the Beardmore Glacier—Lively Discussions 
—Action of Sea Water on Ice—A Theory of Blizzards— 

On Arctic Surveying—Ice Structure—Ocean Life—On 
Volcanoes—Daily Routine—On Motor Sledging—Crozier 
Party’s Experiments—Midwinter Day Dinner—A Christmas 
Tree—An Ethereal Glory : F - A . 296 


CHAPTER XII 
AWAITING THE CROZIER PARTY 


Threats of a Blizzard—Start of the Crozier Party—Strange 
Winds—A Current Vane—Pendulum Observations—Lost 
on the Floe—The Wanderer Returns—Pony Parasites—A 
Great Gale—The Ways of Storekeepers—A Sick Pony— 
A Sudden Recovery—Effects of Lack of Light—Winds of 
Hurricane Force—Unexpected Ice Conditions—Telephones 
at Work—The Cold on the Winter Journey—Shelterless in a 
Blizzard—A Most Gallant ot a a tae Nearly 
Perfect . : : : ° * 33° 


7 
. 


SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE RETURN OF THE SUN 


The Indomitable Bowers—A Theory of Blizzards—Ponies’ 


Tricks—On Horse Management—The Two Esquimaux Dogs 
—Balloon Records—On Scurvy—From Tent Island—On 
India—Storms and Acclimatisation—On Physiography— 
Another Lost Dog Returns—The Débris Cones—On Chinese 
Adventures—Inverted Temperature . : - A 


CHAPTER XIV 


PREPARATIONS : THE SPRING JOURNEY 


On Polar Clothing—Prospects of the Motor Sledges—South Polar 


Times, 11—The Spring Western Journey—The Broken 
Glacier Tongue—Marching Against a Blizzard—The Value 
of Experience—General Activity—Final Instructions 


CHAPTER XV 


THE LAST WEEKS AT CAPE EVANS 


Clissold’s Accident—Various Invalids—Christopher’s Capers— 


A Motor Mishap—Dog Sickness—Some Personal Sketches— 
A Pony Accident—A Football Knee—Value of the Motors— 
The Balance of Heat and Cold—The First Motor on the 
Barrier—Last Days at Cape Evans . 


CHAPTER XVI 


SOUTHERN JOURNEY: THE BARRIER STAGE 


Midnight Lunches—A Motor Breaks Down—The Second Motor 


Fails—Curious Features of the Blizzard—Ponies Suffer in a 
Blizzard—Ponies Go Well—A Head Wind—Bad Conditions 
Continue—At One Ton Camp—Winter Minimum Tempera- 
ture—Daily Rest in the Sun—Steady Plodding—The 
First Pony Shot—A Trying March—The Second Pony Shot 
—Dogs, Ponies, and Driving—The Southern Mountains 
Appear—The Third Blizzard—A Fourth Blizzard—The 
Fifth and Long Blizzard—Patience and Resolution—Still 
Held Up—The End of the Barrier Journey 


Pace 


37° 


401 


421 


447 


CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME 


CHAPTER XVII 
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 


Difficulties with Deep Snow—With Full Loads—After-effects 
of the Great Storm—A Fearful Struggle—Less Snow and 
Better Going—The Valley of the Beardmore—Wilson Snow- 
blind—The Upper Glacier Basin—Return of the First Party 
—Upper Glacier Depét : 7 - 


CHAPTER XVIII 
THE SUMMIT JOURNEY TO THE POLE 


Pressures Under Mount Darwin—A Change for the Better— 
Lashly in a Crevasse—Fifteen Miles Not Enough !—Bad 
Running of a Sledge—Lost Time Made Up—Comfort of 
Double Tent—Last Supporting Party Returns—Hard Work 
on the Summit— Piha tere af i Le eh My 
, t ies kK waco. tSy-c ‘ :  g4OgeT eS ISI 
' ' hs  ay and Monday 
mornings with #xuMih “Fader. 

Think the wind ete) Swal and that the Strait has 
frozen over to the #u¥h ee atexte of drift seow and ice 


crystals (off the cliffs) one enemy up the ice vheet towards 


the wind. Monday we coultt sve “bu approaching white sheet 
yesterday it was visibly clesey (lend, though the wind 


r9rr) A CLEAR DAY 217 


day : yesterday climbed about hills to see all possible. No 
one else left the hut. In the evening the wind fell and freez- 
ing continued during night (min.-17°). This morning there 
is ice everywhere. I cannot help thinking it has come to 
stay. In Arrival Bay it is 6 to 7 inches thick, but the 
new pools beyond have only 1 inch of the regular elastic 
sludgy new ice. The sky cleared last night, and this 
morning we have sunshine for the first time for many 
days. If this weather holds for a day we shall be all 
right. We are getting towards the end of our luxuries, 
so that it is quite time we made a move—we are very 
near the end of the sugar. 

The skuas seem to have gone, the last was seen on 
Sunday. These birds were very shy towards the end of 
their stay, also very dark in plumage; they did not 
seem hungry, and yet it must have been difficult for them 
to get food. 

The seals are coming up in our Bay—five last night. 
Luckily the dogs have not yet discovered them or the fact 
that the sea ice will bear them. 

Had an interesting talk with Taylor on agglomerate and 
basaltic dykes of Castle Rock. The perfection of the small 
cone craters below Castle Rock seem to support the 
theory we have come to, that there have been volcanic 
disturbances since the recession of the greater ice sheet. 

It is a great thing having Wright to fog out the ice 
problems, and he has had a good opportunity of observ- 
ing many interesting things here. He is keeping notes of 
ice changes and a keen eye on ice phenomena; we have 
many discussions. 


218 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


Yesterday Wilson prepared a fry of seal meat with 
penguin blubber. It had a flavour like cod-liver oil and 
was not much appreciated—some ate their share, and I 
think all would have done so if we had had sledging 
appetites—shades of Discovery days!!* 

This Emperor weighed anything from 88 to 96 lbs., 
and therefore approximated to or exceeded the record. 

The dogs are doing pretty well with one or two 
exceptions. Deek is the worst, but I begin to think 
all will pull through. 

Thursday, April 6, am.—The weather continued 
fine and clear yesterday—one of the very few fine days 
we have had since our arrival at the hut. 

The sun shone continuously from early morning till it 
set behind the northern hills about 5 p.m. The sea froze 
completely, but with only a thin sheet to the north. A 
fairly strong northerly wind sprang up, causing this thin 
ice to override and to leave several open leads near the 
land. In the forenoon I went to the edge of the new 
ice with Wright. It looked at the limit of safety and we 
did not venture far. The over-riding is interesting: the 
edge of one sheet splits as it rises and slides over the 
other sheet in long tongues which creep onward impres- 
sively. Whilst motion lasts there is continuous music, a 
medley of high-pitched but tuneful notes—one might 
imagine small birds chirping in a wood. The ice 
sings, we say. 

p.M.—In the afternoon went nearly two miles to the 
north over the young ice; found it about 34 inches thick. 
At supper arranged programme for shift to Cape Evans— 


A BERG DRIFTING IN MCMURDO SOUND 


FORMING INTO FLOES OFF CAPE EVANS 


PANCAKE ICE 


19rr} PANCAKE ICE 219 


men to go on Saturday—dogs Sunday—ponies Monday— 
all subject to maintenance of good weather of course. 

Friday, April 7.—Went north over ice with Atkinson, 
Bowers, Taylor, Cherry-Garrard; found the thickness 
nearly § inches everywhere except in open water leads, 
which remain open in many places. As we got away from 
the land we got on an interesting surface of small pancakes, 
much capped and pressed up, a sort of mosaic. This is 
the ice which was built up from lee side of the Strait, 
spreading across to windward against the strong winds of 
Monday and Tuesday. 

Another point of interest was the manner in which the 
overriding ice sheets had scraped the under floes. 

Taylor fell in when rather foolishly trying to cross a 
thinly covered lead—he had a very scared face for a 
moment or two whilst we hurried to the rescue, but hauled 
himself out with his ice axe without our help and walked 
back with Cherry. 

The remainder of us went on till abreast of the sulphur 
cones under Castle Rock, when we made for the shore, 
and with a little mutual help climbed the cliff and returned 
by land. 

As far as one can see all should be well for our return 
to-morrow, but the sky is clouding to-night and a change 
of weather seems imminent. Three successive fine days 
seem near the limit in this region. 

We have picked up quite a number of fish frozen in 
the ice—the larger ones about the size of a herring and 
the smaller of a minnow. We imagined both had been 
driven into the slushy ice by seals, but to-day Gran found 


220 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


a large fish frozen in the act of swallowing a small one. 
It looks as though both small and large are caught when 
one is chasing the other. 

We have achieved such great comfort here that one 
is half sorry to leave—it is a fine healthy existence 
with many hours spent in the open and generally some 
interesting object for our walks abroad. The hill climbing 
gives excellent exercise—we shall miss much of it at 
Cape Evans. But I am anxious to get back and see that 
all is well at the latter, as for a long time I have been 
wondering how our beach has withstood the shocks of 
northerly winds. The thought that the hut may have 
been damaged by the sea in one of the heavy storms will 
not be banished. 


A Sxetcu or THE Lire at Hut Point 


We gather around the fire seated on packing-cases, 
with a hunk of bread and butter and a steaming pannikin 
of tea, and life is well worth living. After lunch we are 
out and about again; there is little to tempt a long stay 
indoors, and exercise keeps us all the fitter. 

The failing light and approach of supper drives us 
home again with good appetites about § or 6 o’clock, and 
then the cooks rival one another in preparing succulent 
dishes of fried seal liver. A single dish may not seem 
to offer much opportunity of variation, but a lot can be 
done with a little flour, a handful of raisins, a spoonful 
of curry powder, or the addition of a little boiled pea meal. 
Be this as it may, we never tire of our dish and exclamations 


1911} LIFE AT HUT POINT 221 


of satisfaction can be heard every night—or nearly every 
night; for two nights ago [April 4] Wilson, who has 
proved a genius in the invention of ‘ plats,’ almost ruined 
his reputation. He proposed to fry the seal liver in penguin 
blubber, suggesting that the latter could be freed from all 
rankness. The blubber was obtained and rendered down 
with great care, the result appeared as delightfully pure 
fat free from smell; but appearances were. deceptive ; 
the ‘fry’ proved redolent of penguin, a concentrated 
essence of that peculiar flavour which faintly lingers in 
the meat and should not be emphasised. Three heroes 
got through their pannikins, but the rest of us decided 
to be contented with cocoa and biscuit after tasting 
the first mouthful. After supper we have an hour or so 
of smoking and conversation—a cheering, pleasant hour— 
in which reminiscences are exchanged by a company which 
has very literally had world-wide experience. There is 
scarce a country under the sun which one or another 
of us has not travelled in, so diverse are our origins and 
occupations. An hour or so after supper we tail off one 
by one, spread out our sleeping-bags, take off our shoes 
and creep into comfort, for our reindeer bags are really 
warm and comfortable now that they have had a chance 
of drying, and the hut retains some of the heat generated 
in it. Thanks to the success of the blubber lamps and to 
a fair supply of candles, we can muster ample light to 
read for another hour or two, and so tucked up in our 
furs we study the social and political questions of the 
past decade. 

We muster no less than sixteen. Seven of us pretty 


222 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


well cover the floor of one wing of the L-shaped enclosure, 
four sleep in the other wing, which also holds the store, 
whilst the remaining five occupy the annexe and affect to 
find the colder temperature more salubrious. Everyone 
can manage eight or nine hours’ sleep without a break, and 
not a few would have little difficulty in sleeping the clock 
round, which goes to show that our extremely simple 
life is an exceedingly healthy one, though with faces and 
hands blackened with smoke, appearances might not lead 
an outsider to suppose it. 


Sunday, April 9, a.M.—On Friday night it grew over- 
cast and the wind went to the south. During the whole 
of yesterday and last night it blew a moderate blizzard— 
the temperature at highest + 5°, a relatively small amount 
of drift. On Friday night the ice in the Strait went out 
from a line meeting the shore # mile north of Hut Point. 
A crack off Hut Point and curving to N.W. opened to 
about 15 or 20 feet, the opening continuing on the north 
side of the Point. It is strange that the ice thus opened 
should have remained. 

Ice cleared out to the north directly wind commenced— 
it didn’t wait a single instant, showing that our journey 
over it earlier in the day was a very risky proceeding— 
the uncertainty of these conditions is beyond words, 
but there shall be no more of this foolish venturing on 
young ice. This decision seems to put off the return of 
the ponies to a comparatively late date. 

Yesterday went to the second crater, Arrival Heights, 
hoping to see the condition of the northerly bays, but 


1911] FROM HUT POINT TO CAPE EVANS 223 


could see little or nothing owing to drift. A white line 
dimly seen on the horizon seemed to indicate that the 
ice drifted out has not gone far. 

Some skuas were seen yesterday, a very late date. 
The seals disinclined to come on the ice; one can be seen 
at Cape Armitage this morning, but it is two or three 
days since there was one up in our Bay. It will certainly 
be some time before the ponies can be got back. 

Monday, April 10, p.mM—lIntended to make for Cape 
Evans this morning. Called hands early, but when we 
were ready for departure after breakfast, the sky became 
more overcast and snow began to fall. It continued off 
and on all day, only clearing as the sun set. It would 
have been the worst condition possible for our attempt, 
as we could not have seen more than I00 yards. 

Conditions look very unfavourable for the continued 
freezing of the Strait. 

Thursday, April 13.—Started from Hut Point 9 a.m. 
Tuesday. Party consisted of self, Bowers, P.O. Evans, 
Taylor, one tent; Evans, Gran, Crean, Debenham, 
and Wright, second tent. Left Wilson in charge at Hut 
Point with Meares, Forde, Keohane, Oates, Atkinson, 
and Cherry-Garrard. All gave us a pull up the ski slope; 
it had become a point of honour to take this slope without 
a ‘breather.’ I find such an effort trying in the early 
morning, but had to go through with it. 

Weather fine; we marched past Castle Rock, east of 
it; the snow was soft on the slopes, showing the shelter 
afforded—continued to traverse the ridge for the first 
time—found quite good surface much wind-swept— 


SSS es. 


224 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (APRIL 


passed both cones on the ridge on the west side. Caught 
a glimpse of fast ice in the Bays either side of Glacier 
as expected, but in the near Bay its extent was very 
small. Evidently we should have to go well along the 
ridge before descending, and then the problem would be 
how to get down over the cliffs. On to Hutton Rocks 
74 miles from the start—here it was very icy and wind- 
swept, inhospitable—the wind got up and light became 
bad just at the critical moment, so we camped and had 
some tea at 2 P.M. A clearance half an hour later allowed 
us to see a possible descent to the ice cliffs, but between 
Hutton Rocks and Erebus all the slope was much cracked 
and crevassed. We chose a clear track to the edge of the 
cliffs, but could find no low place in these, the lowest 
part being 24 feet sheer drop. Arriving here the wind 
increased, the snow drifting off the ridge—we had to 
decide quickly; I got myself to the edge and made 
standing places to work the rope; dug away at the 
cornice, well situated for such work in harness. Got three 
people lowered by the Alpine rope—E. Evans, Bowers, 
and Taylor—then sent down the sledges, which went 
down in fine style, fully packed—then the remainder of 
the party. For the last three, drove a stake hard down 
in the snow and used the rope round it, the men being 
lowered by people below—came down last myself. Quite 
a neat and speedy bit of work and all done in 20 minutes 
without serious frostbite—quite pleased with the result. 

We found pulling to Glacier Tongue very heavy over 
the surface of ice covered with salt crystals, and reached 
Glacier Tongue about 5.30; found a low place and got 


rort] A BLIZZARD ON THE SEA ICE 225 


the sledges up the 6 ft. wall pretty easily. Stiff incline, 
but easy pulling on hard surface—the light was failing 
and the surface criss-crossed with innumerable cracks ; 
several of us fell in these with risk of strain, but the north 
side was well snow-covered and easy, with a good valley 
leading to a low ice cliff—here a broken piece afforded 
easy descent. I decided to push on for Cape Evans, so 
camped for tea at 6. At 6.30 found darkness suddenly 
arrived; it was very difficult to see anything—we got 
down on the sea ice, very heavy pulling, but plodded on 
for some hours; at 10 arrived close under little Razor 
Back Island, and not being able to see anything ahead, 
decided to camp and got to sleep at 11.30 in no very 
comfortable circumstances. 

The wind commenced to rise during night. We found 
a roaring blizzard in the morning. We had many alarms 
for the safety of the ice on which the camp was pitched. 
Bowers and Taylor climbed the island; reported wind 
terrific on the summit—sweeping on either side but com- 
paratively calm immediately to windward and to leeward. 
Waited all day in hopes of a lull; at 3 I went round the 
island myself with Bowers, and found a little ice platform 
close under the weather side; resolved to shift camp 
here. It took two very cold hours, but we gained great 
shelter, the cliffs rising almost sheer from the tents. Only 
now and again a whirling wind current eddied down on 
the tents, which were well secured, but the noise of the 
wind sweeping over the rocky ridge above our heads was 
deafening; we could scarcely hear ourselves speak. 


Settled down for our second night with little comfort, 
VOL. I. 2 


226 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


and slept better, knowing we could not be swept out to 
sea, but provisions were left only for one more meal. 

During the night the wind moderated and we could 
just see outline of land. 

I roused the party at 7 A.M. and we were soon under 
weigh, with a desperately cold and stiff breeze and frozen 
clothes ; it was very heavy pulling, but the distance only 
two miles. Arrived off the point about ten and found sea 
ice continued around it. It was a very great relief to see 
the hut on rounding it and to hear that all was well. 

Another pony, Hackenschmidt, and one dog reported 
dead, but this certainly is not worse than expected. All 
the other animals are in good form. 

Delighted with everything I see in the hut. Simpson 
has done wonders, but indeed so has everyone else, and I 
must leave description to a future occasion. 

Friday, April 14.—Good Friday. Peacefulday. Wind 
continuing 20 to 30 miles per hour. 

Had Divine Service. 

Saturday, April 15.—Weather continuing thoroughly 
bad. Wind blowing from 30 to 40 miles an hour all day ; 
drift bad, and to-night snow falling. I am waiting to get 
back to Hut Point with relief stores. To-night sent up 
signal light to inform them there of our safe arrival—an 
answering flare was shown. 

Sunday, April 16.—Same wind as yesterday up to 
6 o’clock, when it fell calm with gusts from the north. 

Have exercised the ponies to-day and got my first 
good look at them. I scarcely like to express the mixed 
feelings with which I am able to regard this remnant. 


1911] DATES OF THE SEA FREEZING 227 


FREEZING OF Bays. Carr Evans 


March 15.—General young ice formed. 

March 19.—Bay cleared except strip inside Inacces- 
sible and Razor Back Islands to Corner Turk’s 
Head. 

March 20.—Everything cleared. 

March 25.—Sea froze over inside Islands for good. 

March 28.—Sea frozen as far as seen. 

March 30.—Remaining only inside Islands. 

April 1.—Limit Cape to Island. 

April 6.—Present limit freezing in Strait and in 
North Bay. 


April 9.—Strait cleared except former limit and some 
ice in North Bay likely to remain. 


CHAPTER VIII 
HOME IMPRESSIONS AND AN EXCURSION 


Impressions on returning to the Hut, April 13, 1911 


In choosing the site of the hut on our Home Beach 
I had thought of the possibility of northerly winds bringing 
a swell, but had argued, first, that no heavy northerly 
swell had ever been recorded in the Sound; secondly, 
that a strong northerly wind was bound to bring pack 
which would damp the swell; thirdly, that the locality 
was excellently protected by the Barne Glacier; and 
finally, that the beach itself showed no signs of having 
been swept by the sea, the rock fragments composing it 
being completely angular. 

When the hut was erected and IJ found that its founda- 
tion was only 11 feet above the level of the sea ice, I had 
a slight misgiving, but reassured myself again by recon- 
sidering the circumstances that afforded shelter to the 
beach. 

The fact that such question had been considered 
makes it easier to understand the attitude of mind that 
readmitted doubt in the face of phenomenal conditions. 

The event has justified my original arguments, but I 
must confess a sense of having assumed security without 


BASELESS FEARS ABOUT THE HUT 229 


sufficient proof in a case where an error of judgment might 
have had dire consequences. 

It was not until I found all safe at the Home Station 
that I realised how anxious I had been concerning it. In 
a normal season no thought of its having been in danger 
would have occurred to me, but since the loss of the ponies 
and the breaking of the Glacier Tongue I could not rid 
myself of the fear that misfortune was in the air and that 
some abnormal swell had swept the beach; gloomy 
thoughts of the havoc that might have been wrought by 
such an event would arise in spite of the sound reasons 
which had originally led me to choose the site of the 
hut as a safe one. 

The late freezing of the sea, the terrible continuance 
of wind and the abnormalities to which I have referred 
had gradually strengthened the profound distrust with 
which I had been forced to regard our mysterious Antarctic 
climate until my imagination conjured up many forms of 
disaster as possibly falling on those from whom I had 
parted for so long. 

We marched towards Cape Evans under the usually 
miserable conditions which attend the breaking of camp 
in a cold wind after a heavy blizzard. The outlook was 
dreary in the grey light of early morning, our clothes were 
frozen stiff and our fingers, wet and cold in the tent, had 
been frostbitten in packing the sledges. 

A few comforting signs of life appeared as we approached 
the Cape: some old footprints in the snow, a long silk 
thread from the meteorologist’s balloon; but we saw 
nothing more as we neared the rocks of the promontory 


230 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


and the many grounded bergs which were scattered 
off it. 

To my surprise the fast ice extended past the Cape and 
we were able to round it into the North Bay. Here we 
saw the weather screen on Wind Vane Hill, and a moment 
later turned a small headland and brought the hut in full 
view. It was intact—stables, outhouses and all; evidently 
the sea had left it undisturbed. I breathed a huge sigh 
of relief. We watched two figures at work near the stables 
and wondered when they would see us. In a moment or 
two they did so, and fled inside the hut to carry the news 
of our arrival. Three minutes later all nine occupants * 
were streaming over the floe towards us with shouts of 
welcome. There were eager inquiries as to mutual welfare 
and it took but a minute to learn the most important events 
of the quiet station life which had been led since our 
departure. These under the circumstances might well be 
considered the deaths of one pony and one dog. The 
pony was that which had been nicknamed Hackenschmidt 
from his vicious habit of using both fore and hind legs in 
attacking those who came near him. He had been 
obviously of different breed from the other ponies, being of 
lighter and handsomer shape, suggestive of a strain of Arab 
blood. From no cause which could be discovered either 
by the symptoms of his illness or the post-mortem held by 
Nelson could a reason be found for his death. In spite of 
the best feeding and every care he had gradually sickened 
until he was too weak to stand, and in this condition 


* Viz. Simpson, Nelson, Day, Ponting, Lashly, Clissold, Hooper, 
Anton, and Demetri. 


1911] THE DEATH OF ‘HACKENSCHMIDT’ 231 


there had been no option but to put him out of misery. 
Anton considers the death of Hackenschmidt to have been 
an act of ‘ cussedness "—the result of a determination to 
do no work for the Expedition!! Although the loss is 
serious I remember doubts which I had as to whether this 
animal could be anything but a source of trouble to us. 
He had been most difficult to handle all through, showing 
a vicious, intractable temper. I had foreseen great diffi- 
culties with him, especially during the early part of any 
journey on which he was taken, and this consideration 
softened the news of his death. The dog had been left 
behind in a very sick condition, and this loss was not a 
great surprise. 

These items were the worst of the small budget of 
news that awaited me; for the rest, the hut arrangements 
had worked out in the most satisfactory manner possible 
and the scientific routine of observations was in full swing. 
After our primitive life at Cape Armitage it was wonderful 
to enter the precincts of our warm, dry Cape Evans home. 
The interior space seemed palatial, the light resplendent, 
and the comfort luxurious. It was very good to eat in 
civilised fashion, to enjoy the first bath for three months, 
and have contact with clean, dry clothing. Such fleeting 
hours of comfort (for custom soon banished their delight) 
are the treasured remembrance of every Polar traveller. 
They throw into sharpest contrast the hardships of the 
past and the comforts of the present, and for the time he 
revels in the unaccustomed physical contentment that 
results. 

I was not many hours or even minutes in the hut 


232 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


before I was haled round to observe in detail the trans- 
formation which had taken place during my absence, 
and in which a very proper pride was taken by those 
who had wrought it. 

Simpson’s Corner was the first visited. Here the eye 
travelled over numerous shelves laden with a profusion of 
self-recording instruments, electric batteries and switch- 
boards, whilst the ear caught the ticking of many clocks, 
the gentle whirr of a motor and occasionally the trembling 
note of an electric bell. But such sights and sounds 
conveyed only an impression of the delicate methodical 
means by which the daily and hourly variations of our 
weather conditions were being recorded—a mere glimpse 
of the intricate arrangements of a first-class meteorological 
station—the one and only station of that order which has 
been established in Polar regions. It took me days and 
even months to realise fully the aims of our meteorologist 
and the scientific accuracy with which he was achieving 
them. When I did so to an adequate extent I wrote 
some description of his work which will be found in the 
following pages of this volume.* The first impression 
which I am here describing was more confused ; 
I appreciated only that by going to “ Simpson’s Corner’ 
one could ascertain at a glance how hard the wind was 
blowing and had been blowing, how the barometer was 
varying, to what degree of cold the thermometer had 
descended; if one were still more inquisitive he could 
further inform himself as to the electrical tension of the 
atmosphere and other matters of like import. That such 

* See Chapter X. 


rott] THE DARK ROOM 233 


knowledge could be gleaned without a visit to the open 
air was an obvious advantage to those who were clothing 
themselves to face it, whilst the ability to study the 
variation of a storm without exposure savoured of no 
light victory of mind over matter. 

The dark room stands next to the parasitologist’s 
side of the bench which flanks Sunny Jim’s Corner—an 
involved sentence. To be more exact, the physicists 
adjust their instruments and write up books at a bench 
which projects at right angles to the end wall of the hut ; 
the opposite side of this bench is allotted to Atkinson, who 
is to write with his back to the dark room. Atkinson 
being still absent his corner was unfurnished, and my 
attention was next claimed by the occupant of the dark 
room beyond Atkinson’s limit. The art of photography 
has never been so well housed within the Polar regions 
and rarely without them. Such a palatial chamber for 
the development of negatives and prints can only be 
justified by the quality of the work produced in it, and 
is only justified in our case by the possession of such an 
artist as Ponting. He was eager to show me the results 
of his summer work, and meanwhile my eye took in the 
neat shelves with their array of cameras, &c., the porcelain 
sink and automatic water tap, the two acetylene gas burners 
with their shading screens, and the general obviousness 
of all conveniences of the photographic art. Here, indeed, 
was encouragement for the best results, and to the 
photographer be all praise, for it is mainly his hand which 
has executed the designs which his brain conceived. In 
this may be clearly seen the advantage of a traveller’s 


234 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


experience. Ponting has had to fend for himself under 
primitive conditions in a new land ; the result is a ‘ handy 
man’ with every form of tool and in any circumstances. 
Thus, when building operations were to the fore and 
mechanical labour scarce, Ponting returned to the shell of 
his apartment with only the raw material for completing 
it. In the shortest possible space of time shelves and 
tanks were erected, doors hung and windows framed, and 
all in a workmanlike manner commanding the admiration 
of all beholders. Is was well that speed could be 
commanded for such work, since the fleeting hours of the 
summer season had been altogether too few to be spared 
from the immediate service of photography. Ponting’s 
nervous temperament allowed no waste of time—for him 
fine weather meant no sleep; he decided that lost 
opportunities should be as rare as circumstances would 
permit. 

This attitude was now manifested in the many yards 
of cinematograph film remaining on hand and yet greater 
number recorded as having been sent back in the ship, 
in the boxes of negatives lying on the shelves and a well- 
filled album of prints. 

Of the many admirable points in this work perhaps 
the most notable are Ponting’s eye for a picture and the 
mastery he has acquired of ice subjects ; the composition 
of most of his pictures is extraordinarily good, he seems 
to know by instinct the exact value of foreground and 
middle distance and of the introduction of ‘life,’ whilst 
with more technical skill in the manipulation of screens 
and exposures he emphasises the subtle shadows of the 


T1911] THE BIOLOGISTS’ CUBICLE 235 


snow and reproduces its wondrously transparent texture. 
He is an artist in love with his work, and it was good to 
hear his enthusiasm for results of the past and plans for 
the future. 

Long before I could gaze my fill at the contents of the 
dark room I was led to the biologists’ cubicle; Nelson 
and Day had from the first decided to camp together, 
each having a habit of methodical neatness; both were 
greatly relieved when the arrangement was approved, and 
they were freed from the chance of an untidy companion. 
No attempt had been made to furnish this cubicle before 
our departure on the autumn journey, but now on my 
return I found it an example of the best utilisation of space. 
The prevailing note was neatness; the biologist’s micro- 
scope stood on a neat bench surrounded by enamel 
dishes, vessels, and books neatly arranged; behind him, 
when seated, rose two neat bunks with neat, closely cur- 
tained drawers for clothing and neat reflecting sconces 
for candles ; overhead was a neat arrangement for drying 
socks with several nets, neatly bestowed. The carpenter- 
ing to produce this effect had been of quite a high order, 
and was in very marked contrast with that exhibited for 
the hasty erections in other cubicles. The pillars and 
boarding of the bunks had carefully finished edges and 
were stained to mahogany brown. Nelson’s bench is 
situated very conveniently under the largest of the hut 
windows, and had also an acetylene lamp, so that both 
in summer and winter he has all conveniences for his 
indoor work. 

Day appeared to have been unceasingly busy during 


236 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


my absence. Everyone paid tribute to his mechanical 
skill and expressed gratitude for the help he had given 
in adjusting instruments and generally helping forward 
the scientific work. He was entirely responsible for the 
heating, lighting, and ventilating arrangements, and as 
all these appear satisfactory he deserved much praise. 
Particulars concerning these arrangements I shall give 
later ; as a first impression it is sufficient to note that the 
warmth and lighting of the hut seemed as good as could 
be desired, whilst for our comfort the air seemed fresh 
and pure. Day had also to report some progress with 
the motor sledges, but this matter also I leave for future 
consideration. 

My attention was very naturally turned from the 
heating arrangements to the cooking stove and its cus- 
todian, Clissold. I had already heard much of the sur- 
passingly satisfactory meals which his art had produced, 
and had indeed already a first experience of them. Now 
I was introduced to the cook’s corner with its range and 
ovens, its pots and pans, its side tables and well-covered 
shelves. Much was to be gathered therefrom, although 
a good meal by no means depends only on kitchen con- 
veniences. It was gratifying to learn that the stove had 
proved itself economical and the patent fuel blocks a most 
convenient and efficient substitute for coal. Save for 
the thickness of the furnace cheeks and the size of the 
oven Clissold declared himself wholly satisfied. He feared 
that the oven would prove too small to keep up a constant 
supply of bread for all hands ; nevertheless he introduced 
me to this oven with an air of pride which I soon found 


rrr] AN ARTIFICER COOK 237 


to be fully justified. For connected therewith was a 
contrivance for which he was entirely responsible, and 
which in its ingenuity rivalled any of which the hut could 
boast. The interior of the oven was so arranged that the 
‘rising’ of the bread completed an electric circuit, thereby 
ringing a bell and switching on a red lamp. Clissold 
had realised that the continuous ringing of the bell would 
not be soothing to the nerves of our party, nor the con- 
tinuous burning of the lamp calculated to prolong its 
life, and he had therefore added the clockwork mechanism 
which automatically broke the circuit after a short interval 
of time; further, this clockwork mechanism could be 
made to control the emersion of the same warning signals 
at intervals of time varied according to the desire of the 
operator ;—thus because, when in bed, he would desire 
a signal at short periods, but if absent from the hut he 
would wish to know at a glance what had happened when 
he returned. Judged by any standard it was a remarkably 
pretty little device, but when I learnt that it had been 
made from odds and ends, such as a cog-wheel or spring 
here and a cell or magnet there, begged from other de- 
partments, I began to realise that we had a very excep- 
tional cook. Later when I found that Clissold was called 
in to consult on the ailments of Simpson’s motor and that 
he was capable of constructing a dog sledge out of packing 
cases, I was less surprised, because I knew by this time 
that he had had considerable training in mechanical 
work before he turned his attention to pots and pans. 
My first impressions include matters to which I was 
naturally eager to give an early half-hour, namely the 


238 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


housing of our animals. I found herein that praise was 
as justly due to our Russian boys as to my fellow 
Englishmen. F 

Anton with Lashly’s help had completed the furnishing 
of the stables. Neat stalls occupied the whole length 
of the ‘lean-to,’ the sides so boarded that sprawling legs 
could not be entangled beneath and the front well covered 
with tin sheet to defeat the ‘cribbers.’? I could but sigh 
again to think of the stalls that must now remain empty, 
whilst appreciating that there was ample room for the 
safe harbourage of the ten beasts that remain, be the 
winter never so cold or the winds so wild. 

Later we have been able to give double space to all 
but two or three of our animals, in which they can lie 
down if they are so inclined. 

The ponies look fairly fit considering the low diet on 
which they have been kept; their coats were surprisingly 
long and woolly in contrast with those of the animals 
I had left at Hut Point. At this time they were being 
exercised by Lashly, Anton, Demetri, Hooper, and 
Clissold, and as a rule were ridden, the sea having only 
recently frozen. The exercise ground had lain on the 
boulder-strewn sand of the home beach and extending 
towards the Skua lake; and across these stretches I 
soon saw barebacked figures dashing at speed, and not 
a few amusing incidents in which horse and rider parted 
with abrupt lack of ceremony. I didn’t think this quite 
the most desirable form of exercise for the beasts, but 
decided to leave matters as they were till our pony manager 
returned. 


1911} A SATISFACTORY ORGANISATION 239 


Demetri had only five or six dogs left in charge, but 
these looked fairly fit, all things considered, and it was 
evident the boy was bent on taking every care of them, 
for he had not only provided shelters, but had built a 
small ‘lean-to’ which would serve as a hospital for any 
animal whose stomach or coat needed nursing. 

Such were in broad outline the impressions I received 
on my first return to our home station ; they were almost 
wholly pleasant and, as I have shown, in happy contrast 
with the fears that had assailed me on the homeward 
route. As the days went by I was able to fill in the detail 
in equally pleasant fashion, to watch the development 
of fresh arrangements and the improvement of old ones. 
Finally, in this way I was brought to realise what an 
extensive and intricate but eminently satisfactory organisa- 
tion I had made myself responsible for. 


Notes on Flyleaf of Fresh MS. Book 


Genus Homo, Species Sapiens ! 
FLoTsaM 

Wm. Barents’ house in Novaya Zemlya built 1596. Found by 
Capt. Carlsen 1871 (275 years later) intact, everything inside as left ! 
What of this hut ? 

The ocean girt continent. 

“Might have seemed almost heroic if any higher end than excessive 
love of gain and traffic had animated the design.’—MiTon. 

“He is not worthy to live at all, who, for fear and danger of death 
shunneth his country’s service or his own honour, since death is inevit- 
able and the fame of virtue immortal.’—Srr Humpurey GILBERT. 

There is no part of the world that can not be reached by man. 
When the ‘can be’ is turned to ‘has been’ the Geographical Society 
will have altered its status. 

“ At the whirring loom of time unawed 
I weave the living garment of God.’—Gogrtue. 


240 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


By all means think yourself big but don’t think everyone else small ! 
The man who knows everyone's job isn’t much good at his own. 


“When you are attacked unjustly avoid the appearance of evil, but 
avoid also the appearance of being too good!’ ‘A man can’t be too 
good, but he can appear too good.’ 


Monday, April 17.—Started from C. Evans with two 

10 ft. sledges. 
Party 1. Self, Lashly, Day, Demetri. 
»» 2. Bowers, Nelson, Crean, Hooper. 

We left at 8 a.m., taking our personal equipment, a 
week’s provision of sledging food, and butter, oatmeal, 
flour, lard, chocolate, &c., for the hut. 

Two of the ponies hauled the sledges to within a mile 
of the Glacier Tongue; the wind, which had been north, 
here suddenly shifted to S.E., very biting. (The wind re- 
mained north at C. Evans during the afternoon, the ponies 
walked back into it.) Sky overcast, very bad light. 
Found the place to get on the glacier, but then lost the track 
—crossed more or less direct, getting amongst many cracks. 
Came down in bay near the open water—stumbled over 
the edge to an easy drift. More than once on these trips 
I as leader have suddenly disappeared from the sight of 
the others, affording some consternation till they got close 
enough to see what has happened. The pull over sea ice was 
very heavy and in face of strong wind and drift. Every 
member of the party was frostbitten about the face, several 
with very cold feet. Pushed on after repairs. Found drift 
streaming off the ice cliff, a new cornice formed and our 
rope buried at both ends. The party getting cold, I decided 
to camp, have tea, and shift foot gear. Whilst tea was 


1911] UP AN ICE FACE 241 


preparing, Bowers and I went south, then north, along 
the cliffs to find a place to ascend—nearly everywhere 
ascent seemed impossible in the vicinity of Hutton Rocks 
or north, but eventually we found an overhanging cornice 
close to our rope. 

After lunch we unloaded a sledge, which, held high 
on end by four men, just reached the edge of the cornice. 
Clambering up over backs and up sledge I used an 
ice-axe to cut steps over the cornice and thus managed 
to get on top, then cut steps and surmounted the edge 
of the cornice. Helped Bowers up with the rope; others 
followed—then the gear was hauled up piecemeal. For 
Crean, the last man up, we lowered the sledge over the 
cornice and used a bowline in the other end of the rope 
on top of it. He came up grinning with delight, and 
we all thought the ascent rather a cunning piece of work. 
It was fearfully cold work, but everyone working with 
rare intelligence, we eventually got everything up and 
repacked the sledge ; glad to get in harness again. Then 
a heavy pull up a steep slope in wretched light, making 
détour to left to avoid crevasses. We reached the top 
and plodded on past the craters as nearly as possible as 
on the outward route. The party was pretty exhausted 
and very wet with perspiration. Approaching Castle 
Rock the weather and light improved. Camped on 
Barrier Slope north of Castle Rock about 9 p.m. Night 
cold but calm, — 38° during night ; slept pretty well. 

Tuesday, April 18.—Hut Point. Good moonlight at 
7 AM.—had breakfast. Broke camp very quickly— 
Lashly splendid at camp work as of old—very heavy 


VOL, I. R 


en ee a 
yo ig 
- 


i ee ee 


~ae 


pi 


OO nee me 


242 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


pull up to Castle Rock, sweated much. This sweating 
in cold temperature is a serious drawback. Reached Hut 
Point 1 p.M. Found all well in excellent spirits—didn’t 
seem to want us much!! 

Party reported very bad weather since we left, cold 
blizzard, then continuous $.W. wind with —20° and below. 
The open water was right up to Hut Point, wind absolutely 
preventing all freezing along shore. Wilson reported skua 
gull seen Monday. 

Found party much shorter of blubber than I had 
expected—they were only just keeping themselves supplied 
with a seal killed two days before and one as we arrived. 

Actually less fast ice than when we left ! 

Wednesday, April 19.—Hut Point. Calm during night, 
sea froze over at noon, 4} inches thick off Hut Point, 
showing how easily the sea will freeze when the chance is 
given. 

Three seals reported on the ice; all hands out after 
breakfast and the liver and blubber of all three seals were 
brought in. This relieves one of a little anxiety, leaving 
a twelve days’ stock, in which time other seals ought to 
be coming up. I am making arrangements to start back 
to-morrow, but at present it is overcast and wind coming 
up from the south. This afternoon, all ice frozen last 
night went out quietly; the sea tried to freeze behind 
it, but the wind freshened soon. The ponies were exercised 
yesterday and to-day ; they look pretty fit, but their 
coats are not so good as those in winter quarters—they 


want fatty foods. 
Am preparing to start to-morrow, satisfied that the 


Tort] AN ICY RUN 243 


Discovery Hut is very comfortable and life very liveable 
in it. The dogs are much the same, all looking pretty fit 
except Vaida and Rabchick—neither of which seem to get 
good coats. I am greatly struck with the advantages of 
experience in Crean and Lashly for all work about camps. 

Thursday, April 20.—Hut Point. Everything ready 
for starting this morning, but of course it ‘ blizzed.’ 
Weather impossible—much wind and drift from south. 
Wind turned to S.E. in afternoon—temperatures low. 
Went for walk to Cape Armitage, but it is really very 
unpleasant. The wind blowing round the Cape is abso- 
lutely blighting, force 7 and temperature below - 30°. 
Sea a black cauldron covered with dark frost smoke. No 
ice can form in such weather. 

Friday, April 21.—Started homeward at 10.30. 

Left Meares in charge of station with Demetri to help 
with dogs, Lashly and Keohane to look out for ponies, 
Nelson and Day and Forde to get some idea of the life and 
experience. Homeward party, therefore : 


Self Bowers 
Wilson Oates 
Atkinson Cherry-Garrard 
Crean Hooper 


As usual all hands pulled up Ski slope, which we took 
without a halt. Lashly and Demetri came nearly to 
Castle Rock—very cold side wind and some frostbites. 
We reached the last downward slope about 2.30; at 
the cliff edge found the cornice gone—heavy wind and 
drift worse than before, if anything. We bustled things, 


and after tantalising delays with the rope got Bowers and 
R2 


244 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (APRIL 


some others on the floe, then lowered the sledges packed ; 
three men, including Crean and myself, slid down last on 
the Alpine rope—doubled and taken round an ash stave, 
so that we were able to unreeve the end and recover the 
rope—we recovered also most of the old Alpine rope, all 
except a piece buried in snow on the sea ice and 
dragged down under the slush, just like the Discovery 
boats ; I could not have supposed this could happen in 
so short a time.” 

By the time all stores were on the floe, with swirling 
drift about us, everyone was really badly cold—one of 
those moments for quick action. We harnessed and dashed 
for the shelter of the cliffs ; up tents, and hot tea as quick 
as possible; after this and some shift of foot gear all 
were much better. Heavy plod over the sea ice, starting 
at 4.30—very bad light on the glacier, and we lost our 
way as usual, stumbling into many crevasses, but finally 
descended in the old place; by this time sweating much. 
Crean reported our sledge pulling much more heavily 
than the other one. Marched on to Little Razor Back 
Island without halt, our own sledge dragging fearfully. 
Crean said there was great difference in the sledges, though 
loads were equal. Bowers politely assented when I voiced 
this sentiment, but I’m sure he and his party thought 
it the plea of tired men. However, there was nothing like 
proof, and he readily assented to change sledges. The 
difference was really extraordinary; we felt the new 
sledge a featherweight compared with the old, and set up 
a great pace for the home quarters regardless of how much 
we perspired. We arrived at the hut (two miles away) 


LHDIN UVIOd ONO'T 


AHL AO ONIVIVA AHL 


1 ag hae 
a > 


Igrt} ON GETTING HOT 245 


ten minutes ahead of the others, who by this time were 
quite convinced as to the difference in the sledges. 

The difference was only marked when pulling over the 
salt-covered sea ice; on snow the sledges seemed pretty 
much the same. It is due to the grain of the wood in 
the runners and is worth looking into. 

We all arrived bathed in sweat—our garments were 
soaked through, and as we took off our wind clothes showers 
of ice fell on the floor. The accumulation was almost 
incredible and shows the whole trouble of sledging in cold 
weather. It would have been very uncomfortable to have 
camped in the open under such conditions, and assuredly 
a winter and spring party cannot afford to get so hot if 
they wish to retain any semblance of comfort. 

Our excellent cook had just the right meal prepared 
for us—an enormous dish of rice and figs, and cocoa in 
a bucket! The hut party were all very delighted to see 
us, and the fittings and comforts of the hut are amazing 
to the newcomers. 

Saturday, April 22.—Cape Evans, Winter Quarters. 
The sledging season is at an end. It’s good to be back 
in spite of all the losses we have sustained. 

To-day we enjoy a very exceptional calm. The sea 
is freezing over of course, but unfortunately our view 
from Observation Hill is very limited. Oates and the 
rest are exercising the ponies. I have been sorting my 
papers and getting ready for the winter work. 


CHAPTER IX . 
THE WORK AND THE WORKERS 


Sunday, April 23.—Winter Quarters. The last day 
of the sun and a very glorious view of its golden light 
over the Barne Glacier. We could not see the sun itself 
on account of the Glacier, the fine ice cliffs of which were 
in deep shadow under the rosy rays. 


Impression.—The long mild twilight which like a silver 
clasp unites to-day with yesterday; when morning and 
evening sit together hand in hand beneath the starless 
sky of midnight. 


It blew hard last night and most of the young ice has 
gone as expected. Patches seem to be remaining south of 
the Glacier Tongue and the Island and off our own bay. 
In this very queer season it appears as though the final 
freezing is to be reached by gradual increments to the 
firmly established ice. 

Had Divine Service. Have only seven hymn-books, 
those brought on shore for our first Service being very 
stupidly taken back to the ship. 

I begin to think we are too comfortable in the hut 


SNVAG 


HdvVo OL 


NYOLAY YIAHL 


NO SHILUVd 


NYG 


Eee 


BALLOONS 247 


and hope it will not make us slack; but it is good to 
see everyone in such excellent spirits—so far not a rift 
in the social arrangements. 

Monday, April 24.—A night watchman has_ been 
instituted mainly for the purpose of observing the aurora, 
of which the displays have been feeble so far. The 
observer is to look round every hour or oftener if there 
is aught to be seen. He is allowed cocoa and sardines 
with bread and butter—the cocoa can be made over an 
acetylene Bunsen burner, part of Simpson’s outfit. I took 
the first turn last night; the remainder of the afterguard 
follow in rotation. The long night hours give time to 
finish up a number of small tasks—the hut remains quite 
warm though the fires are out. 

Simpson has been practising with balloons during 
our absence. This morning he sent one up for trial. 
The balloon is of silk and has a capacity of 1 cubic metre. 
It is filled with hydrogen gas, which is made in a special 
generator. The generation is a simple process. A vessel 
filled with water has an inverted vessel within it; a pipe 
is led to the balloon from the latter and a tube of india- 
rubber is attached which contains calcium hydrate. By 
tipping the tube the amount of calcium hydrate required 
can be poured into the generator. As the gas is made 
it passes into the balloon or is collected in the inner vessel, 
which acts as a bell jar if the stopcock to the balloon is 
closed. 

The arrangements for utilising the balloon are very 


pretty. 
An instrument weighing only 2} oz. and recording the 


248 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


temperature and pressure is attached beneath a small 
flag and hung 10 to 15 ft. below the balloon with balloon 
silk thread; this silk thread is of such fine quality that 
5 miles of it only weighs 4 ozs., whilst its breaking strain 
is 1} lbs. The lower part of the instrument is again 
attached to the silk thread, which is cunningly wound on 
coned bobbins from which the balloon unwinds it without 
hitch or friction as it ascends. 

In order to spare the silk any jerk as the balloon is 
released two pieces of string united with a slow match 
carry the strain between the instrument and the balloon 
until the slow match is consumed. 

The balloon takes about a quarter of an hour to inflate ; 
the slow match is then lit, and the balloon released ; with 
a weight of 8 ozs. and a lifting power of 2} lbs. it rises 
rapidly. After it is lost to ordinary vision it can be 
followed with glasses as mile after mile of thread runs 
out. Theoretically, if strain is put on the silk thread it 
should break between the instrument and the balloon, 
leaving the former free to drop, when the thread can be 
followed up and the instrument with its record recovered. 

To-day this was tried with a dummy instrument, but 
the thread broke close to the bobbins. In the afternoon 
a double thread was tried, and this acted successfully. 

To-day I allotted the ponies for exercise. Bowers, 
Cherry-Garrard, Hooper, Clissold, P.O. Evans, and Crean 
take animals, besides Anton and Oates. I have had to 
warn people that they will not necessarily lead the ponies 
which they now tend. 

Wilson is very busy making sketches. 


1911} OCCUPATIONS 249 


Tuesday, April 28.—It was comparatively calm all day 
yesterday and last night, and there have been light airs 
only from the south to-day. The temperature, at first 
comparatively high at -5°, has gradually fallen to ~13°; 
as a result the Strait has frozen over at last and it looks 
as though the Hut Point party should be with us before 
very long. If the blizzards hold off for another three 
days the crossing should be perfectly safe, but I don’t 
expect Meares to hurry. 

Although we had very good sunset effects at Hut Point, 
Ponting and others were much disappointed with the 
absence of such effects at Cape Evans. This was probably 
due to the continual interference of frost smoke; since 
our return here, and especially yesterday and to-day, the 
sky and sea have been glorious in the afternoon. 

Ponting has taken some coloured pictures, but the 
result is not very satisfactory and the plates are much 
spotted ; Wilson is very busy with pencil and brush. 

Atkinson is unpacking and setting up his sterilizers 
and incubators. Wright is wrestling with the electrical 
instruments. Evans is busy surveying the Cape and its 
vicinity. Oates is reorganising the stable, making bigger 
stalls, &c. Cherry-Garrard is building a stone house for 
taxidermy and with a view to getting hints for making 
a shelter at Cape Crozier during the winter. Debenham 
and Taylor are taking advantage of the last of the light 
to examine the topography of the peninsula. In fact, 
everyone is extraordinarily busy. 

I came back with the impression that we should not 
find our winter walks so interesting as those at Hut Point, 


250 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 


but I’m rapidly altering my opinion; we may miss the 
hill climbing here, but in every direction there is abundance 
of interest. To-day I walked round the shores of the 
North Bay examining the kenyte cliffs and great masses 
of morainic material of the Barne Glacier, then on under 
the huge blue ice cliffs of the Glacier itself. With the 
sunset lights, deep shadows, the black islands and white 
bergs it was all very beautiful. 

Simpson and Bowers sent up a balloon to-day with a 
double thread and instrument attached; the line was 
checked at about 3 miles, and soon after the instrument 
was seen to disengage. The balloon at first went north 
with a light southerly breeze till it reached 300 or 400 feet, 
then it turned to the south but did not travel rapidly ; 
when 2 miles of thread had gone it seemed to be going 
north again or rising straight upward. 

In the afternoon Simpson and Bowers went to recover 
their treasure, but somewhere south of Inaccessible Island 
they found the thread broken and the light was not good 
enough to continue the search. 

The sides of the galley fire have caved in—there should 
have been cheeks to prevent this; we got some fireclay 
cement to-day and plastered up the sides. I hope this 
will get over the difficulty, but have some doubt. 

Wednesday, April26.—Calm. Went round Cape Evans 
—remarkable effects of icicles on the ice foot, formed 
by spray of southerly gales. 

Thursday, April 27.—The fourth day in succession 
without wind, but overcast. Light snow has fallen 
during the day—to-night the wind comes from the north. 


a, 
i “ Eo 


‘sngdaud LNAOW 
“94 


5 


Sead LNNOW 


1911] MANY TALENTS 251 


We should have our party back soon. The temperature 
remains about -5° and the ice should be getting thicker 
with rapidity. 

Went round the bergs off Cape Evans—they are very 
beautiful, especially one which is pierced to form a huge 
arch. It will be interesting to climb around these monsters 
as the winter proceeds. 

To-day I have organised a series of lectures for the 
winter; the people seem keen and it ought to be ex- 
ceedingly interesting to discuss so many diverse subjects 
with experts. 

We have an extraordinary diversity of talent and 
training in our people; it would be difficult to imagine 
a company composed of experiences which differed so 
completely. We find one hut contains an experience of 
every country and every clime. What an assemblage 
of motley knowledge! 

Friday, April 28.—Another comparatively calm day— 
temp. —12°, clear sky. Went to ice caves on glacier S. of 
Cape; these are really very wonderful. Ponting took 
some photographs with long exposure and Wright got 
some very fine ice crystals. The Glacier Tongue comes 
close around a high bluff headland of kenyte ; it is much 
cracked and curiously composed of a broad wedge of white 
névé over blue ice. The faults in the dust strata in these 
surfaces are very mysterious and should be instructive 
in the explanation of certain ice problems. 

It looks as though the sea had frozen over for good. 
If no further blizzard clears the Strait it can be said for 
this season that : 


252 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [Apri 


The Bays froze over on March 25. 
The Strait ,,  ,,_ ,, April 22. 
= », dissipated April 29. 
»> 9, froze over on April 3o. 
Later. The Hut Point record of freezing is : 
Night 24th-25th. Ice forming mid-day 25th, opened with 
leads. 
26th. Ice all out, sound apparently open. 
27th. Strait apparently freezing. 
Early 28th. Ice over whole Strait. 
29th. All ice gone. 
30th. Freezing over. 
May 4th. Broad lead opened along land to Castle 
Rock, 300 to 400 yds. wide. 
Party intended to start on 11th, if weather fine. 


Very fine display of aurora to-night, one of the brightest 
I have ever seen—over Erebus ; it is conceded that a red 
tinge is seen after the movement of light. 

Saturday, April 29.—Went to Inaccessible Island with 
Wilson. The agglomerates, kenytes, and lavas are much 
the same as those at Cape Evans. The Island is 540 ft. 
high, and it is a steep climb to reach the summit over 
very loose sand and boulders. From the summit one 
has an excellent view of our surroundings and the ice 
in the Strait, which seemed to extend far beyond Cape 
Royds, but had some ominous cracks beyond the Island. 

We climbed round the ice foot after descending the 
hill and found it much broken up on the south side ; 
the sea spray had washed far up on it. 


HOI VAS HHL SSOUDV ONIHOVOUddV GUVZZITdA V 


‘ be od ST en ES SOT EN Wey oa sie Sa 
Se a Se te ee a i ee 


1911] THE YOUNG ICE GOES OUT 253 


It is curious to find that all the heavy seas come from 
the south and that it is from this direction that protection 
is most needed. 

There is some curious weathering on the ice blocks 
on the N. side; also the snow drifts show interesting dirt 
bands. The island had a good sprinkling of snow, which 
will all be gone, I expect, to-night. For as we reached 
the summit we saw a storm approaching from the south ; 
it had blotted out the Bluff, and we watched it covering 
Black Island, then Hut Point and Castle Rock. By the 
time we started homeward it was upon us, making a harsh 
chatter as it struck the high rocks and sweeping along 
the drift on the floe. 

The blow seems to have passed over to-night and the sky 
is clear again, but I much fear the ice has gone out in the 
Strait. There is an ominous black look to the westward. 

Sunday, April 30.—As I feared last night, the morning 
light revealed the havoc made in the ice by yesterday’s 
gale. From Wind Vane Hill (66 feet) it appeared that 
the Strait had not opened beyond the island, but after 
church I went up the Ramp with Wilson and steadily 
climbed over the Glacier ice to a height of about 650 feet. 
From this elevation one could see that a broad belt of sea 
ice had been pushed bodily to seaward, and it was evident 
that last night the whole stretch of water from Hut Point 
to Turtle Island must have been open—so that our poor 
people at Hut Point are just where they were. 

The only comfort is that the Strait is already frozen 


again; but what is to happen if every blow clears the sea 
like this? 


254 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


Had an interesting walk. One can go at least a mile 
up the glacier slope before coming to crevasses, and it 
does not appear that these would be serious for a good 
way farther. The view is magnificent, and on a clear 
day like this, one still enjoys some hours of daylight, or 
rather twilight, when it is possible to see everything 
clearly. 

Have had talks of the curious cones which are such a 
feature of the Ramp—they are certainly partly produced 
by ice and partly by weathering. The ponds and various 
forms of ice grains interest us. 

To-night have been naming all the small land features 
of our vicinity. 

Tuesday, May 2.—It was calm yesterday. A balloon 
was sent up in the morning, but only reached a mile in 
height before the instrument was detached (by slow 
match). 

In the afternoon went out with Bowers and his pony 
to pick up instrument, which was close to the shore in 
the South Bay. Went on past Inaccessible Island. The 
ice outside the bergs has grown very thick, 14 inches or 
more, but there were freshly frozen pools beyond the 
Island. 

In the evening Wilson opened the lecture series with 
a paper on ‘Antarctic Flying Birds.’ Considering the 
limits of the subject the discussion was interesting. The 
most attractive point raised was that of pigmentation. 
Does the absence of pigment suggest absence of reserve 
energy? Does it increase the insulating properties of the 
hair or feathers? Or does the animal clothed in white 


A5Sd1aed& MONS NIHI V HIIAA ASSVAHND V :UAIOVID ANUVA AHL 


1911) FOOTBALL: INVERTED TEMPERATURES 255 


radiate less of his internal heat? The most interesting 
example of Polar colouring here is the increased proportion 
of albinos amongst the giant petrels found in high latitudes. 

To-day have had our first game of football ; a harassing 
southerly wind sprang up, which helped my own side to 
the extent of three goals. 

This same wind came with a clear sky and jumped 
up and down in force throughout the afternoon, but has 
died away to-night. In the afternoon I saw an ominous 
lead outside the Island which appeared to extend a long 
way south. I’m much afraid it may go across our pony 
track from Hut Point. I am getting anxious to have 
the hut party back, and begin to wonder if the ice to the 
south will ever hold in permanently now that the Glacier 
Tongue has gone. 

Wednesday, May 3.—Another calm day, very beautiful 
and clear. Wilson and Bowers took our few dogs for a 
run in a sledge. Walked myself out over ice in North 
Bay—there are a good many cracks and pressures with 
varying thickness of ice, showing how tide and wind 
shift the thin sheets—the newest leads held young ice 
of 4 inches. 

The temperature remains high, the lowest yesterday 
—13°; it should be much lower with such calm weather 
and clear skies. A strange fact is now very commonly 
noticed: in calm weather there is usually a difference of 
4° or 5° between the temperature at the hut and that 

‘on Wind Vane Hill (64 feet), the latter being the higher. 
This shows an inverted temperature. 
As I returned from my walk the southern sky seemed 


| 
: 
| 
| 


256 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


to grow darker, and later stratus cloud was undoubtedly 
spreading up from that direction—this at about 5 P.M. 
About 7 a moderate north wind sprang up. This seemed 
to indicate a southerly blow, and at about 9 the wind 
shifted to that quarter and blew gustily, 25 to 35 m.p.h. 
One cannot see the result on the Strait, but I fear it means 
that the ice has gone out again in places. The wind 
dropped as suddenly as it had arisen soon after midnight. 

In the evening Simpson gave us his first meteorological 
lecture—the subject, ‘Coronas, Halos, Rainbows, and 
Auroras.’ He has a remarkable power of exposition and 
taught me more of these phenomena in the hour than 
I had learnt by all previous interested inquiries concerning 
them. 

I note one or two points concerning each phenomenon. 

Corona.—White to brown inside ring called Aureola— 
outside are sometimes seen two or three rings of prismatic 
light in addition. Caused by diffraction of light round 
drops of water or ice crystals ; diameter of rings inversely 
proportionate to size of drops or crystals—mixed sizes 
of ditto causes aureola without rings. 

Halos.—Caused by refraction and reflection through 
and from ice crystals. In this connection the hexagonal, 
tetrahedonal type of crystallisation is first to be noted ; then 
the infinite number of forms in which this can be modified 
together with result of fractures : two forms predominate, 
the plate and the needle; these forms falling through 
air assume definite position—the plate falls horizontally 
swaying to and fro, the needle turns rapidly about its longer 
axis, which remains horizontal. Simpson showed excellent 


LUNAR CORONA, 


256 _ SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION Dax 


te grow darker, and later stratus cloud was undoubtedly 
spreading up from that direction—this at about 5 P.M. 


- About 7 a moderate north wind sprang up. This seemed 


to indicate a southerly blow, and at about 9 the wind 
shifted to that quarter and blew gustily, 25 to 35 m.p.h. 


‘One cannot see the result on the Strait, but I fear it means 


that the ice has gone out again in places. The wind 
dropped as suddenly as it had arisen soon after midnight. 


In the evening Simpson gave us his first meteorological | 


lecture—the subject, ‘Coronas, Halos, Rainbows, and 
Auroras.’ He has a remarkable power of expésition and 
raught ce more of these phenamena in the hour then 

Den pheeel aeaitetes -patengeradesge 


‘ e#th phenomenon. 
Cepe-- hte vo brown yee ring called Aureola— 
outside are sometimes seen two or three rings of prismatic 
light in addition. Caused by diffraction of light round 
drops of water or ice crystals; diameter of rings inversely 
proportionate to size of drops or erystals—mixed sizes 
of dixto cause aurecda without rings 
Halos-<xeed by eefrection and reflection through 
and from ice crete. % i connection the hexagonal, 
tetrahedonal type of » eee efitation is first to be noted ; then 
the infinite number of. *e es im which this can be modified 
together with result of fractures ; two forms predominate, 


the plate and the needle; these forms falling through — 


air assume definite pevitien—-the plate falls horizontally 
swaying to and fro, the seule turns rapidly about its longer 


- axis, which remains horizontal, Simpson showed excellent 


- 


te: 


LUNAR CORONA. 


1911] OF RAINBOWS 257 


experiments to illustrate; consideration of these facts 
and refraction of light striking crystals clearly leads to 
explanation of various complicated halo phenomena such 
as recorded and such as seen by us on the Great Barrier, 
and draws attention to thecritical refraction angles of 32° 
and 46°, the radius of inner and outer rings, the position 
of mock suns, contra suns, zenith circles, &c. 

Further measurements are needed; for instance, of 
streamers from mock suns and examination of ice crystals. 
(Record of ice crystals seen on Barrier Surface.) 

Rainbows.—Caused by reflection and refraction from 
and through drops of water—colours vary with size of 
drops, the smaller the drop the lighter the colours and 
nearer to the violet end of the spectrum—hence white 
rainbow as seen on the Barrier, very small drops. 

Double Bows—diameters must be 84° and 100°—again 
from laws of refraction—colours: inner, red outside ; 
outer, red inside—i.e. reds come together. 

Wanted to see more rainbows on Barrier. In this 
connection a good rainbow was seen to N.W. in F ebruary 
from winter quarters. Reports should note colours and 
relative width of bands of colour. 

Iridescent Clouds.—Not yet understood ; observations 
required, especially angular distance from the sun. 

Auroras.—Clearly most frequent and intense in years of 
maximum sun spots; this argues connection with the sun. 

Points noticed requiring confirmation : 

Arch : centre of arch in magnetic meridian. 

Shafts: take direction of dipping needle. 


Bands and Curtains with convolutions—not understood. 
VOL. I. 8 


258 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


Corona: shafts meeting to form. 

Notes required on movement and direction of move- 
ment—colours seen—supposed red and possibly green 
rays preceding or accompanying movement. Auroras 
are sometimes accompanied by magnetic storms, but not 
always, and vice versa—in general significant signs of some 
connection—possible common dependants on a third factor. 
The phenomenon further connects itself in form with lines 
of magnetic force about the earth. 

(Curious apparent connection between spectrum of 
aurora and that of a heavy gas, ‘argon.’ May be 
coincidence.) 

Two theories enunciated : 

Arrhenius.—Bombardments of minute charged particles 
from the sun gathered into the magnetic field of the earth. 

Birkeland.—Bombardment of free negative electrons 
gathered into the magnetic field of the earth. 

It is experimentally shown that minute drops of water 
are deflected by light. 

It is experimentally shown that ions are given off by 
dried calcium, which the sun contains. 

Professor Stérmer has collected much material showing 
connection of the phenomenon with lines of magnetic 
force. 

Thursday, May 4.—From the small height of Wind 
Vane Hill (64 feet) it was impossible to say if the ice in 
the Strait had been out after yesterday’s wind. The sea 
was frozen, but after twelve hours’ calm it would be in 
any case. The dark appearance of the ice is noticeable, 
but this has been the case of late since the light is poor ; 


es) a Ke 


258 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


Corona: shafts meeting to form. 

Notes required on movement and direction of move- 
ment—colours seen—supposed red and possibly green 
rays preceding or accompanying movement. Auroras 
are sometimes accompanied by magnetic storms, but not 
always, and vice versa—in general significant signs of some 
eommection—possible common dependants on a third factor. 
The phenomenon further connects itself in form with lines 
of magnetic force about the earth. 

(Curious apparent conection between spectrum of 


aurora and that of a heavy gas, ‘argom” May be 
coincidence.) 

Two theories enunciated : 

Arrhenius —Bombardments of minwty chenged particles 


from the sun gathered into the siagmetic field of the earth. 

Birkeland.--Bembardment of free negative electrons 
gathered inte the magnetic field of the earth. 

It is experimentally shown that minute drops of water 
are deflected by light. 

It is experimentally shown that ions are given of id 
dried calcium, which the ser contains. 

Professor Stérmer ha» eotlected much material showing 
conmection of the phenewsenon with lines of magnetic 

Thursday, May 4.-~FProm the small height of Wind 


‘Vane Hill (64 feet) & was impossible to say if the ice in 


the Strait had been owe witer yesterday’s wind. The sea 


_was frozen, but after twelve hours’ calm it would be in 


any case. The dark appearwmee of the ice is noticeable, 


a 


. < é pes a « 


PARASELENE, JUNE 15tu, 1911. 


1911] FOOTBALL: NEW ICE 259 


little snow has fallen or drifted and the ice flowers are 
very sparse and scattered. 

We had an excellent game of football again to-day— 
the exercise is delightful and we get very warm. Atkinson 
is by far the best player, but Hooper, P.O. Evans, and 
Crean are also quite good. It has been calm all day again. 

Went over the sea ice beyond the Arch berg; the ice 
half a mile beyond is only 4 inches. I think this must 
have been formed since the blow of yesterday, that is, 
in sixteen hours or less. 

Such rapid freezing is a hopeful sign, but the prompt 
dissipation of the floe under a southerly wind is distinctly 
the reverse. 

I am anxious to get our people back from Hut Point, 
mainly on account of the two ponies ; with so much calm 
weather there should have been no difficulty for the party 
in keeping up its supply of blubber; an absence of which 
is the only circumstance likely to discomfort it. 

The new ice over which I walked is extraordinarily 
slippery and free from efflorescence. I think this must 
be a further sign of rapid formation. 

Friday, May 5.—Another calm day following a quiet 
night. Once or twice in the night a light northerly wind, 
soon dying away. The temperature down to —12°. What 
is the meaning of this comparative warmth? As usual in 
calms the Wind Vane Hill temperature is 3° or 4° higher. 
It is delightful to contemplate the amount of work which 
is being done at the station. No one is idle—all hands 
are full, and one cannot doubt that the labour will be 
productive of remarkable result. 


260 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


I do not think there can be any life quite so demon- 
strative of character as that which we had on these ex- 
peditions. One sees a remarkable reassortment of values. 
Under ordinary conditions it is so easy to carry a point 
with a little bounce ; self-assertion is a mask which covers 
many a weakness. As a rule we have neither the time 
nor the desire to look beneath it, and so it is that commonly 
we accept people on their own valuation. Here the 
outward show is nothing, it is the inward purpose that 
counts. So the ‘ gods’ dwindle and the humble supplant 
them. Pretence is useless. 


One sees Wilson busy with pencil and colour box, 
rapidly and steadily adding to his portfolio of charming 
sketches and at intervals filling the gaps in his zoological 
work of Discovery times ; withal ready and willing to give 
advice and assistance to others at all times; his sound 
judgment appreciated and therefore a constant referee. 

Simpson, master of his craft, untiringly attentive to 
the working of his numerous self-recording instruments, 
observing all changes with scientific acumen, doing the 
work of two observers at least and yet ever seeking to 
correlate an expanded scope. So the current meteoro- 
logical and magnetic observations are taken as never 
before by Polar expeditions. 

Wright, good-hearted, strong, keen, striving to saturate 
his mind with the ice problems of this wonderful region. 
He has taken the electrical work in hand with all its 
modern interest of association with radio-activity. 

Evans, with a clear-minded zeal in his own work, 


“d 


LY NHAID 


SI 


HOIH: 


MA 


HOLAMS 


»~< 


AHI 


d 


n 


ONIMYOM NOS TIM 


“ud 


1911} INDIVIDUAL SCIENTIFIC WORK 261 


does it with all the success of result which comes from 
the taking of pains. Therefrom we derive a singularly 
exact preservation of time—an important consideration to 
all, but especially necessary for the physical work. There- 
from also, and including more labour, we have an accurate 
survey of our immediate surroundings and can trust to 
possess the correctly mapped results of all surveying 
data obtained. He has Gran for assistant. 

Taylor’s intellect is omnivorous and versatile—his 
mind is unceasingly active, his grasp wide. Whatever 
he writes will be of interest—his pen flows well. 

Debenham’s is clearer. Here we have a well-trained, 
sturdy worker, with a quiet meaning that carries con- 
viction ; he realises the conceptions of thoroughness and 
conscientiousness. 

To Bowers’ practical genius is owed much of the 
smooth working of our station. He has a natural method 
in line with which all arrangements fall, so that expendi- 
ture is easily and exactly adjusted to supply, and I have 
the inestimable advantage of knowing the length of time 
which each of our possessions will last us and the assurance 
that there can be no waste. Active mind and active body 
were never more happily blended. It is a restless activity, 
admitting no idle moments and ever budding into new 
forms. 

So we see the balloon ascending under his guidance 
and anon he is away over the floe tracking the silk thread 
which held it. Such a task completed, he is away to 
exercise his pony, and later out again with the dogs, the 
last typically self-suggested, because for the moment 


262 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


there is no one else to care for these animals. Now in a 
similar manner he is spreading thermometer screens to get 
comparative readings with the home station. He is for 
the open air, seemingly incapable of realising any discomfort 
from it, and yet his hours within doors spent with equal 
profit. For he is intent on tracking the problems of 
sledging food and clothing to their innermost bearings 
and is becoming an authority on past records. This will 
be no small help to me and one which others never could 
have given. 

Adjacent to the physicists’ corner of the hut Atkinson 
is quietly pursuing the subject of parasites. Already he 
is in a new world. The laying out of the fish trap was 
his action and the catches are his field of labour. Con- 
stantly he comes to ask if I would like to see some new 
form, and I am taken to see some protozoa or ascidian 
isolated on the slide plate of his microscope. The fishes 
themselves are comparatively new to science ; it is strange 
that their parasites should have been under investigation 
so soon. 

Atkinson’s bench with its array of microscopes, test- 
tubes, spirit lamps, &c., is next the dark room in which 
Ponting spends the greater part of his life. I would 
describe him as sustained by artistic enthusiasm. This 
world of ours is a different one to him than it is to the 
rest of us—he gauges it by its picturesqueness—his joy is 
to reproduce its pictures artistically, his grief to fail to do 
so. No attitude could be happier for the work which he 
has undertaken, and one cannot doubt its productiveness. 
I would not imply that he is out of sympathy with the 


MAGNETOMETER 


PHE UNIFILAR 


*SON AT 


SIME 


DR. 


ATKINSON IN HIS LABORATORY 


IR. 


191] INDIVIDUALS AT WORK 263 


works of others, which is far from being the case, but 
that his energies centre devotedly on the minutiz of his 
business. 

Cherry-Garrard is another of the open-air, self-effacing, 
quiet workers ; his whole heart is in the life, with profound 
eagerness to help everyone. ‘One has caught glimpses 
of him in tight places; sound all through and pretty 
hard also.’ Indoors he is editing our Polar journal, 
out of doors he is busy making trial stone huts and blubber 
stoves, primarily with a view to the winter journey to 
Cape Crozier, but incidentally these are instructive ex- 
periments for any party which may get into difficulty 
by being cut off from the home station. It is very well 
to know how best to use the scant resources that Nature 
provides in these regions. In this connection I have 
been studying our Arctic library to get details concerning 
snow-hut building and the implements used for it. 

Oates’ whole heart is in the ponies. He is really 
devoted to their care, and I believe will produce them in 
the best possible form for the sledging season. Opening 
out the stores, installing a blubber stove, &c., has kept 
him busy, whilst his satellite, Anton, is ever at work in 
the stables—an excellent little man. 

P.O. Evans and Crean are repairing sleeping-bags, 
covering felt boots, and generally working on sledging kit. 
In fact there is no one idle, and no one who has the least 
prospect of idleness. 

Saturday, May 6.—Two more days of calm, interrupted 
with occasional gusts. 

Yesterday, Friday evening, Taylor gave an intro- 


ij 


264 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


ductory lecture on his remarkably fascinating subject— 
modern physiography. 

These modern physiographers set out to explain the 
forms of land erosion on broad common-sense lines, heed- 
less of geological support. They must, in consequence, 
have their special language. River courses, they say, are 
not temporary—in the main they are archaic. In con- 
junction with land elevations they have worked through 
geographical cycles, perhaps many. In each geographical 
cycle they have advanced from infantile V-shaped forms ; 
the courses broaden and deepen, the bank slopes reduce in 
angle as maturer stages are reached until the level of sea 
surface is more and more nearly approximated. In senile 
stages the river is a broad sluggish stream flowing over 
a plain with little inequality of level. The cycle has 
formed a Peneplain. Subsequently, with fresh elevation, 
a new cycle is commenced. So much for the simple case, 
but in fact nearly all cases are modified by unequal 
elevations due to landslips, by variation in hardness of 
rock, &c. Hence modification in positions of river courses 
and the fact of different parts of a single river being in 
different stages of cycle. 

Taylor illustrated his explanations with examples: 
The Red River, Canada—Plain flat though elevated, 
water lies in pools, river flows in ‘ V’ ‘infantile’ form. 

The Rhine Valley—The gorgeous scenery from Mainz 
down due to infantile form in recently elevated region. 

The Russian Plains—Examples of ‘ senility.’ 

- Greater complexity in the Blue Mountains—these are 
undoubted earth folds ; the Nepean River flows through an 


WORK 


WINTER 


} 


1yior 


urard, Bowers, Evans, 


try-Ge 


perp BOT rE 


Ef 
a 
r& 
ae 
h 


ie Blin Fae? 
Peer chteke 


rotr] THERMOMETERS ON THE FLOE 265 


offshoot of a fold, the valley being made as the fold was 
elevated—curious valleys made by erosion of hard rock 
overlying soft. 

River piracy—Domestic, the short-circuiting of a 
meander, such as at Coo in the Ardennes ; Foreign, such as 
Shoalhaven River, Australia—stream has captured river. 

Landslips have caused the isolation of Lake George and 
altered the watershed of the whole country to the south. 

Later on Taylor will deal with the effects of ice and 
lead us to the formation of the scenery of our own region, 
and so we shall have much to discuss. 

Sunday, May 7.—Daylight now is very short. One 
wonders why the Hut Point party does not come. Bowers 
and Cherry-Garrard have set up a thermometer screen 
containing maximum thermometers and thermographs on 
the sea floe about 3’ N.W. of the hut. Another smaller 
one is to go on top of the Ramp. They took the screen 
out on one of Day’s bicycle-wheel carriages and found 
it ran very easily over the salty ice where the sledges 
give so much trouble. This vehicle is not easily turned, 
but may be very useful before there is much snowfall. 

Yesterday a balloon was sent up and reached a very 
good height (probably 2 to 3 miles) before the instrument 
disengaged ; the balloon went almost straight up and the 
silk fell in festoons over the rocky part of the Cape, afford- 
ing a very difficult clue to follow; but whilst Bowers was 
following it, Atkinson observed the instrument fall a few 
hundred yards out on the Bay—it was recovered and 
gives the first important record of upper-air temperature. 

Atkinson and Crean put out the fish trap in about 


266 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


3 fathoms of water off the west beach; both yesterday 
morning and yesterday evening when the trap was raised 
it contained over forty fish, whilst this morning and this 
evening the catches in the same spot have been from 
twenty to twenty-five. We had fish for breakfast this 
morning, but an even more satisfactory result of the 
catches has been revealed by Atkinson’s microscope. 
He had discovered quite a number of new parasites and 
found work to last quite a long time. 

Last night it came to my turn to do night watchman 
again, so that I shall be glad to have a good sleep to-night. 

Yesterday we had a game of football; it is pleasant 
to mess about, but the light is failing. 

Clissold is still producing food novelties; to-night 
we had galantine of seal—it was excellent. 

Monday, May 8—Tuesday, May 9.—As one of the 
series of lectures I gave an outline of my plans for next 
season on Monday evening. Everyone was interested, 
naturally. I could not but hint that in my opinion the 
problem of reaching the Pole can best be solved by relying 
on the ponies and man haulage. With this sentiment 
the whole company appeared to be in sympathy. Every- 
one seems to distrust the dogs when it comes to glacier 
and summit. I have asked everyone to give thought to 
the problem, to freely discuss it, and bring suggestions 
to my notice. It’s going to be a tough job; that is better 
realised the more one dives into it. 

To-day (Tuesday) Debenham has been showing me his 
photographs taken west. With Wright’s and Taylor’s 
these will make an extremely interesting series—the ice 


dVUL-HSIA AHL dQ ONITAVH CATIOSSIIO GNV NOSNIMIY ‘ada 


1911] FLOE TEMPERATURES 267 


forms especially in the region of the Koettlitz glacier are 
unique. 

The Strait has been frozen over a week. I cannot 
understand why the Hut Point party doesn’t return. 
The weather continues wonderfully calm though now 
looking a little unsettled. Perhaps the unsettled look 
stops the party, or perhaps it waits for the moon, which 
will be bright in a day or two. 

Any way, I wish it would return, and shall not be free 
from anxiety till it does. 

Cherry-Garrard is experimenting in stone huts and 
with blubber fires—all with a view to prolonging the stay 
at Cape Crozier. 

Bowers has placed one thermometer screen on the 
floe about #’ out, and another smaller one above the 
Ramp. Oddly, the floe temperature seems to agree with 
that on Wind Vane Hill, whilst the hut temperature is 
always 4° or 5° colder in calm weather. To complete 
the records a thermometer is to be placed in South Bay. 


Science—the rock foundation of all effort ! ! 


Wednesday, May 10.—It has been blowing from the 
south 12 to 20 miles per hour since last night; the ice 
remains fast. The temperature-12° to -19°. The party 
does not come. I went well beyond Inaccessible Island 
till Hut Point and Castle Rock appeared beyond Tent 
Island—that is, well out on the space which was last seen 
as open water. The ice is 9 inches thick—not much for 
eight or nine days’ freezing; but it is very solid—the 
surface wet but very slippery. I suppose Meares waits 


268 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


for 12 inches in thickness, or fears the floe is too slippery 
for the ponies. 

Yet I wish he would come. 

I took a thermometer on my walk to-day; the tem- 
perature was -12° inside Inaccessible Island, but only 
-8° on thesea ice outside—the wind seemed less outside. 
Coming in under lee of Island and bergs I was reminded 
of the difficulty of finding shelter in these regions. The 
weather side of hills seems to afford better shelter than 
the lee side, as I have remarked elsewhere. May it be 
in part because all lee sides tend to be filled by drift snow, 
blown and weathered rock débris? There was a good 
lee under one of the bergs; in one corner the ice sloped 
out over me and on either side, forming a sort of grotto ; 
here the air was absolutely still. 

Ponting gave us an interesting lecture on Burmah, 
illustrated with fine slides. His descriptive language is 
florid, but shows the artistic temperament. Bowers and 
Simpson were able to give personal reminiscences of this 
land of pagodas, and the discussion led to interesting 
statements on the religion, art, and education of its people, 
their philosophic idleness, &c. Our lectures are a real 
success. 

Friday, May .12.—Yesterday morning was quiet. 
Played football in the morning ; wind got up in the after- 
noon and evening. 

All day it has been blowing hard, 30 to 60 miles an 
hour; it has never looked very dark overhead, but a 
watery cirrus has been in evidence for some time, causing 


well marked paraselene. 


1911} A BACTERIUM IN THE SNOW 269 


I have not been far from the hut, but had a great fear 
on one occasion that the ice had gone out in the Strait. 

The wind is dropping this evening, and I have been 
up to Wind Vane Hill. I now think the ice has remained 
fast. 

There has been astonishingly little drift with the wind, 
probably due to the fact that there has been so very 
little snowfall of late. 

Atkinson is pretty certain that he has isolated a very 
motile bacterium in the snow. It is probably air borne, 
and though no bacteria have been found in the air, this 
may be carried in upper currents and brought down by 
the snow. If correct it is an interesting discovery. 

To-night Debenham gave a geological lecture. It was 
elementary. He gave little more than the rough origin 
and classification of rocks with a view to making his 
further lectures better understood. 

Saturday, May 13.—The wind dropped about to last 
night. This morning it was calm and clear save for a 
light misty veil of ice crystals through which the moon 
shone with scarce clouded brilliancy, surrounded with 
bright cruciform halo and white paraselene. Mock moons 
with prismatic patches of colour appeared in the radiant 
ring, echoes of the main source of light. Wilson has a 
charming sketch of the phenomenon. 

I went to Inaccessible Island, and climbing some way 
up the steep western face, reassured myself concerning 
the ice. It was evident that there had been no move- 
ment in consequence of yesterday’s blow. 

In climbing I had to scramble up some pretty steep 


270 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


rock faces and screens, and held on only in anticipation 

of gaining the top of the Island and an easy descent. 

Instead of this I came to an impossible overhanging cliff 

of lava, and was forced to descend as I had come up. 

It was no easy task, and I was glad to get down with only 

one slip, when I brought myself up with my ice-axe 

in the nick of time to prevent a fall over a cliff. This 

Island is very steep on all sides. There is only one 

) known place of ascent; it will be interesting to try 
and find others. 

After tea Atkinson came in with the glad tidings that 

the dog team were returning from Hut Point. We were 

soon on the floe to welcome the last remnant of our 


wintering party. Meares reported everything well and 
the ponies not far behind. 

The dogs were unharnessed and tied up to the chains ; 
they are all looking remarkably fit—apparently they have 
given no trouble at all of late; there have not even been 
any fights. 

Half an hour later Day, Lashly, Nelson, Forde, and 
Keohane arrived with the two ponies—men and animals 
in good form. 

It is a great comfort to have the men and dogs back, 
and a greater to contemplate all the ten ponies com- 
fortably stabled for the winter. Everything seems to 
depend on these animals. 

I have not seen the meteorological record brought 
back, but it appears that the party had had very 
fine calm weather since we left them, except during 
the last three days when wind has been very strong. It 


THE FREEZING UP OF THE SEA 


r9rr] RETURN OF THE HUT POINT PARTY 271 


is curious that we should only have got one day with 
wind. 

I am promised the sea-freezing record to-morrow. 
Four seals were got on April 22, the day after we left, and 
others have been killed since, so that there is a plentiful 
supply of blubber and seal meat at the hut—the rest of 
the supplies seem to have been pretty well run out. Some 
more forage had been fetched in from the depét. A young 
sea leopard had been killed on the sea ice near Castle 
Rock three days ago, this being the second only found in 
the Sound. 

It is a strange fact that none of the returning party 
seem to greatly appreciate the food luxuries they have had 
since their return. It would have been the same with 
us had we not had a day or two in tents before our return. 
It seems more and more certain that a very simple fare 
is all that is needed here—plenty of seal meat, flour, and 
fat, with tea, cocoa, and sugar; these are the only real 
requirements for comfortable existence. 

The temperatures at Hut Point have not been as low 
as I expected. There seems to have been an extra- 
ordinary heat wave during the spell of calm recorded since 
we left—the thermometer registering little below zero 
until the wind came, when it fell to -20°. Thus as 
an exception we have had a fall instead of a rise of 
temperature with wind. 

[The exact inventory of stores at Hut Point here 
recorded has no immediate bearing on the history of the 
expedition, but may be noted as illustrating the care and 
thoroughness with which all operations were conducted. 


272 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


Other details as to the carbide consumed in making 
acetylene gas may be briefly quoted. The first tin was 
opened on February 1, the second on March 26. The 
seventh on May 20, the next eight at the average interval 
of 9} days.] 

Sunday, May 14.—Grey and dull in the morning. 

Exercised the ponies and held the usual service. This 
morning I gave Wright some notes containing speculations 
on the amount of ice on the Antarctic continent and on 
the effects of winter movements in the sea ice. I want 
to get into his head the larger bearing of the problems 
which our physical investigations involve. He needs two 
years here to fully realise these things, and with all 
his intelligence and energy will produce little unless he 
has that extended experience. 

The sky cleared at noon, and this afternoon I walked 
over the North Bay to the ice cliffs—such a very beautiful 
afternoon and evening—the scene bathed in moonlight, 
so bright and pure as to be almost golden, a very wonderful 
scene. At such times the Bay seems strangely homely, 
especially when the eye rests on our camp with the hut 
and lighted windows. 

I am very much impressed with the extraordinary and 
general cordiality of the relations which exist amongst 
our people. I do not suppose that a statement of the real 
truth, namely, that there is no friction at all, will be 
credited—it is so generally thought that the many rubs 
of such a life as this are quietly and purposely sunk in 
oblivion. With me there is no need to draw a veil; there 
is nothing to cover. There are no strained relations in 


Igrr] PERSONAL HARMONY 273 


this hut, and nothing more emphatically evident than 
the universally amicable spirit which is shown on all 
occasions. 

Such a state of affairs would be delightfully surprising 
under any conditions, but it is much more so when one 
remembers the diverse assortment of our company. 

This theme is worthy of expansion. To-night Oates, 
captain in a smart cavalry regiment, has been ‘scrapping’ 
over chairs and tables with Debenham, a young Australian 
student. 

It is a triumph to have collected such men. 

The temperature has been down to -23°, the lowest 
yet recorded here—doubtless we shall soon get lower, for 
I find an extraordinary difference between this season as 
far as it has gone and those of 1902-3. 


VOL. I. T 


CHAPTER X 
IN WINTER QUARTERS: MODERN STYLE 


Monday, May 15.—The wind has been strong from the 
north all day—about 30 miles an hour. A bank of stratus 
cloud about 6000 or 7000 feet (measured by Erebus) has 
been passing rapidly overhead towards the north; it is 
nothing new to find the overlying layers of air moving in 
opposite directions, but it is strange that the phenomenon 
is so persistent. Simpson has frequently remarked as a 
great feature of weather conditions here the seeming 
reluctance ot the air to ‘ mix ’—the fact seems to be the 
explanation of many curious fluctuations of temperature. 

Went for a short walk, butit was not pleasant. Wilson 
gave an interesting lecture on penguins. He explained 
the primitive characteristics in the arrangement of 
feathers on wings and body, the absence of primaries and 
secondaries or bare tracts ; the modification of the muscles 
of the wings and in the structure of the feet (the metatarsal 
joint). He pointed out (and the subsequent discussion 
seemed to support him) that these birds probably branched 
at a very early stage of bird life—coming pretty directly 
from the lizard bird Archeopteryx of the Jurassic age. 
Fossils of giant penguins of Eocene and Miocene ages 


ON PENGUINS 275 


show that there has been extremely little development 
since. 

He passed on to the classification and habitat of different 
genera, nest-making habits, eggs, &c. Then to a brief 
account of the habits of the Emperors and Adélies, which 
was of course less novel ground for the old hands. 

Of special points of interest I recall his explanation of 
the desirability of embryonic study of the Emperor to 
throw further light on the development of the species in 
the loss of teeth, &c.; and Ponting’s contribution and 
observation of adult Adélies teaching their young to 
swim—this point has been obscure. It has been said 
that the old birds push the young into the water, and, 
per contra, that they leave them deserted in the rookery 
—both statements seemed unlikely. It would not be 
strange if the young Adélie had to learn to swim (it is a 
well-known requirement of the Northern fur seal—sea 
bear), but it will be interesting to see in how far the adult 
birds lay themselves out to instruct their progeny. 

During our trip to the ice and sledge journey one of 
our dogs, Vaida, was especially distinguished for his 
savage temper and generally uncouth manners. He 
became a bad wreck with his poor coat at Hut Point, and 
in this condition I used to massage him; at first the 
operation was mistrusted and only continued to the 
accompaniment of much growling, but later he evidently 
grew to like the warming effect and sidled up to me when- 
ever I came out of the hut, though still with some suspicion. 
On returning here he seemed to know me at once, and 


now comes and buries his head in my legs whenever I go 
Tz 


276 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


out of doors ; he allows me to rub him and push him about 
without the slightest protest and scampers about me as 
I walk abroad. He is a strange beast—I imagine so 
unused to kindness that it took him time to appreciate it. 

Tuesday, May 16.—The north wind continued all night 
but dropped this forenoon. Conveniently it became calm 
at noon and we had a capital game of football. The light 
is good enough, but not much more than good enough, for 
this game. 

Had some instruction from Wright this morning on the 
electrical instruments. 

Later went into our carbide expenditure with Day : 
am glad to find it sufficient for two years, but am not 
making this generally known as there are few things in 
which economy is less studied than light if regulations 
allow of waste. 


EvectrricaL INstRUMENTS 


For measuring the ordinary potential gradient we 
have two self-recording quadrant electrometers. The 
principle of this instrument is the same as that of the old 
Kelvin instrument ; the clockwork attached to it unrolls 
a strip of paper wound on a roller; at intervals the needle 
of the instrument is depressed by an electromagnet and 
makes a dot on the moving paper. The relative position 
of these dots forms the record. One of our instruments is 
adjusted to give only ;th the refinement of measure- 
ment of the other by means of reduction in the length of 
the quartz fibre. The object of this is to continue the 
record in snowstorms, &c., when the potential difference 


191] THE ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS 277 


of air and earth is very great. The instruments are kept 
charged with batteries of small Daniels cells. The clocks 
are controlled by a master clock. 

The instrument available for radio-activity measure- 
ments is a modified type of the old gold-leaf electroscope. 
The measurement is made by the mutual repulsion of 
quartz fibres acting against a spring—the extent of the 
repulsion is very clearly shown against a scale magnified 
by a telescope. 

‘The measurements to be made with instrument are 
various : 

The ionization of the air. A length of wire charged 
with 2000 volts (negative) is exposed to the air for several 
hours. It is then coiled on a frame and its rate of discharge 
measured by the electroscope. 

The radio-activity of the various rocks of our neighbour- 
hood ; this by direct measurement of the rock. 

The conductivity of the air, that is, the relative move- 
ment of ions in the air; by movement of air past charged 
surface. Rate of absorption of + and — ions is measured, 
the negative ion travelling faster than the positive. 

Wednesday, May 17.—For the first time this season 
we have a rise of temperature with a southerly wind. The 
wind force has been about 30 since yesterday evening ; 
the air is fairly full of snow and the temperature has 
risen to — 6° from — 18°. 

I heard one of the dogs barking in the middle of the 
night, and on inquiry learned that it was one of the 
‘Serais,’* that he seemed to have something wrong 

* The white dogs. 


278 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


with his hind leg, and that he had been put under 
shelter. This morning the poor brute was found dead. 

I’m afraid we can place but little reliance on our dog 
teams and reflect ruefully on the misplaced confidence 
with which I regarded the provision of our transport. 
Well, one must suffer for errors of judgment. 

This afternoon Wilson held a post-mortem on the 
dog; he could find no sufficient cause of death. This 
is the third animal that has died at winter quarters 
without apparent cause. Wilson, who is nettled, proposes 
to examine the brain of this animal to-morrow. 

Went up the Ramp this morning. There was light 
enough to see our camp, and it looked homely, as it does 
from all sides. Somehow we loom larger here than at 
Cape Armitage. We seem to be more significant. It 
must be from contrast of size; the larger hills tend to 
dwarf the petty human element. 

To-night the wind has gone back to the north and is 
now blowing fresh. 

This sudden and continued complete change of direction 
is new to our experience. 

Oates has just given us an excellent little lecture on the 
management of horses. 

He explained his plan of feeding our animals ‘ soft’ 
during the winter, and hardening them up during the 
spring. He pointed out that the horse’s natural food 
being grass and hay, he would naturally employ a great 
number of hours in the day filling a stomach of small 
capacity with food from which he could derive only a 
small percentage of nutriment. 


INQOW YAAO SANOTD M- WIVHA 


I9rr), ON HORSE MANAGEMENT 279 


Hence it is desirable to feed horses often and light. 
His present routine is as follows : 

Morning.—Chaff. 

Noon, after exercise.—Snow. Chaff and either oats 

or oil-cake alternate days. 

Evening, 5 p.m—Snow. Hot bran mash with oil-cake 
or boiled oats and chaff ; finally a small quantity 
of hay. 

This sort of food should be causing the animals to put on 
flesh, but is not preparing them for work. In October 
he proposes to give ‘ hard’ food, all cold, and to increase 
the exercising hours. 

As concerning the food we possess he thinks : 

The chaff made of young wheat and hay is doubtful ; 
there does not seem to be any grain with it—and would 
farmers cut young wheat? There does not seem to be 
any ‘fat’ in this food, but it is very well for ordinary 
winter purposes. 

N.B.—It seems to me this ought to be inquired into. 
Bran much discussed, but good because it causes horses 
to chew the oats with which mixed. 

Oil-cake, greasy, producing energy—excellent for horses 
to work on, 

Oats, of which we have two qualities, also very good 
working food—our white quality much better than the 
brown. 

Our trainer went on to explain the value of training 
horses, of getting them ‘ balanced ’ to pull with less effort. 
He owns it is very difficult when one is walking horses 
only for exercise, but thinks something can be done by 


280 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


walking them fast and occasionally making them step 
backwards. 

Oates referred to the deeds that had been done with 
horses by foreigners in shows and with polo ponies by 
Englishmen when the animals were trained; it is, he 
said, a sort of gymnastic training. 

The discussion was very instructive and I have only 
noted the salient points. 

Thursday, May 18.—The wind dropped in the night ; 
to-day it is calm, with slight snowfall. We have had an 
excellent football match—the only outdoor game possible 
in this light. 

I think our winter routine very good. I suppose 
every leader of a party has thought that, since he has the 
power of altering it. On the other hand, routine in this 
connection must take into consideration the facilities of 
work and play afforded by the preliminary preparations 
for the expedition. The winter occupations of most of 
our party depend on the instruments and implements, 
the clothing and sledging outfit, provided by forethought, 
and the routine is adapted to these occupations. 

The busy winter routine of our party may therefore 
be excusably held as a subject for self-congratulation. 

Friday, May 19.—Wind from the north in the morning, 
temperature comparatively high (about - 6°). We played 
football during the noon hour—the game gets better as 
we improve our football condition and skill. 

In the afternoon the wind came from the north, dying 
away again late at night. 

In the evening Wright lectured on ‘Ice Problems.’ 


Ig1r] ON ICE PROBLEMS 281 


He had a difficult subject and was nervous. He is young 
and has never done original work; is only beginning to 
see the importance of his task. 

He started on the crystallisation of ice, and explained 
with very good illustrations the various forms of crystals, 
the manner of their growth under different conditions and 
different temperatures. This was instructive. Passing to 
the freezing of salt water, he was not very clear. Then 
on to glaciers and their movements, theories for same and 
observations in these regions. 

There was a good deal of disconnected information— 
silt bands, crevasses were mentioned. Finally he put the 
problems of larger aspect. 

The upshot of the discussion was a decision to devote 
another evening to the larger problems such as the Great 
Ice Barrier and the interior ice sheet. I think I will write 
the paper to be discussed on this occasion. 

I note with much satisfaction that the talks on ice 
problems and the interest shown in them has had the 
effect of making Wright devote the whole of his time 
to them. That may mean a great deal, for he is a hard 
and conscientious worker. 

Atkinson has a new hole for his fish trap in 15 fathoms ; 
yesterday morning he got a record catch of forty-three 
fish, but oddly enough yesterday evening there were only 
two caught. 

Saturday, May 20.—Blowing hard from the south, 
with some snow and very cold. Few of us went far; 
Wilson and Bowers went to the top of the Ramp and 
found the wind there force 6 to 7, temperature —24°; 


282 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


as a consequence they got frostbitten. There was lively 
cheering when they reappeared in this condition, such is 
the sympathy which is here displayed for affliction; but 
with Wilson much of the amusement arises from his 
peculiarly scant headgear and the confessed jealousy of 
those of us who cannot face the weather with so little 
face protection. 

The wind dropped at night. 

Sunday, May 21.—Observed as usual. It blew from 
the north in the morning. Had an idea to go to Cape 
Royds this evening, but it was reported that the open 
water reached to the Barne Glacier, and last night my 
own observation seemed to confirm this. 

This afternoon I started out for the open water. I 
found the ice solid off the Barne Glacier tongue, but always 
ahead of me a dark horizon as though I was within a very 
short distance of its edge. I held on with this appearance 
still holding up to C. Barne itself and then past that Cape 
and half way between it and C. Royds. This was far 
enough to make it evident that the ice was continuous 
to C. Royds, and has been so for a long time. Under 
these circumstances the continual appearance of open 
water to the north is most extraordinary and quite 
inexplicable. 

Have had some very interesting discussions with Wilson, 
Wright, and Taylor on the ice formations to the west. 
How to account for the marine organisms found on the 
weathered glacier ice north of the Koettlitz Glacier? 
We have been elaborating a theory under which this ice 
had once a negative buoyancy due to the morainic material 


Torr} THE AURORA 283 


on top and in the lower layers of the ice mass, and had 
subsequently floated when the greater amount of this 
material had weathered out. 

Have arranged to go to C. Royds to-morrow. 

The temperatures have sunk very steadily this year ; 
for a long time they hung about zero, then for a consider- 
able interval remained about -10°; now they are down 
in the - 20’s, with signs of falling (to-day -24°). 

Bowers’ meteorological stations have been amusingly 
named Archibald, Bertram, Clarence—they are entered 
by the initial letter, but spoken of by full title. 

To-night we had a glorious auroral display—quite the 
most brilliant I have seen. At one time the sky from 
N.N.W. to S$.S.E. as high as the zenith was massed with 
arches, band, and curtains, always in rapid movement. 
The waving curtains were especially fascinating—a wave 
of bright light would start at one end and run along to 
the other, or a patch of brighter light would spread as if 
to reinforce the failing light of the curtain. 


Aurora Notes 


The auroral light is of a palish green colour, but we 
now see distinctly a red flush preceding the motion of 
any bright part. 

The green ghostly light seems suddenly to spring to 
life with rosy blushes. There is infinite suggestion in 
this phenomenon, and in that lies its charm ; the sugges- 
tion of life, form, colour, and movement never less than 


284 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


evanescent, mysterious—no reality. It is the language 
of mystic signs and portents—the inspiration of the 
gods—wholly spiritual—divine signalling. Remindful 
of superstition, provocative of imagination. Might 
not the inhabitants of some other world (Mars) con- 
trolling mighty forces thus surround our globe with fiery 
symbols, a golden writing which we have not the key 
to decipher ? 

There is argument on the confession of Ponting’s in- 
ability to obtain photographs of the aurora. Professor 
Stérmer of Norway seems to have been successful. Simpson 
made notes of his method, which seems to depend merely 
on the rapidity of lens and plate. Ponting claims to have 
greater rapidity in both, yet gets no result even with long 
exposure. It is not only a question of aurora; the stars 
are equally reluctant to show themselves on Ponting’s 
plate. Even with five seconds exposure the stars become 
short lines of light on the plate of a fixedcamera. Stérmer’s 
stars are points and therefore his exposure must have been 
short, yet there is detail in some of his pictures which 
it seems impossible could have been got with a short 
exposure. It is all very puzzling. 

Monday, May 22.—Wilson, Bowers, Atkinson, Evans 
(P.0.), Clissold, and self went to C. Royds with a ‘ go cart’ 
carrying our sleeping-bags, a cooker, and a small quantity 
of provision. 

The ‘ go cart’ consists of a framework of steel tubing 
supported on four bicycle wheels. 

The surface of the floes carries 1 to 2 inches of snow, 
barely covering the salt ice flowers, and for this condition 


HLUON DNIMOOT ‘SGAOU Adv 


1911] THE NIMROD HUT 285 


this vehicle of Day’s is excellent. The advantage is that 
it meets the case where the salt crystals form a heavy 
frictional surface for wood runners. I’m inclined to think 
that there are great numbers of cases when wheels would 
be more efficient than runners on the sea ice. 

We reached Cape Royds in 2} hours, killing an Emperor 
penguin in the bay beyond C. Barne. This bird was in 
splendid plumage, the breast reflecting the dim northern 
light like a mirror. 

It was fairly dark when we stumbled over the rocks 
and dropped on to Shackleton’s Hut. Clissold started 
the cooking-range, Wilson and I walked over to the Black 
beach and round back by Blue Lake. 

The temperature was down at - 31° and the interior 
of the hut was very cold. 

Tuesday, May 23.—We spent the morning mustering 
the stores within and without the hut, after a cold night 
which we passed very comfortably in our bags. 

We found a good quantity of flour and Danish butter 
and a fair amount of paraffin, with smaller supplies of 
assorted articles—the whole sufficient to afford provision 
for such a party as ours for about six or eight months 
if well administered. In case of necessity this would 
undoubtedly be a very useful reserve to fall back upon. 
These stores are somewhat scattered, and the hut has a 
dilapidated, comfortless appearance due to its tenantless 
condition ; but even so it seemed to me much less inviting 
than our old Discovery hut at C. Armitage. 

After a cup of cocoa there was nothing to detain us, 
and we started back, the only useful articles added to our 


) 


286 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


weights being a scrap or two of leather and jive bymn- 
books. Hitherto we have been only able to muster seven 
copies ; this increase will improve our Sunday Services. 

Wednesday, May 24.—A quiet day with northerly 
wind; the temperature rose gradually to zero. Having 
the night duty, did not go out. The moon has gone and 
there is little to attract one out of doors. 

Atkinson gave us an interesting little discourse on 
parasitology, with a brief account of the life history of 
some ecto- and some endo-parasites—Nematodes, Tre- 
matodes. He pointed out how that in nearly every case 
there was a secondary host, how in some cases disease 
was caused, and in others the presence of the parasite 
was even helpful. He acknowledged the small progress 
that had been made in this study. He mentioned anky- 
lostomiasis, blood-sucking worms, Bilhartsia (Trematode) 
attacking bladder (Egypt), Filaria (round tapeworm), 
Guinea worm, Trichina (pork), and others, pointing to 
disease caused. 

From worms he went to Protozoa—Trypanosomes, 
sleeping sickness, host tsetse-fly—showed life history 
comparatively, propagated in secondary host or encysting 
in primary host—similarly malarial germs spread by 
Anopheles mosquitoes—all very interesting. 

In the discussion following Wilson gave some account 
of the grouse disease worm, and especially of the interest in 
finding free living species almost identical; also part of 
the life of disease worm is free living. Here we approached 
a point pressed by Nelson concerning the degeneration 
consequent on adoption of the parasitic habit. All 


1911] CONTINUED WINDS 287 


parasites seem to have descended from free living beasts. 
One asks ‘ what is degeneration?’ without receiving a 
very satisfactory answer. After all, such terms must 
be empirical. 

Thursday, May 25.—It has been blowing from south 
with heavy gusts and snow, temperature extraordinarily 
high, -—6°. This has been a heavy gale. The weather 
conditions are certainly very interesting; Simpson has 
again called attention to the wind in February, March, 
and April at Cape Evans—the record shows an extra- 
ordinary large percentage of gales. It is quite certain 
that we scarcely got a fraction of the wind on the Barrier 
and doubtful if we got as much as Hut Point. 

Friday, May 26.—A calm and clear day—a nice change 
from recent weather. It makes an enormous difference 
to the enjoyment of this life if one is able to get out and 
stretch one’s legs every day. This morning I went up the 
Ramp. No sign of open water, so that my fears for a 
broken highway in the coming season are now at rest. In 
future gales can only be a temporary annoyance—anxiety 
as to their result is finally allayed. 

This afternoon I searched out ski and ski sticks and 
went for a short run over the floe. The surface is quite 
good since the recent snowfall and wind. This is satis- 
factory, as sledging can now be conducted on ordinary 
lines, and if convenient our parties can pull on ski. The 
young ice troubles of April and May have passed away. 
It is curious that circumstances caused us to miss them 
altogether during our stay in the Discovery. 

We are living extraordinarily well. At dinner last 


288 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


night we had some excellent thick seal soup, very much 
like thick hare soup; this was followed by an equally 
tasty seal steak and kidney pie and a fruit jelly. The 
smell of frying greeted us on awaking this morning, and at 
breakfast each of us had two of our nutty little Notothenia 
fish after our bowl of porridge. These little fish have 
an extraordinarily sweet taste—bread and butter and 
marmalade finished the meal. At the midday meal we 
had bread and butter, cheese, and cake, and to-night I 
smell muttonin the preparation. Under the circumstances 
it would be difficult to conceive more appetising repasts 
or a regime which is less likely to produce scorbutic 
symptoms. I cannot think we shall get scurvy. 

Nelson lectured to us to-night, giving a very able little 
elementary sketch of the objects of the biologist. A fact 
struck one in his explanation of the rates of elimination. 
Two of the offspring of two parents alone survive, speaking 
broadly; this the same of the human species or the 
‘ling,’ with 24,000,000 eggs in the roe of each female ! 
He talked much of evolution, adaptation, &c. Mendelism 
became the most debated point of the discussion; the 
transmission of characters has a wonderful fascination 
for the human mind. There was also a point striking deep 
in the debate on Professor Loeb’s experiments with sea 
urchins ; how far had he succeeded in reproducing the 
species without the male spermatozoa ? Not very far, it 
seemed, when all was said. 


A theme for a pen would be the expansion of interest 
in Polar affairs ; compare the interests of a winter spent 


tort] MODERN INTERESTS 289 


by the old Arctic voyagers with our own, and look into 
the causes. The aspect of everything changes as our 
knowledge expands. 

The expansion of human interest in rude surroundings 
may perhaps best be illustrated by comparisons. It 
will serve to recall such a simple case as the fact that our 
ancestors applied the terms horrid, frightful, to mountain 
crags which in our own day are more justly admired as 
lofty, grand, and beautiful. 

The poetic conception of this natural phenomenon has 
followed not so much an inherent change of sentiment as 
the intimacy of wider knowledge and the death of super- 
stitious influence. One is much struck by the importance 
of realising limits. 

Saturday, May 27.—A very unpleasant, cold, windy 
day. Annoyed with the conditions, so did not go out. 

In the evening Bowers gave his lecture on sledging 
diets. He has shown great courage in undertaking the 
task, great perseverance in unearthing facts from books, 
and a considerable practical skill in stringing these 
together. It is a thankless task to search Polar literature 
for dietary facts and still more difficult to attach due 
weight to varying statements. Some authors omit 
discussion of this important item altogether, others fail 
to note alterations made in practice or additions afforded 
by circumstances, others again forget to describe the 
nature of various food stuffs. 

Our lecturer was both entertaining and instructive 
when he dealt with old-time rations; but he naturally 


grew weak in approaching the physiological aspect of the 
VOL. I. vu 


290 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (May 


question. He went through with it manfully and with a 
touch of humour much appreciated; whereas, for instance, 
he deduced facts from ‘ the equivalent of Mr. Joule, a 
gentleman whose statements he had no reason to doubt.’ 

Wilson was the mainstay of the subsequent discussion 
and put all doubtful matters in a clearer light. ‘ Increase 
your fats (carbohydrate) ’ is what science seems to say, 
and practice with conservativism is inclined to step 
cautiously in response to this urgence. I shall, of course, 
go into the whole question as thoroughly as available 
information and experience permits. Meanwhile it is 
useful to have had a discussion which aired the popular 
opinions. 

Feeling went deepest on the subject of tea versus 
cocoa; admitting all that can be said concerning stimu- 
lation and reaction, I am inclined to see much in favour 
of tea. Why should not one be mildly stimulated during 
the marching hours if one can cope with reaction by 
profounder rest during the hours of inaction ? 

Sunday, May 28.—Quite an excitement last night. 
One of the ponies (the grey which I led last year and 
salved from the floe) either fell or tried to lie down in his 
stall, his head being lashed up to the stanchions on either 
side. In this condition he struggled and kicked till his 
body was twisted right round and his attitude extremely 
uncomfortable. Very luckily his struggles were heard 
almost at once, and his head ropes being cut, Oates got 
him on his feet again. He looked a good deal distressed 
at the time, but is now quite well again and has been out 
for his usual exercise. 


rott] THE SENSE OF COLD 291 


Held Service as usual. 

This afternoon went on ski around the bay and back 
across. Little or no wind; sky clear, temperature —25°. 
It was wonderfully mild considering the temperature—this 
sounds paradoxical, but the sensation of cold does not 
conform to the thermometer—it is obviously dependent on 
the wind and less obviously on the humidity of the air and 
the ice crystals floating in it. I cannot very clearly 
account for this effect, but as a matter of fact I have 
certainly felt colder in still air at — 10° than I did to-day 
when the thermometer was down to -25°, other conditions 
apparently equal. 

The amazing circumstance is that by no means can 
we measure the humidity, or indeed the precipitation or 
evaporation. I have just been discussing with Simpson 
the insuperable difficulties that stand in the way of 
experiment in this direction, since cold air can only hold 
the smallest quantities of moisture, and saturation covers 
an extremely small range of temperature. 

Monday, May 29.—Another beautiful calm day. Went 
out both before and after the mid-day meal. This morning 
with Wilson and Bowers towards the thermometer off 
Inaccessible Island. On the way my companionable dog 
was heard barking and dimly seen—we went towards him 
and found that he was worrying a young sea leopard. 
This is the second found in the Strait this season. We 
had to secure it as a specimen, but it was sad to have to 
kill. The long lithe body of this seal makes it almost 
beautiful in comparison with our stout, bloated Weddells. 


This poor beast turned swiftly from side to side as we 
UZ 


292 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


strove to stun it with a blow on the nose. As it turned 
it gaped its jaws wide, but oddly enough not a sound came 
forth, not even a hiss. 

After lunch a sledge was taken out to secure the prize, 
which had been photographed by flashlight. 

Ponting has been making great advances in flashlight 
work, and has opened up quite a new field in which artistic 
results can be obtained in the winter. 

Lecture—Japan. To-night Ponting gave us a charming 
lecture on Japan with wonderful illustrations of his own. 
He is happiest in his descriptions of the artistic side of 
the people, with which he is in fullest sympathy. So he 
took us to see the flower pageants. The joyful festivals of 
the cherry blossom, the wistaria, the iris and chrysan- 
themum, the sombre colours of the beech blossom and 
the paths about the lotus gardens, where mankind 
meditated in solemn mood. We had pictures, too, of 
Nikko and its beauties, of Temples and great Buddhas. 
Then in more touristy strain of volcanoes and their 
craters, waterfalls and river gorges, tiny tree-clad islets, 
that feature of Japan—baths and their bathers, Ainos, 
and so on. His descriptions were well given and we all of 
us thoroughly enjoyed our evening. 

Tuesday, May 30.—Am busy with my physiological 
investigations.* Atkinson reported a sea leopard at the 
tide crack; it proved to be a crab-eater, young and very 
active. In curious contrast to the sea leopard of yesterday, 
in snapping round it uttered considerable noise, a gasping 


throaty growl. 


* T.e. in relation to a sledging ration, 


292 -- §COTI"S LAST EXPEDITION - [May 


strove to stun it with a blow on the nose. As it turned 
it gaped its jaws wide, but oddly enough not a sound came 
forth, not even a hiss. sade ‘a 

After lunch a sledge was taken out to secure the prize, 
which had been photographed by flashlight. 

Ponting has been making great advances in flashlight 
work, and has opened up quite a new field in which artistic 
results can be obtained in the winter, 

Lecture—Japan. To-night Ponting gaveusa charming” 
lecture on Japan with wonderful illustrations of sa own. 
He is happiest in his descriptions of the artistic 
che people, with which he isdn fullest aympetity. So he 
took Ge to sed the flower pageants. The joyful festintll of 
the cherry blossom, the wistaria, the iris and chrysan- ; 
theatam, che sombre colaure of the beach blossom and 
the pathe abome the lotus gardens, where mankind 
medicated in solemn mood. We had pictures, too, of 
Nikko and its beauties, of Temples and great Buddhas, 
Then in more touristy strain of volcanoes and their 
craters, waterfalls and river gorges, tiny tree-clad islets, 
that feature of Japan~beths and their bathers, Ainos, 
and so on. Sir Geecrietiane were well given and we all of 
us thoroughly oe “ye mar evening. 

Tuesday, May yom busy with my ‘shesiokeinal 
investigations.* Atkissom reported a sea leopard at the 
tide crack; it proved to be a crab-eater, young and very 
active. In curious contrast to the sea leopard of yesterday, 
in snapping round it pttered considerable ngs 4 a gasping 
throaty growl. td 

* Le. in relation te w sledging ration. | a 


. 


"N¥YdVf NO ONINOI . NOd “YW 


1911} ON THE FLOES 293 


Went out to the outer berg, where there was quite a 
collection of people, mostly in connection with Ponting, 
who had brought camera and flashlight. 

It was beautifully calm and comparatively warm. It 
was good to hear the gay chatter and laughter, and see 
ponies and their leaders come up out of the gloom to add 
liveliness to the scene. The sky was extraordinarily clear 
at noon and to the north very bright. 

We have had an exceptionally large tidal range during 
. the last three days—it has upset the tide gauge arrange- 
ments and brought a little doubt on the method. Day is 
going into the question, which we thoroughly discussed 
to-day. Tidal measurements will be worse than useless 
unless we can be sure of the accuracy of our methods. 
Pools of salt water have formed over the beach floes in 
consequence of the high tide, and in the chase of the crab- 
eater to-day very brilliant flashes of phosphorescent light 
appeared in these pools. We think it due to a small 
copepod. I have just found a reference to the same 
phenomenon in Nordenskidld’s ‘ Vega.’ He, and apparently 
Bellot before him, noted the phenomenon. An interesting 
instance of bi-polarity. 

Another interesting phenomenon observed to-day was 
a cirrus cloud lit by sunlight. It was seen by Wilson and 
Bowers 5° above the northern horizon—the sun is 9° 
below our horizon, and without refraction we calculate a 
cloud could be seen which was 12 miles high. Allowing 
refraction the phenomenon appears very possible. 

Wednesday, May 31.—The sky was overcast this 
morning and the temperature up to -13°. Went out 


204 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [May 


after lunch to ‘Land’s End.’ The surface of snow was 
sticky for ski, except where drifts were deep. There was 
an oppressive feel in the air and I got very hot, coming 
in with head and hands bare. 

At 5, from dead calm the wind suddenly sprang up from 
the south, force 40 miles per hour, and since that it has been 
blowing a blizzard ; wind very gusty, from 20 to 60 miles. 
I have never known a storm come on so suddenly, and it 
shows what possibility there is of individuals becoming 
lost even if they only go a short way from the hut. 

To-night Wilson has given us a very interesting lecture 
on sketching. He started by explaining his methods of 
rough sketch and written colour record, and explained 
its suitability to this climate as opposed to coloured chalks, 
&c.—a very practical method for cold fingers and one that 
becomes more accurate with practice in observation. His 
theme then became the extreme importance of accuracy, 
his mode of expression and explanation frankly Rus- 
kinesque. Don’t put in meaningless lines—every line 
should be from observation. So with contrast of light 
and shade—fine shading, subtle distinction, everything 
—impossible without care, patience, and _ trained 
attention. 

He raised a smile by generalising failures in sketches 
of others of our party which had been brought to him for 
criticism. He pointed out how much had been put in 
from preconceived notion. ‘ He will draw a berg faithfully 
as it is now and he studies it, but he leaves sea and sky 
to be put in afterwards, as he thinks they must be like 
sea and sky everywhere else, and he is content to try and 


1911] A TRIBUTE TO WILSON 295 


remember how these should be done.’ Nature’s harmonies 
cannot be guessed at. 

He quoted much from Ruskin, leading on a little 
deeper to ‘Composition,’ paying a hearty tribute to 
Ponting. 

The lecture was delivered in the author’s usual modest 
strain, but unconsciously it was expressive of himself 
and his whole-hearted thoroughness. He stands very 
high in the scale of human beings—how high I scarcely 
knew till the experience of the past few months. 

There is no member of our party so universally 
esteemed; only to-night I realise how patiently and 
consistently he has given time and attention to help the 
efforts of the other sketchers, and so it is all through ; 
he has had a hand in almost every lecture given, and has 
been consulted in almost every effort which has been 
made towards the solution of the practical or theoretical 
problems of our Polar world. 

The achievement of a great result by patient work is 
the best possible object-lesson for struggling humanity, 
for the results of genius, however admirable, can rarely 
be instructive. The chief of the Scientific Staff sets an 
example which is more potent than any other factor in 
maintaining that bond of good fellowship which is the 
marked and beneficent characteristic of our community. 


CHAPTER XI 
TO MIDWINTER DAY 


Thursday, Fune 1.—The wind blew hard all night, 
gusts arising to 72 m.p.h.; the anemometer choked five 
times—temperature + 9°. It is still blowing this morn- 
ing. Incidentally we have found that these heavy winds 
react very conveniently on our ventilating system. A fire 
is always a good ventilator, ensuring the circulation of 
inside air and the indraught of fresh air; its defect as a 
ventilator lies in the low level at which it extracts inside 
air. Our ventilating system utilises the normal fire 
draught, but also by suitable holes in the funnelling 
causes the same draught to extract foul air at higher 
levels. I think this is the first time such a system has 
been used. It is a bold step to make holes in the funnelling 
as obviously any uncertainty of draught might fill the 
hut with smoke. Since this does not happen with us it 
follows that there is always strong suction through our 
stovepipes, and this is achieved by their exceptionally 
large dimensions and by the length of the outer 
chimney pipe. 

With wind this draught is greatly increased and with 
high winds the draught would be too great for the stoves 
if it were not for the relief of the ventilating holes. 


VENTILATION 297 


In these circumstances, therefore, the rate of extraction 
of air automatically rises, and since high wind is usually 
accompanied with marked rise of temperature, the rise 
occurs at the most convenient season, when the interior 
of the hut would otherwise tend to become oppressively 
warm. The practical result of the system is that in spite 
of the numbers of people living in the hut, the cooking, 
and the smoking, the inside air is nearly always warm, 
sweet, and fresh. 

There is usually a drawback to the best of arrange- 
ments, and I have said ‘ nearly’ always. The exceptions 
in this connection occur when the outside air is calm and 
warm and the galley fire, as in the early morning, needs 
to be worked up; it is necessary under these conditions 
to temporarily close the ventilating holes, and if at this 
time the cook is intent on preparing our breakfast with 
a frying-pan we are quickly made aware of his inten- 
tions. A combination of this sort is rare and lasts only 
for a very short time, for directly the fire is aglow the 
ventilator can be opened again and the relief is almost 
instantaneous. 

This very satisfactory condition of inside air must be 
a highly important factor in the preservation of health. 


I have to-day regularised the pony ‘nicknames’ ; 
I must leave it to Drake to pull out the relation to the 
‘ proper? names according to our school contracts ! , 


* Officially the ponies were named after the several schools which 
had subscribed for their purchase; but sailors are inveterate nick- 
namers, and the unofficial humour prevailed. See Appendix, Note 18. 


298 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (June 


The nicknames are as follows: 


James Pigg . .  . Keohane 
Bones? yee ty Ay BOAT reagan 
Michael’ °°" 2" *apinaTpor IChissold 
Sratcher.? 9! 2807?, pee Evanst(P:0,) 
Jehu 

China 

Christopher = "+ “#80%. 2Bttlooper 
Victor. 6 =. | wowers 
Snippets (windsucker) 

Nobby .o0v's “yin? tele Teashly 


Friday, Fune 2.—The wind still high. The drift 
ceased at an early hour yesterday ; it is difficult to account 
for the fact. At night the sky cleared; then and this 
morning we had a fair display of aurora streamers to the 
N. and a faint arch east. Curiously enough the tem- 
perature still remains high, about + 7°. 

The meteorological conditions are very puzzling. 

Saturday, Fune 3.—The wind dropped last night, 
but at 4 a.m. suddenly sprang up from a dead calm to 
30 miles an hour. Almost instantaneously, certainly 
within the space of one minute, there was a tem- 
perature rise of nine degrees. It is the most 
extraordinary and interesting example of a rise of 
temperature with a southerly wind that I can remember. 
It is certainly difficult to account for unless we imagine 
that during the calm the surface layer of cold air 
is extremely thin and that there is a steep inverted 
gradient. When the wind arose the sky overhead was 


r91t) ON THE METEOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS = 299 


clearer than I ever remember to have seen it, the con- 
stellations brilliant, and the Milky Way like a bright 
auroral streamer. 

The wind has continued all day, making it unpleasant 
out of doors. I went for a walk over the land; it was 
dark, the rock very black, very little snow lying; old 
footprints in the soft, sandy soil were filled with snow, 
showing quite white on a black ground. Have been 
digging away at food statistics. 

Simpson has just given us a discourse, in the ordin- 
ary lectures series, on his instruments. Having 
already described these instruments, there is little 
to comment upon; he is excellently lucid in his 
explanations. 

As an analogy to the attempt to make a scientific 
observation when the condition under consideration is 
affected by the means employed, he rather quaintly cited 
the impossibility of discovering the length of trousers by 
bending over to see! 

The following are the instruments described : 

Features 
The outside (bimetallic) 
thermograph. 
The inside thermograph Alcohol in spiral, small lead 
(alcohol) pipe—float vessel. 
The electrically recording Cam device with contact on 
anemometer wheel; slowing arrange- 
ment, inertia of wheel. 
The Dynes anemometer . Parabola on immersed float. 
The recording wind vane . Metallic pen. 


a 


300 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION (June 


Features 
The magnetometer . - Horizontal force measured 
in two directions—vertical 
force in one—timing ar- 
rangement. 
The high and low potential Spotting arrangement and 
apparatus of the balloon difference, see ante. 
thermograph 


Simpson is admirable as a worker, admirable as a 
scientist, and admirable as a lecturer. 

Sunday, June 4.—A calm and beautiful day. The 
account of this, a typical Sunday, would run as follows : 
Breakfast. A half-hour or so selecting hymns and pre- 
paring for Service whilst the hut is being cleared up. The 
Service : ahymn ; Morning Prayer to the Psalms; another 
hymn; prayers from Communion Service and Litany; a 
final hymn and our special prayer. Wilson strikes the 
note on which the hymn is to start and I try to hit it 
after with doubtful success! After church the men go 
out with their ponies. 

To-day Wilson, Bowers, Cherry-Garrard, Lashly, and 
I went to start the building of our first ‘igloo.’ There 
is a good deal of difference of opinion as to the best 
implement with which to cut snow blocks. Cherry- 
Garrard had a knife which I designed and Lashly 
made, Wilson a saw, and Bowers a large trowel. I’m 
inclined to think the knife will prove most effective, but 
the others don’t acknowledge it yet. As far as one can 
see at present this knife should have a longer handle and 


Ouad ATLISVO AHL 


torr} MAGNESIUM FLASHLIGHT 301 


much coarser teeth in the saw edge—perhaps also the 
blade should be thinner. 

We must go on with this hut building till we get good 
at it. I’m sure it’s going to be a useful art. 

We only did three courses of blocks when tea-time 
arrived, and light was not good enough to proceed 
after tea. 

Sunday afternoon for the men means a ‘stretch off 
the land.’ 

I went over the floe on ski. The best possible surface 
after the late winds as far as Inaccessible Island. Here, 
and doubtless in most places along the shore, this, the first 
week of June, may be noted as the date by which the wet, 
sticky salt crystals become covered and the surface possible 
for wood runners. Beyond the island the snow is still 
very thin, barely covering the ice flowers, and the surface 
is still bad. 

There has been quite a small landslide on the S. side 
of the Island; seven or eight blocks of rock, one or two 
tons in weight, have dropped on to the floe, an interesting 
instance of the possibility of transport by sea ice. 

Ponting has been out to the bergs photographing by 
flashlight. As I passed south of the Island with its whole 
mass between myself and the photographer I saw the 
flashes of magnesium light, having all the appearance of 
lightning. The light illuminated the sky and apparently 
objects at a great distance from the camera. It is evident 
that there may be very great possibilities in the use of 
this light for signalling purposes, and I propose to have 
some experiments. 


302 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [Jone 


N.B.—Magnesium flashlight as signalling apparatus 
in the summer. 

Another crab-eater seal was secured to-day; he had 
come up by the bergs. 

Monday, Fune 5.—The wind has been S. all day, sky 
overcast and air misty with snow crystals. The tempera- 
ture has gone steadily up and to-night rose to + 16°. 
Everything seems to threaten a blizzard which cometh 
not. But what is to be made of this extraordinary high 
temperature heaven only knows. Went for a walk over 
the rocks and found it very warm and muggy. 

Taylor gave us a paper on the Beardmore Glacier. He 
has taken pains to work up available information ; on the 
ice side he showed the very gradual gradient as compared 
with the Ferrar. If crevasses are as plentiful as reported, 
the motion of glacier must be very considerable. There 
seem to be three badly crevassed parts where the glacier is 
constricted and the fall is heavier. 

Geologically he explained the rocks found and the 
problems unsolved. The basement rocks, as to the 
north, appear to be reddish and grey granites and altered 
slate (possibly bearing fossils). The Cloudmaker appears 
to be diorite; Mt. Buckley sedimentary. The suggested 
formation is of several layers of coal with sandstone 
above and below; interesting to find if it is so, and 
investigate coal. Wood fossil conifer appears to have 
come from this—better to get leaves—wrap fossils up 
for protection. 

Mt. Dawson described as pinkish limestone, with a 
wedge of dark rock; this very doubtful! Limestone is 


1911] ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 303 


of great interest owing to chance of finding Cambrian 
fossils (Archeocyathus). 

He mentioned the interest of finding here, as in Dry 
Valley, volcanic cones of recent date (later than the re- 
cession of the ice). As points to be looked to in Geology 
and Physiography: 

. Hope Island shape. 

. Character of wall facets. 

. Type of tributary glaciers—cliff or curtain, broken. 
. Do tributaries enter ‘ at grade’? 

. Lateral gullies pinnacled, &c., shape and size of slope. 
. Do tributaries cut out gullies—empty unoccupied 
cirques, hangers, &c. 


Aw pW ND 


7. Do upland moraines show tesselation ? 

8. Arrangement of strata, inclusion of. 

9. Types of moraines, distance of blocks. 

10. Weathering of glaciers. Types ofsurface. (Thrust 
mark? Rippled, snow stool, glass house, coral reef, 
honeycomb, ploughshare, bastions, piecrust.) 

11. Amount of water silt bands, stratified, or irregular 
folded or broken. 

12. Cross section, of valleys 35° slopes ? 

13. Weather slopes debris covered, height to which. 

14. Nunataks, height of rounded, height of any angle 
in profile, erratics. 

15. Evidence of order in glacier delta. 

Debenham in discussion mentioned usefulness of small 
chips of rock—many chips from several places are more 
valuable than few larger specimens. 

We had an interesting little discussion, 


304. SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [June 


I must enter a protest against the use made of the word 
‘ glaciated’ by Geologists and Physiographers, 

To them a ‘ glaciated land’ is one which appears to 
have been shaped by former ice action. 

The meaning I attach to the phrase, and one which | 
believe is more commonly current, is that it describes a 
land at present wholly or partly covered with ice and snow. 

I hold the latter is the obvious meaning and the former 
results from a piracy committed in very recent times. 

The alternative terms descriptive of the different 
meanings are ice covered and ice eroded. 


To-day I have been helping the Soldier to design pony 
rugs; the great thing, I think, is to get something which 
will completely cover the hindquarters. 

Tuesday, June 6.—The temperature has been as high 
as +19° to-day; the south wind persisted until the evening 
with clear sky except for fine effects of torn cloud round 
about the mountain. To-night the moon has emerged 
from behind the mountain and sails across the cloudless 
northern sky; the wind has fallen and the scene is 
glorious. 

It is my birthday, a fact I might easily have forgotten, 
but my kind people did not. At lunch an immense birth- 
day cake made its appearance and we were photographed 
assembled about it. Clissold had decorated its sugared 
top with various devices in chocolate and crystallised 
fruit, flags and photographs of myself. 

After my walk I discovered that great preparations 
were in progress for a special dinner, and when the hour 


‘(Aeq ‘mequegoc 


38) weI5 ‘stomog ‘uosduns ‘aostr\ 
‘Vows ‘suvagq ‘uosjayy ‘zojAey, { 


*O ‘presrey-Arz0yD ‘servayy “uosuiyyy—jySt4 0 7/77) 


YANNIG AVGHLUIA ISVI $,LLOOS NIVIdvo 


1911) LIVELY DISCUSSIONS 305 


for that meal arrived we sat down to a sumptuous spread 
with our sledge banners hung about us.  Clissold’s 
especially excellent seal soup, roast mutton and red 
currant jelly, fruit salad, asparagus and chocolate—such 
was our menu. For drink we had cider cup, a mystery 
not yet fathomed, some sherry and a liqueur. 

After this luxurious meal everyone was very festive 
and amiably argumentative. As I write there is a group 
in the dark room discussing political progress with large 
discussions—anotherat one corner of the dinner table airing 
its views on the origin of matter and the probability of 
its ultimate discovery, and yet another debating military 
problems. The scraps that reach me from the various 
groups sometimes piece together in ludicrous fashion. 
Perhaps these arguments are practically unprofitable, 
but they give a great deal of pleasure to the participants. 
It’s delightful to hear the ring of triumph in some voice 
when the owner imagines he has delivered himself of a 
well-rounded period or a clinching statement concerning 
the point under discussion. They are boys, all of them, 
but such excellent good-natured ones; there has been no 
sign of sharpness or anger, no jarring note, in all these 
wordy contests; all end with a laugh. 

Nelson has offered Taylor a pair of socks to teach him 
some geology! This lulls me to sleep ! 

Wednesday, June 7.—A very beautiful day. In the 
afternoon went well out over the floe to the south, looking 
up Nelson at his icehole and picking up Bowers at his 
thermometer. The surface was polished and beautifully 


smooth for ski, the scene brightly illuminated with 
VOL. I. x 


306 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION {June 


moonlight, the air still and crisp, and the thermometer 
at-10°. Perfect conditions for a winter walk. 

In the evening I read a paper on ‘ The Ice Barrier and 
Inland Ice.’ I have strung together a good many new 
points and the interest taken in the discussion was very 
genuine—so keen, in fact, that we did not break up till 
close on midnight. I am keeping this paper, which makes 
a very good basis for all future work on these subjects. 


(See Vol. II.) 


SHELTERS TO ICcEHOLES 


Time out of number one is coming across rediscoveries. 
Of such a nature is the building of shelters for iceholes. 


oe 


Wf eos toe 
- Bie 


We knew a good deal about it in the Discovery, but un- 
fortunately did not make notes of our experiences. I 
sketched the above figures for Nelson, and found on going 
to the hole that the drift accorded with my sketch. The 


MeDIN” BOWERS READING THE THERMOMETER 
O* THE RAMP, JUNE 6rn, .1911. 


close on midnight. I am keeping this paper, which makes — 


406 scorms LAST EXPEDITION 


BA 


moonlight, the air still and crisp, and the thermometer 
at-10°. Perfect conditions for a winter walk. : 
Im the evening I read a paper on ‘The Ice Barrier and 
Inland Ice.’ I have strung together a good many new 
points and the interest taken in the discussion was Vv a a 
genuine—so keen, in fact, that we did not break up a 


a very good basis for all future work on ait subjects. 
(See Vol. II.) 
SneiTess vo Icewonms _ 
RB idan 


Time out of number one is coming across y redlecoverign: 
Of such a nature is the Harding