 CHAPTER XIII. THE STORY OF SHACKLETON'S LAST EXPITITION, 1914-1917, by Sir Ernest Shackleton CHAPTER XIII. THE ROSK SEA PARTY, PART II The surface was better on February 2nd, and the party covered six miles without relaying. They camped in soft snow, and when they started the next day, they were two hours relaying over 150 yards. Then they got into Joyce's track and found the going better. McIntosh overtook Joyce on the morning of February 4th and went ahead, his party-breaking trail during the next march. They covered ten miles on the night of the 4th. One dog had chucked his hand in on the march, and McIntosh mentions that he intended to increase the dog's allowance of food. The surface was harder, and during the night of February 5th, McIntosh covered 11 miles, 25 yards, but he finished with two dogs on the sledge. Joyce was travelling by day, so that the parties passed one another daily on the march. A blizzard came from the south on February 10th, and the parties were confined to their tents for over 24 hours. The weather moderated on the morning of the next day, and at 11am, McIntosh camped beside Joyce and proceeded to rearrange the parties. One of his dogs had died on the 9th, and several others had ceased to be worth much for pulling. He had decided to take the best dogs from the two teams and continue the march with Joyce and Wilde, while Smith, Jack and Gaze went back to Hut Point with the remaining dogs. This involved the adjustment of sledge loads in order that the proper supplies might be available for the depots. He had eight dogs, and Smith had five. A depot of oil and fuel was laid at this point and marked by a can with a bamboo pole rising ten feet above it. The change made for better progress. Smith turned back at once, and the other party went ahead fairly rapidly, the dogs being able to haul the sledge without much assistance from the men. The party built a can of snow after each hour's travelling to serve as guides to the depot and as marks for the return journey. Another blizzard held the men up on February 13th, and they had an uncomfortable time in their sleeping bags ewing to low temperature. During succeeding days the party plodded forward. They were able to cover from five to twelve miles a day according to the surface and weather. They built the cans regularly and checked their route by taking bearings of the mountains to the west. They were able to cover from five to twelve miles a day, the dogs pulling fairly well. They reached latitude 80 degrees south on the afternoon on February 20th. McIntosh had hoped to find a depot laid in that neighbourhood by Captain Scott, but no trace of it was seen. The surface had been very rough during the afternoon, and for that reason the depot to be laid there was named Rocky Mountain Depot. The doors were to be placed on a substantial can, and smaller cans were to be built at right angles to the depot as a guide to the Overland Party. As soon as breakfast was over, wrote McIntosh the next day, Joyce and Wilde went off with a light sledge and the dogs to lay out the cans and place flags to the eastward, building them at every mile. The outer can had a large flag and a note indicating the position of the depot. I remained behind to get angles and fix our position with this theodolite. The temperature was very low this morning, and handling the theodolite was not too warm a job for the fingers. My whiskers froze to the metal while I was taking a sight. After five hours the others arrived back. They had covered ten miles, five miles out and five miles back. During the afternoon we finished the can, which we have built to a height of eight feet. It is a solid square erection, which ought to stand a good deal of weathering, and on top we have placed a bamboo pole with a flag, marking the total height twenty-five feet. Building the can was a fine warming job, but the ice on our whiskers often took some ten minutes thawing out. Tomorrow we hope to lay out the cans to the westward, and then to shape our course for the bluff. The weather became bad again during the night. A blizzard kept the men in their sleeping bags on February twenty-first, and it was not until the afternoon of the twenty-third that Macintosh and Joyce made an attempt to lay out the cans to the west. They found that two of the dogs had died during the storm, leaving seven dogs to haul the sledge. They marked a mile and a half to the westward, and built a can, but the weather was very thick, and they did not think it wise to proceed farther. They could not see more than a hundred yards, and the tent was soon out of sight. They returned to the camp, and stayed there until the morning of February twenty-fourth, when they started the return march with snow still falling. We did get off from our camp, said Macintosh, but had only proceeded about four hundred yards when the fog came on so thick that we could scarcely see a yard ahead. So we had to pitch the tent again, and are now sitting inside, hoping the weather will clear. We are going back with only ten days' provisions, so it means pushing on for all we are worth. These stoppages are truly annoying. The poor dogs are feeling hungry. They eat the harness or any straps they may be about. We give them nothing beyond their allowance of three biscuits each, as we are on bare Russians ourselves, but I feel sure they require more than one pound a day. That is what they are getting now. After lunch we found it a little clearer, but a very bad light. We decided to push on. It is weird travelling in this light. There is no contrast or outline. The sky and the surface are one, and we cannot discern undulations, which we encounter with disastrous results. We picked up the first of our outward cairns. This was most fortunate. After passing a second cairn everything became blotted out, and so we were forced to camp after covering four miles, 703 yards. The dogs are feeling the pangs of hunger and devouring everything they see. They will eat anything except rope. If we had not wasted those three days we might have been able to give them a good feed at the bluff depot, but now that is impossible. It is snowing hard. The experiences of the next few days were unhappy. Another blizzard brought heavy snow and held the party up throughout the 25th and 26th. Outside is a scene of chaos. The snow whirling along with the wind obliterates everything. The dogs are completely buried, and only a mound with the ski sticking up indicates where the sledge is. We long to be off, but the howl of the wind shows how impossible it is. The sleeping bags are damp and sticky, so are our clothes. Fortunately the temperature is fairly high and they do not freeze. One of the dogs gave a bark, and Joyce went out to investigate. He found that Major, feeling hungry, had dragged his way to Joyce's ski and eaten off the leather binding. Another dog has eaten all his harness, canvas, rope, leather, brass and rivets. I am afraid the dogs will not pull through. They all look thin, and these blizzards do not improve matters. We have a week's provisions and 160 miles to travel. It appears that we will have to get another week's provisions from the depot, but don't wish it. We'll see what luck tomorrow. Of course at bluff we can replenish. We are now reduced to one meal in the 24 hours, wrote Macintosh a day later. This going without food keeps us colder. It is a rotten, miserable time. It is bad enough having this weight, but we have also the wretched sort of having to use the provisions already depot, for which we have had all this hard struggle. The weather cleared on the 27th, and in the afternoon Macintosh and Joyce went back to the depot, while wild remained behind to build a can and attempt to dry the sleeping bags in the sun. The stores left at the depot had been two and a quarter tins of biscuit. £42 to the tin. Russians for three men, for three weeks in bags, each intended to last one week, and three tins of oil. Macintosh took one of the weekly bags from the depot and returned to the camp. The party resumed the homeward journey the next morning, and with a sail on the sledge to take advantage of the southerly breeze, covered nine miles and a half during the day, but the dogs had reached almost the limit of their endurance. Three of them fell out, unable to work longer, while on the march. That evening, for the first time since leaving the Aurora, the men saw the sun dip to the horizon in the south, a reminder that the Antarctic summer was nearing its close. The remaining four dogs collapsed on March 2nd. After lunch we went off fairly well for half an hour. Then Nigger commenced to wobble about, his legs eventually giving under him. We took him out of his harness and let him travel along with us, but he has given us all he can, and now can only lie down. After Nigger, my friend Pompey collapsed. The drift, I think, accounts a good deal for this. Pompey has been splendid of late, pulling steadily and well. Then Scotty, the last dog but one, gave up. They are all lying down in our tracks. They have a painless death, for they curl up in the snow and fall into a sleep from which they will never wake. We are left with one dog, Pinky. He has not been one of the pullers, but he is not despised. We can afford to give him plenty of biscuit. We must nurse him and see if we cannot return with one dog at least. We are now pulling ourselves with the sail, the floorcloth of the tent, set, and Pinky giving a hand. At one stage a terrific gust came along and capsized the sledge. The sail was blown off the sledge, out of its guise, and we prepared to camp, but the wind fell again to a moderate breeze, so we repaired the sledge and proceeded. It is blowing hard this evening, cold too. Another wonderful sunset. Gold and colours illuminate the sky. The moon casts beautiful rays in combination with the more vivid ones from the dipping sun. If all was as beautiful as the scene, we could consider ourselves in some paradise, but it is dark and cold in the tent, and I shiver in a frozen sleeping bag. The inside fur is a mass of ice, congealed from my breath. One creeps into the bag, toggles up with half frozen fingers, and hears the crackling of ice. Presently drops of thawing ice are falling on one's head. Then comes a fit of shivers. You rub yourself and turn over to warm the side of the bag which has been uppermost. A puddle of water forms under the body. After about two hours you may doze off, but I always wake with a feeling that I have not slept a wink. The party made only three and a half miles on March 3rd. They were finding the sledge exceedingly heavy to pull, and Mackintosh decided to remove the outer runners and scrape the bottom. These runners should have been taken off before the party started, and the lower runners polished smooth. He also left behind all spare gear, including dog harness in order to reduce weight, and found the lighter sledge easier to pull. The temperature that night was minus 28F, the lowest recorded during the journey up to that time. We are struggling along at a mile an hour, wrote Mackintosh on the 5th. It is a very hard pull, the surface being very sticky. Pinky still accompanies us. We hope we can get him in. He is getting all he wants to eat. So he ought. The conditions of travel changed the next day. A southerly wind made possible the use of the sail, and the trouble was to prevent the sledge bounding ahead over rough, sus-druggy, and capsizing. The handling of ropes and sail caused many frost bites, and occasionally the men were dragged along the surface by the sledge. The remaining dog collapsed during the afternoon and had to be left behind. Mackintosh did not feel that he could afford to reduce the pace. The sledge meter had got out of order, so the distance covered in the day was not recorded. The wind increased during the night, and by the morning of the 7th was blowing with blizzard force. The party did not move again until the morning of the 8th. They were still finding the sledge very heavy, and were disappointed at their slow progress, their marches being 6 to 8 miles a day. On the 10th they got to the bluff peak, in line with Mount Discovery. My instructions had been that the bluff depot should be laid on this line, and as the depot had been placed north of the line on the outward journey, owing to thick weather making it impossible to pick up the landmarks, Mackintosh intended now to move the stores to the proper place. He sighted the depot flag about four miles away, and after pitching camp at the new depot site, he went across with Joyce and Wilde, and found the stores as he had left them. We loaded the sledge with the stores, placed the large mark flag on the sledge, and proceeded back to our tent, which was now out of sight. Indeed it was not wise to come out, as we did without tent or bag. We had taken the chance as the weather had promised fine. As we proceeded it grew darker and darker, and eventually we were travelling by only the light of stars, the sun having dipped. After four and a half hours we sighted the little green tent. It was hard pulling the last two hours, and weird travelling in the dark. We have put in a good day, having had 14 hours solid marching. We are now sitting in here enjoying a very excellent, sick hoosh. The light has been improvised, out of an old tin, with methylated spirit. The party spent the next day in their sleeping bags, while a blizzard raged outside. The weather was fine again on March 12th, and they built a can for the depot. The stores placed on this can comprise the six weeks supply of biscuit, and three weeks full ration for three men, and three tins of oil. Early in the afternoon the men resumed their march northwards, and made three miles before camping. Our bags are getting into a bad state, wrote Macintosh, as it is some time now since we have had an opportunity of drying them. We use our bodies for drying socks and such-like clothing, which we place inside our jerseys, and produce when required. Wild carries a regular wardrobe in this position, and it is amusing to see him searching round the back of his clothes for a pair of socks. Getting away in the mornings is our bitterest time. They're putting on of the finiskos in nightmare, for they are always frozen stiff, and we have a great struggle to force our feet into them. The icy senagrass round one's fingers is another punishment that causes much pain. We are miserable until we are actually on the move, then warmth returns with the work. Our conversation now is principally conjecture as to what can have happened to the other parties. We have various ideas. Saturday, March 13th, was another day spent in the sleeping bags. A blizzard was raging, and everything was obscured. The men saved food by taking only one meal during the day, and they felt the effect of the short rations in lower brutality. Both Joyce and Wild had toes frost-bitten while in their bags, and found difficulty in getting the circulation restored. Wild suffered particularly in this way, and his feet were very sore. The weather cleared a little the next morning, but the drift began again before the party could break a camp, and another day had to be spent in the frozen bags. The march was resumed on March 15th. About 11 p.m. last night the temperature commenced to get lower, and the gale also diminished. The lower temperature caused the bags, which were moist, to freeze hard. We had no sleep and spent the night twisting and turning. The morning brought sunshine and pleasure, for the hot whoosh warmed our bodies, and gave a glow that was almost comforting. The sun was out, the weather fine and clear, but cold. At 8.30 a.m. we made a start. We take a long time putting on our finisco, although we get up earlier to allow for this. This morning we were over four hours getting away. We had a fine surface this morning for marching, but we did not make much headway. We did the usual four miles before lunch. The temperature was minus 23 Fahrenheit. A mirage made the sastrugi appear to be dancing like some ice goblins. Joyce calls them dancing jimmies. After lunch we travelled well, but the distance for the day was only 7 miles, 400 yards. We are blaming our sledge meter for the slow rate of progress. It is extraordinary that on the days when we consider we were making good speed, we do no more than on days when we have a tussle. March 15th. The air temperature this morning was minus 35 Fahrenheit. Last night was one of the worst I have ever experienced. To cap everything, I developed toothache, presumably as a result of frostbitten cheek. I was in positive agony. I groaned and moaned, got the medicine chest, but could find nothing there to stop the pain. Joyce, who had wakened up, suggested methylated spirit, so I damped some cotton wool, then placed it in the tooth, with the result that I burnt the inside of my mouth. All this time my fingers being exposed, it must have been at least 50 degrees below zero, were continually having to be brought back. After putting on the methylated spirit I went back to the bag, which of course was frozen stiff. I wriggled and moaned till morning brought relief by enabling me to turn out. Joyce and Wild both had a bad night, their feet giving them trouble. My feet do not affect me so much as theirs. The skin has peeled off the inside of my mouth, exposing a raw sore as the result of the methylated spirit. My tooth is better though. We have had to reduce our daily ration, frostbites are frequent in consequence. The surface became very rough in the afternoon, and the light too was bad, owing to cumulus clouds being masked over the sun. We are continually falling, for we are unable to distinguish the high and low parts of the Cystrugi surface. We are travelling on our ski. We camped at 6pm after travelling 6 miles, 100 yards. I am writing this, sitting up in the bag. This is the first occasion I have been able to do thus for some time, for usually the cold has penetrated through everything, should one have the bag open. The temperature is a little higher tonight, but still it is minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit, 53 degrees of frost. Our matches, among other things, are running short, and we have given up using any except for lighting the primus. The party found the light bad again the next day. After stumbling on ski among the Cystrugi for two hours, the men discarded the ski and made better progress, but they still had many falls, owing to the impossibility of distinguishing slopes and irregularities in the grey shadowless surface of the snow. They made over nine and a half miles that day and managed to cover 10 miles on the following day, March 18th, one of the best marches of the journey. I look forward to seeing the ship. All of us bear marks of our tramp. Wild takes first place. His nose is a picture for punch to be jealous of. His ears too are sore, and one big toe is a black sore. Joyce has a good nose and many minor sores. My jaws swollen from the frostbite I got on the cheek, and I also have a bit of nose. We have discarded the ski, which we hitherto used and travel in the finisco. This makes the sledge go better, but it is not so comfortable travelling as on ski. We encountered a very high, rough Cystrugi surface, most remarkably high, and had a cold breeze in our faces during the march. Our beards and moustaches are masses of ice. I will take care I am clean shaven next time I come out. The frozen moustache makes the lobes of the nose freeze more easily than they would if there was no ice alongside them. I ask myself, why on earth one comes to these parts of the earth? Here we are frostbitten in the day, frozen at night. What a life. The temperature at one p.m. that day was minus 23 Fahrenheit, that is 55 degrees of frost. The men camped abreast of corner camp, where they had been on February 1st, in the evening of March 19th. The next day, after being delayed for some hours by bad weather, they turned towards Castle Rock and proceeded amongst the disturbed area where the barrier impinges upon the land. Joyce put his foot through the snow covering of a fairly large crevasse, and the course had to be changed to avoid this danger. The march for the day was only 2 miles, 900 yards. Macintosh felt that the pace was too slow, but was unable to quicken it owing to the bad surfaces. The food had been cut down to close upon half Russians, and at this reduced rate the supply still in hand would be finished in two days. The party covered 7 miles 570 yards on the 21st, and the hush that night was no thicker than tea. The first thought this morning was that we must do a good march, wrote Macintosh on March 22nd. Once we can get to Safety Camp, at the junction of the barrier with the sea ice, we are right. Of course we can, as a last resort, extend this ledge and take a run into hot point about 22 miles away. We have managed quite a respectable 4 noon march. The surface was hard, so we took full advantage of it. With our low food, the cold is penetrating. We had lunch at 1pm, and then had left over one meal at full Russians and a small quantity of biscuits. The temperature at lunchtime was minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit. Erebus is emitting large volumes of smoke, travelling in the south-easterly direction, and a red glare is also discernable. After lunch we again accomplished a good march, the wind favouring us for two hours. We are anxiously looking out for Safety Camp. The distance for the day was 8 miles, 1,525 yards. March 23rd, 1915. No sooner had we camped last night than a blizzard with drift came on and has continued ever since. This morning finds us prisoners. The drift is lashing into the sides of the tent, and everything outside is obscured. This weather is rather alarming, for if it continues we are in a bad way. We have just made a meal of cocoa mixed with biscuit crumbs. This has warmed us up a little, but on empty stomachs the cold is penetrating. The weather cleared in the afternoon, but too late for the men to move that day. They made a start at 7am on the 24th, after a meal of cocoa and biscuit crumbs. We have some biscuit crumbs in the bag and that is all. Our start was made under most bitter circumstances, all of us being attacked by frostbites. It was an effort to bare hands for an instant. After much rubbing and bringing back of extremities, we started. Wild as a mass of bites and we are all in a bad way. We plugged on, but warmth would not come into our bodies. We had been pulling about two hours when Joyce's smart eyes picked up a flag. We shoved on for all we were worth, and as we got closer sure enough the cases of provisions loomed up. Then what feeds we promised to give ourselves. It was not long before we were putting our gastronomic capabilities to the test. Pemmican was brought down from the depot with oatmeal to thicken it, as well as sugar. While Wild was getting the primus lighted he called out to us that he believed his ear had gone. This was the last piece of his face, left whole, nose, cheeks and neck, all having bites. I went into the tent and had a look. The ear was a pale green. I quickly put the palm of my hand to it and brought it round. Then his fingers went and to stop this and bring back the circulation he put them over the lighted primus a terrible thing to do. As a result he was in agony. His ear was brought round all right and soon the hot whoosh sent warmth tingling through us. We felt like new beings. We simply ate till we were full, mug after mug. After we had been well satisfied we replaced the cases we had pulled down from the depot and proceeded towards the gap. Just before leaving Joyce discovered a note left by Spencer Smith and Richards. This told us that both the other parties had returned to the hut and apparently all was well. So that is good. When we got to the barrier edge we found the ice cliff onto the sea ice not safe enough to bear us so we had to make a detour along the barrier edge and if the sea ice was not negotiable find a way up by Castle Rock. At 7pm not having found any suitable place to descend to the sea ice we camped. Tonight we have the primus going and warming our frozen selves. I hope to make hot point tomorrow. Macintosh and his companions broke camp on the morning of March 25th with the thermometer reading 55 degrees of frost and after another futile search for a way down to the ice cliff to the sea ice they proceeded towards Castle Rock. While in this course they picked up sledge tracks and following these they found a route down to the sea ice. Macintosh decided to depot this ledge on top of a well marked undulation and proceed without gear. A short time later the three men after a scramble over the cliffs of hut point reached the door of the hut. We shouted no sound, shouted again and presently a dark object appeared. This turned out to be Cope who was by himself. The other members of the party had gone out to fetch the gear off their sledge which they also had left. Cope had been laid up so did not go with them. We soon were telling each other's adventures and we heard then how the ship had called here on March 11 and picked up Spencer Smith Richards Ninnis, Hook and Gaze the present members here being Cope, Haywood and Jack. A meal was soon prepared. We found here even a blubber fire, luxurious but what a state of dirt and grease. However, warmth and food are at present our principal objects. While we were having our meal Jack and Haywood appeared. Late in the evening we turned into dry bags. As there are only three bags here we take it in turns to use them. Our party have the privilege. I got a letter here from Stenhouse giving a summary of his doings since we left him. The ship's party also have not had a rosy time. Macintosh learned here that Spencer Smith, Jack and Gaze who had turned back on February 10th had reached Hut Point without difficulty. The third party headed by Cope had also been out on the barrier but had not done much. This party had attempted to use the motor tractor but had failed to get effective service from the machine and had not proceeded far afield. The motor was now lying at Hut Point. Spencer Smith's party and Cope's party had both returned to Hut Point before the end of February. The six men now at Hut Point were cut off from the winter quarters of the expedition at Cape Evans by the open water of McMurdo sound. Macintosh naturally was anxious to make the crossing and get in touch with the ship and the other members of the shore party but he could not make a move until the sea ice became firm and as events occurred he did not reach Cape Evans until the beginning of June. He went out with Cope and Hayward on March 29th to get his sledge and bring it out as far as Pram Point on the south side of Hut Point. He had to leave the sledge there owing to the condition of the sea ice. He and his companions lived an uneventful life under primitive conditions at the hut. The weather was bad and though the temperatures recorded were low the young sea ice continually broke away. The blubber stove in use at the hut seemed to have produced soot and grease in the usual large quantities and the men in their clothing suffered accordingly. The whites of their eyes contrasted vividly with the dense blackness of their skins. Wild and Joyce had a great deal of trouble with their frost bites. Joyce had both feet blistered his knees were swollen and his hands also were blistered. Jack devised some blubber lamps which produced an uncertain light and much additional smoke. Macintosh records that the members of the party were contented enough but unspeakably dirty and he writes longingly of baths and clean clothing. The store of seal blubber ran low early in April and his hands kept a sharp lookout for seals. On April 15th several seals were seen and killed. The operations of killing and skinning made worse the greasy and blackened clothes of the men. It is to be regretted that though there was a great deal of literature available especially on this particular district the leaders of the various parties had not taken advantage of it and so supplemented their knowledge. Joyce and Macintosh of course had had previous Antarctic experience but it was open to all to have carefully studied the detailed instructions published in the books of the last three expeditions in this quarter. End of chapter 13 part 2 of 2 Recorded by Gazena in September 2007 Chapter 14 of South This is the LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Lizzie Driver South The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Sir Ernest Shackleton Chapter 14 Wintering in McMurdo Sound The Aurora, after picking up six men at Hutt Point on March 11th, had gone back to Cape Evans. The position chosen for the winter quarters of the Aurora was at Cape Evans, immediately off the Hutt directed by Captain Scott on his last expedition. This ship on March 14th lay about 40 yards offshore Bowes Seawood. Two anchors had been taken ashore and embedded in heavy stone rubble and to these anchors were attached six steel horses. The horses held the stern while the bow was secured by the ordinary ship's anchors. Later, when the new ice had formed round the Aurora, the cable was dragged ashore over the smooth surface and made fast. The final moorings thus were six horses and one cable of stern made fast at the shore anchors and two anchors with about 70 fathoms of cable out forward. On March 23rd Mr. Stenhouse landed a party consisting of Stevens, Spencer Smith, Gays and Richards in order that they might carry out routine observations ashore. These four men took up their quarters in Captain Scott's Hutt. They had been instructed to kill seals for meat and blubber. The landing of stores, gear and coal did not proceed at all rapidly. It being assumed that the ship would remain at her moorings throughout the winter. Small tons of coal were taken ashore during April, but most of it stayed on the beach and much of it was lost later when the sea ice went out. This shore party was in charge of Stevens and his report, handed to me much later, gives a succinct account of what occurred from the point of view of the men to the Hutt. Cape Evans, Ross Island, July 30th, 1915 On the 23rd of March, 1915, a party consisting of Spencer Smith, Richards and Gays was landed at Cape Evans Hutt in my charge. Spencer Smith received independent instructions to devote his time exclusively to photography. I was verbally instructed that the opportunity of the party was to obtain a supply of seals for food and fuel. Scientific work was also to be carried on. Meteorological instruments were at once installed and experiments were instituted on copper electrical thermometers in order to supplement our meager supply of instruments and enable observations of earth, ice and sea temperatures to be made. Other experimental work was carried on and the whole of the time of the scientific members of the party was occupied. All seals seen were secured. On one or two occasions the members of the shore party were summoned to work on board ship. In general the weather was unsettled. Blizzes occurring frequently and interrupting communication with the ship across the ice. Only small, indispensable supplies of stores and no clothes were issued to the party on shore. Only part of the scientific equipment was able to be transferred to the shore and the necessity to obtain that prevented some members of the party landing all their personal gear. The ship was moored stern on to the shore at first well over a hundred yards from it. There were two anchors out ahead and the vessels made fast to two others sunk in the ground ashore by seven wires. The strain on the wires was kept constant by tightening up from time to time such as became slack and easing cables forward and in this way the ship was brought much closer in shore. A cable was now run out to the south anchor ashore passed on board through a fair lead under the port end of the bridge and made fast bollards forward. Subsequent strain due to ice and wind pressure on the ship broke three of the wires though I believe it was considered on board that the ship was secure there was still considerable anxiety felt. The anchors had held badly before and the power of the ice pressure on the ship was uncomfortably obvious. Since the ship had been moored the bay had frequently frozen over and the ice had frequently gone out on account of blizzards. The ice does not always go out before the wind has passed its maximum. It depends on the state of tides and currents for the sea ice has been seen more than once to go out bodily when a blizzard has almost completely calmed down. On the 6th of May the ice was in and people passed freely between the shore and the ship. At 11 p.m. the wind was south backing to southeast and blew at 40 miles per hour. The ship was still in her place. At 3 a.m. on the 7th the wind did not increase to any extent but ties and ship had gone. As she was not seen to go we were unable to say whether the vessel was damaged. The shore end of the cable was bent twice sharply and the wires were loose. On the afternoon of the 7th the weather cleared somewhat but nothing was seen of the ship. The blizzard only lasted some 12 hours. Next day the wind became northerly but on the 10th there was blowing the fierceest blizzard we had so far experienced from the southeast. Nothing has been seen or heard of the ship though a lookout was kept. Immediately the ship went as accurate an inventory as possible of all stalls ashore was made and the rate of consumption of food stuff so regulated that they would last 10 men for not less than 100 weeks. Coal had already been used with the utmost economy. Little could be done to cut down the consumption but the transference to the neighborhood of the hut of such of the coal landed previously by the ship as was not lost was pushed on. Meat also was found to be very short. It was obvious that neither it nor coal could be made to last two years but an evidently necessary step in the ensuring summer of the ship would be the ensuring of an adequate supply of meat and lubber for obtaining which the wind presented little opportunity. Meat and coal were therefore used with this consideration in mind as required but as carefully as possible. A. Stevens The men assured do not at once abandon hope of the ship returning before the sound froze firmly. New ice formed on the sea whenever the weather was calm and it had been broken up and taken out many times by the blizzards. During the next few days eager eyes looked seaward through the dim twilight of noon but the sea was covered with a dense black mist and nothing was visible. A northerly wind sprang up on May 8th and continued for a few hours but it brought no sign of the ship and when on May 10th the most violent blizzard yet experienced by the party commenced hope grew slender. The gale continued for three days the wind attaining a velocity of seventy miles an hour. The snow drift was very thick and the temperature fell to minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. The shore party took a gloomy view of the ship's chances of safety among the ice flows of the Ross Sea under such conditions. Stevens and his companions made a careful survey of their position and realised that they had serious difficulties to face. No general provisions and no clothing of the kind required for sledging had been landed from the ship. Much of the sledging gear was also aboard. Fortunately the hut contained both food and clothing left there by Captain Scott's expedition. The man killed as many seals as possible and stored the meat and blubber. June 2nd brought a welcome addition to the party in the form of the men who had been forced to remain at hut point until the sea ice became firm. McIntosh and those with him had incurred some risk in making the crossing since open water had been seen on their route by the Cape Evans party only a short time before. There were now ten men at Cape Evans and three at McIntosh, Spencer Smith, Joyce, Wilde, Cope, Stevens, Hayward, Gaze, Jack and Richards. The winter had closed down upon the Antarctic and the party would not be able to make any move before the beginning of September. In the meantime they overhauled the available stores and gear made plans for the work of the forthcoming spring and summer and lived the severe but not altogether happy life of the polar explorer in winter quarters. McIntosh, writing on June 5th, surveyed his position. The decision of Stenhouse to make this bay the wintering place of the ship was not reached without much thought and consideration of all eventualities. Stenhouse had already tried the glacier tongue and other places but at each of them the ship had been in an exposed and dangerous position. When this bay was tried the ship withstood several severe blizzards in which the ice remained in on several occasions. When the ice did go out the moorings held. The ship was moored bowed north. She had both anchors down forward and two anchors buried astern to which the stern moorings were attached with seven lengths of wire. Taken all this into account it was quite a fair judgment on his part to assume that the ship would be secure here. The blizzard that took the ship and the ice out of the bay was by no means as severe as others she had weathered. The accident proved again the uncertainty of conditions in these regions. I only pray and trust that the ship and those aboard are safe. I am sure they will have a thrilling story to tell when we see them. The Aurora could have found Safe Winter Quarters further up McMurred Sound towards Hutt Point but would have run the risk of being frozen in over the following summer. And I had given instructions to Macintosh before he went south that this danger must be avoided. Meanwhile we are making all preparations here for a prolonged stay. The shortage of clothing is our principal hardship. The members of the party from Hutt Point have the clothes we wore when we left the ship on January 25th. We have been without a wash all that time as I cannot imagine a dirtier set of people. We have been attempting to get a wash ever since we came back. But owing to the blow during the last two days no opportunity has offered. All is working smoothly here and everyone is taking the situation very philosophically. Stevens is in charge of the scientific staff and is now the senior officer assured. Joyce is in charge of the equipment taken to improvise clothes out of what canvas can be found here. Wild is working with Joyce. He is a cheerful and willing soul. Nothing ever worries or upsets him. And he is ever singing or making some joke or performing some amusing prank. Richards has taken over the keeping of the meteorological log. He is a young Australian, a hard, conscientious worker and I look forward to good results from his endeavours. Jack, another young Australian, is his assistant. Hayward is the handyman being responsible for the supply of blubber. Gaze, another Australian is working in conjunction with Hayward. Spencer Smith, the Padre, is in charge of photography and of course assists in the general routine work. Cope is the medical officer. The routine here is as follows. Four of us myself, Stevens, Richards and Spencer Smith have breakfast at 7 a.m. The others are called at 9 a.m. and their breakfast is served. Then the table is cleared, the floor is swept and the ordinary work of the day is commenced. At 1 p.m. we have what we call a counter-lunch that is cold food and coca. We work from 2 p.m. till 5 p.m. After 5 p.m. people can do what they like. Dinner is at 7. The men play games, read, write up diaries. We turn in early since we have to economize fuel and light. Night watches are kept by the scientific men who have the privilege of turning in during the day. The day after my arrival here I gave an out-sign of our situation and explained the necessity of the use of fuel, light and stores in view of the possibility that we may have to stay here for two years. We are not going to commence work for the sledging operations until we know more definitely the fate of the Aurora. I dare not think any disaster has occurred. During the remaining days of June the men washed and mended clothes killed seals made minor excursions in the neighborhood of the hut and discussed plans They had six dogs two being bitches without experience of sledging. One of these bitches had given birth to a litter of pups but she had proved a poor mother and the young ones died. The animals had plenty of seal meat and attended carefully. Mackintosh called a meeting of all hands on June 26 for the discussion of the plans he had made for the depo-laying expedition to be undertaken during the following spring and summer. I gave an outline of the position and invited discussion from the members. Several points were brought up. I had suggested that one of our parties should remain behind for the purpose of keeping the meteorological records and laying in a supply of meat and blubber. This man would be able to hand my instructions to the ship and pilot a party to the bluff. It had been arranged that Richards should do this. Several objected on the ground that the whole compliment would be necessary and after the matter had been put to the vote it was agreed that we should delay the decision until the parties had some practical work and we had seen how they fared. The shortage of clothing was discussed and Joyce and Wilde have agreed to do their best in this matter. October sledging along the barrier was mentioned as being too early but is to be given a trial. These were the most important points brought up and it was mutually and unanimously agreed that we could do no more. I know we are doing our best. The party was anxious to visit Cape Roids north of Cape Evans but at the end of June open water remained right across the sound and a crossing was impossible. At Cape Roids they were accused by the Shackleton expedition of 1907 to 1909 and the stores and supplies it contains might have proved very useful. Joyce and Wilde made finisoki fur boots from spare sleeping bags. Macintosh mentions that the necessity of economising clothing and foot gear prevented the men taken as much exercise they would otherwise have done. A fair supply of canvas and leather had been found in the hut and some men tried their hands at making shoes. Many seals had been killed and brought in and the supply of meat and blubber was ample for present needs. During July Macintosh made several trips northward on the sea ice but found always that he could not get far. A crack stretched roughly from an accessible island to the barn glacier and the ice beyond looked weak and loose. The improving light told of the returning sun. Richards and Jack were weighing out stores in readiness for the sledging expeditions. Macintosh, from the hill behind the hut saw open water stretching westward from inaccessible island on August 1st and noted that probably McMurdo sound was never completely frozen over. A week later the extent of the open water appeared to have increased and the men began to despair of getting to Cape Broids. Blizzards were frequent and persistent. A few useful articles were found in the neighbourhood of the hut as the light improved including some discarded socks and underwear left by members of the Scott expedition and a case of candied peel which was used for cakes. A small fire broke out on August 12th. The acetylene gas lighting plant installed in the hut by Captain Scott had been rigged and one day it developed a leak. A member of the party searched for the leak with a lighted candle and the explosion that resulted fired some woodwork. Fortunately the outbreak was extinguished quickly. The loss of the hut at this stage would have been a tragic incident. Macintosh and Stevens arrived at Cape Broids on August 13th. They had decided to attempt the journey over the barn glacier and after crossing a caressed area they got to the slopes of Cape Barn and then stowed to the sea ice. They found this ice to be newly formed but sufficiently strong for their purpose and soon reached the Cape Broids hut. The outer door of the hut was found to be off, wrote Macintosh. A little snow had drifted into the porch but with a shovel which we found outside this was soon cleared away. We then entered and in the centre of the hut found a pile of snow and ice which had come through the open ventilator in the roof of the hut. We soon closed this. Stevens prepared a meal while I cleared the ice and snow away from the middle of the hut. After our meal we commenced taking an inventory of the stores inside. Tobacco was our first thought. Of this we found one tin of navy cut and a box of cigars. Soap too which now ensures there's a wash and clean clothes when we get back. We then began to look round for a sleeping bag. No bags were here however but on the impoverished beds of cases we found two mattresses an old canvas screen and two blankets. We took it in turns to turn in. Stevens started first while I kept the fire going. No coal or blubber was here so we had to use wood which while keeping the person alongside it warm did not raise the temperature of the hut over freezing point. Over the stove in a conspicuous place we found a note by Scots party that parties using the hut should leave the dishes clean. Macintosh and Stevens stayed at the Cape Broids over the next day and made a thorough examination of the stores there. They found outside the hut a pile of cases containing meats flour, dried vegetables and sundries at least a year supply for a party of six. They found no new clothing but made a collection of worn garments which could be mended and made serviceable. Carrying loads of their spoils they set out for Cape Evans on the morning of August 15th across the sea ice. Every week ice barred the way and they had to travel round the coast. They got back to Cape Evans in two hours. During their absence wild and gaze had climbed inaccessible island gaze having a near badly frostbitten on the journey. The tobacco was divided among the members of the party. A blizzard was raided the next day and Macintosh congratulated himself on having chosen the time of the party. The record of the remaining part of August is not eventful. All hands were making preparations for the sledging and were rejoicing in the increasing daylight. The party tried the special sledging ration prepared under my own direction and all agreed it was excellent both in bulk and taste. Three emperor penguins the first seen since the landing were caught on August 19th. By that time the returning sun was touching with gold the peaks of the western mountains and throwing into bold relief the massive form of Erebus. The volcano was emitting a great deal of smoke and the glow of its internal fire showed occasionally against the smoke clouds above the crater. Stevens, Spencer Smith and Cope went to Cape Roids on the 20th and was still there when the sun made clearance over Erebus on the 26th. Proceeding days had been cloudy and the sun although above the horizon had not been visible. The morning broke clear and fine wrote Macintosh. Over Erebus the sun's rays peeped through the mast cumulus and produced the most gorgeous cloud effects. The light made us all blink and at the same time caused the greatest exuberance of spirits. We felt like men released from prison. I stood outside the hut and looked at the truly wonderful scenery all around. The west mountains were superb in their wild grandeur. The whole outline of peaks, some 80 or 90 distant, showed up, stenciled in delicate contrast to the skyline. The immense eye slopes shone white as elabaster against dark shadows. The sky to the west over the mountains was clear, except for low-lying banks at the foot of the slopes round about Mount Discovery. To the south hard streaks of stratus lay heaped up to 30 degrees above the horizon. Then Erebus commenced to omit volumes of smoke, which rose hundreds of feet and trailed away in a north-westerly direction. The southern slopes of Erebus were enveloped in a mass of cloud. The party from Cape Roy's returned that afternoon and there was disappointment at their report that no more tobacco had been found. The sledging of stores to Hutt Point, in preparation for the depot laying journeys on the barrier, was to begin on September 1st. McIntosh, before that date, had discussed plans fully with the members of his party. He considered that sufficient sledging provisions were available at Cape Evans. The supply landed from the ship, being supplemented by the stores left by the Scott Expedition of 1912 to 1913 and the Shackleton Expedition of 1907 to 1909. The supply of clothing and tents was more difficult. Garments brought from the ship could be supplemented by old clothing found at Hutt Point and Cape Evans. The Burberry Windproof Outer Garments were old and in poor order for the start of a season sledging. Old sleeping bags had been cut up to make fitness OK, fur boots, and mend other sleeping bags. Three tents were available. One sound one landed from the Aurora and two old ones left by Captain Scott. McIntosh had enough sledges but the experience of the first journey with the dogs had been unfortunate and there were now only four useful dogs left. They did not make a full team and would have to be used merely as an auxiliary to man-haulage. The scheme adopted by McIntosh after discussion with the members of his party was that nine men divided into three parties of three each should undertake the sledging. One man would be left at Cape Evans to continue the meteorological observations during the summer. The motor tractor which had been left at Hutt Point was to be brought to Cape Evans and, if possible, put into working order. McIntosh estimated that the provisions required for the consumption of the depot parties and for the depots to be placed southward to the foot of the Beardmore Glacier would amount to four thousand pounds. The first depot was to be placed off Minner Bluff and from there southward a depot was to be placed on each degree of latitude. The final depot would be made at the foot of the Beardmore Glacier. The initial task would be the haulage of stores from Cape Evans to Hutt Point a distance of thirteen miles. All the sledging stores had to be taken across and McIntosh proposed to place additional supplies there in case a party returning late from the barrier had to spend winter months at Hutt Point. The first party consisting of McIntosh, Richards and Spencer Smith left Cape Evans on September 1 with six hundred pounds of stores on one sledge and had an uneventful journey to Hutt Point. They pitched a tent halfway across the bay on the sea ice and left it there for the use of the various parties during the month. At Hutt Point they cleared the snow from the motor tractor and made some preliminary efforts to get it into working order. They returned to Cape Evans on the third. The second trip to Hutt Point was made by a party of nine with three sledges. Two sledges, man hauled were loaded with one thousand two hundred and seventy-eight pounds of stores and a sledge drawn by the dogs carried the sleeping bags. This party encountered a stiff southerly breeze with low temperature and, as the men were still in rather soft condition, they suffered much from frostbites. Joyce and Gaze both had their heels badly blistered. McIntosh's face suffered and other men had fingers and ears bitten. When they returned, Gaze had to travel on a sledge since he could not set foot to the ground. They tried to haul the motor to Cape Evans on this occasion but left it for another time after covering a mile or so. The motor was not working and was heavy to pull. Eight men made the third journey to Hutt Point. Gaze and Jack remaining behind. They took six hundred and sixty pounds of oil and six hundred and thirty pounds of stores. From Hutt Point the next day, September 14th, the party proceeded with loaded sledges to Safety Camp on the edge of the barrier. This camp would be the starting point for the march over the barrier. This camp would be the starting point for the march over the barrier. To the Minner Bluff depot. They left the two sledges with six hundred and sixty pounds of oil and five hundred pounds of oatmeal, sugar and sundries at Safety Camp and returned to Hutt Point. The dogs shared the work on this journey. The next day Macintosh and his companions took the motor to Cape Evans hauling it with its grip wheels mounted on a sledge. After a pause due to bad weather a party of eight men took another load to Hutt Point on September 24th and on to Safety Camp the next day. They got back to Cape Evans on the 26th. Richards, meanwhile, had overhauled the motor and given it some trial runs on the sea ice. But he reported that the machine was not working satisfactory and Macintosh decided not to persevere with it. Everybody's up to his eyes in work when the last entry in the journey left by Macintosh at Cape Evans. All gear is being overhauled and personal clothing is having the last stitches. We have been improvising shoes to replace the finished go-a of which we are badly short. Wild has made an excellent shoe out of an old horse-rug he found here and this has been copied by other men. I have made myself a pair of mitts out of an old sleeping bag. Last night I had a bath the second since being here. I closed this journal today except for a few minutes I closed this journal today September 30th and I'm packing it with my papers here. Tomorrow we start for Hut Point. Nine of us are going on the sledge-party for laying depots. Namely, Stephen, Spencer Smith, Joyce, Wild, Cope, Hayward, Jack, Richards and myself. Gaze, who is still suffering from bad feet, is remaining behind and will probably be relieved by Stevens after our first trip. With us we take three months provisions to leave at Hut Point. I continue this journal in another book which I keep with me. The nine men reached Hut Point on October 1st. They took the last loads with them. Three sledges and three tents were to be taken on to the barrier and the parties were as follows. Number one Mackintosh, Spencer Smith and Wild. Number two Joyce, Cope and Richards. Number three Jack, Hayward and Gaze. On October 3rd and 4th some stores left at halfway camp were brought in and other stores were moved on to safety camp. But where they delayed the start of the depot laying expedition from Hut Point until October 9th. End of Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Part 1 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. South, the story of Shackleton's last expedition 1914 to 1917 by Sir Ernest Shackleton Chapter 15 Laying the Depots Part 1 Mackintosh's account of the depot laying journeys undertaken by his parties in the summer of 1914 to 1916 unfortunately is not available. The leader of the parties kept a diary but he had the book with him when he was lost on the sea ice in the following winter. The narrative of the journeys has been compiled from the notes kept by Joyce, Richards and other members of the parties and I may say here that it is a record of doggen endeavor in the face of great difficulties and serious dangers. It is always easy to be wise after the event and one may realize now that the use of the dogs untrained and soft from ship-board inactivity on the comparatively short journey undertaken immediately after the landing in 1915 was a mistake. The result was the loss of nearly all the dogs before the longer and more important journeys of 1915 to 1916 were undertaken. The men were sledging almost continuously during a period of six months. They suffered from frostbite, scurvy, low-blindness and the utter weariness of overtaxed bodies. But they placed the depots in the required positions and if the Wettel Sea Party had been able to make the crossing of the Antarctic continent, the stores and fuel would have been waiting for us where we expected to find them. The position on October 9 was that the nine men at Hutt Point had with them the stores required for the depots and for their own maintenance throughout the summer. The remaining dogs were at Cape Evans with Gays, who had a sore heel and had been replaced temporarily by Stevens in the sledging party. A small quantity of stores had been conveyed already to Safety Camp on the edge of the barrier beyond Hutt Point. McIntosh intended to form a large depot at Mina Bluff, 70 miles out from Hutt Point. This would necessitate several trips with heavy loads. Then he would use the Bluff depot as a base for the journey to Mount Hope at the foot of the Beardmore Glacier where the final depot was to be laid. The party left Hutt Point on the morning of October 9, the nine men hauling on one rope and trailing three loaded sledges. They reached Safety Camp in the early afternoon and after repacking the sledges with a load of about 2,000 pounds, they began the journey over the barrier. The pulling proved exceedingly heavy and they camped at the end of the trail. It was decided next day to separate the sledges, three men to haul each sledge. McIntosh hoped that better progress could be made in this way. The distance for the day was only four miles and the next day's journey was no better. Joyce mentions that he had never done harder pulling, the surface being soft and the load amounting to 220 pounds per man. The new arrangement was not a success of their capacity and inequalities in the loading of the sledges and on the morning of the 12th McIntosh after consultation decided to push forward with Wild and Spencer Smith hauling one sledge and a relatively light load and leave Joyce and the remaining five men to bring two sledges and the rest of the stores at their best pace. This arrangement was maintained on the later journeys. The temperatures were falling below and as the men perspired freely while hauling their heavy loads in the sun they suffered a great deal of discomfort in the damp and freezing clothes at night. Joyce cut down his load on the 13th by depoing some rations and spare clothing and made better progress. He was building snow carns as guideposts for use on the return journey. He mentions passing some large crevasses during succeeding days. Persistent headwinds with occasional drift caused the conditions unpleasant and caused many frostbites. When the surface was hard and the pulling comparatively easy the men slipped and fell continually looking much like classical dancers. On the 20th a northerly wind made possible the use of a sail and Joyce's party made rapid progress. Jack sided a bamboo pole during the afternoon and Joyce found that marked a depot he had laid for my own farthest south party in 1908. He dug down in the hope of finding some stores but the depot had been cleared. The party reached the bluff depot on the evening of the 21st and found that Mackintosh had been there on the 19th. Mackintosh had left 178 pounds of provisions and Joyce left one sledge and 273 pounds of stores. The most interesting incident of the return journey was the discovery of a note that Cherry Garand for Captain Scott on March 19, 1912 only a few days before the latter perished at his camp further south. An upturned sledge at this point was found to mark a depot of dog biscuits and motor oil laid by one of Captain Scott's parties. Joyce reached safety camp on the afternoon of the 27th and after dumping all spare gear pushed on to Hutt Point in a blizzard. The sledges nearly went over a big drop at the edge of the barrier and a few moments later Stevens dropped down a crevasse to the length of his harness. Had a tough job getting him up as we had no alpine rope and had to use harness, wrote Joyce. Got over all right and had a very hard pull against the wind and snow, my face getting frost bitten as I had to keep looking up to steer. We arrived at the Hutt about 7.30 p.m. after a very hard struggle. We found the Captain and his party there. They had been in for three days. Gaze was also there with the dogs. We soon had a good feed and forgot our hard day's work. McIntosh decided to make use of the dogs on the second journey to the bluff depot. He thought that with the aid of the dogs heavier loads might be hauled. This plan involved the dispatch of a party to Cape Evans to get dog-pemison. McIntosh himself with Wild and Spencer Smith started south again on October 29. Their sledge overturned on the slope down to the sea ice and the rim of their tent spread was broken. The damage did not appear serious and the party soon disappeared round Cape Armitage. Joyce remained in charge at Hutt Point with instructions to get dog food from Cape Evans and make a start south as soon as possible. He sent Stevens, Hayward and Cope to Cape Evans the next day and busied himself with the repair of sludging gear. Cope, Hayward and Gaze arrived back from Cape Evans on November 1, Stevens having stayed at the base. A blizzard delayed the start southward and the party did not get away until November 5. The men pulled in harness with the four dogs and as the surface was soft and the loads on the two sledges were heavy, the advance was slow. The party covered five miles, seven hundred yards on the sixth, four miles on the seventh, eight miles eighteen hundred yards on the ninth with the aid of a light northerly wind. They passed on the ninth a huge Bergstrom with a drop of about seventy feet from the flat surface of the barrier. Joyce thought that a big crevasse had caved in. We took some photographs, wrote Joyce. It is a really extraordinary fill in of ice with cliffs of blue ice about seventy feet high and heavily crevasse with snow curtains. One could easily walk over the edge coming from the north in thick weather. Another Bergstrom with crevasse ice around it was encountered on the eleventh. Joyce reached the bluff depot on the evening of the fourteenth and found that he could leave six hundred twenty four pounds of provisions. Mackintosh had been there several days earlier and had left one hundred eighty-eight pounds of stores. Joyce made hut point again on an adventurous day. The surface was good in the morning and he pushed forward rapidly. About ten thirty a.m. the party encountered heavy pressure ice with crevasse and had many narrow escapes. After lunch we came on four crevasse quite suddenly. Jack fell through. We could not alter course or else we should have been steering among them so galloped right across. We were going so fast that the dogs that went through were jerked out. It came on very quick at two p.m. every bit of land was obscured and it was hard to steer. Decided to make for hut point and arrived at six thirty p.m. after doing twenty two miles. A very good performance. I had a bad attack of snow blindness and had to use cocaine. Hayward also had a bad time. I was laid up and had to keep my eyes bandaged for three days. Hayward too. The two men were about again on November twenty-four and the party started on its third journey to the bluff on the twenty-fifth. McIntosh was some distance ahead but the two parties met on the twenty-eighth and had some discussions as to plans. McIntosh was proceeding to the bluff depot with the intention of taking a load of stores to the depot placed on latitude eighty degrees south in the first season sludging. Joyce, after depositing his third load at the bluff, would return to hut point for a fourth and the parties would then join forces for the journey southward to Mount Hope. Joyce left seven hundred twenty-nine pounds at the bluff depot on December two, reached hut point on December seven and after allowing dogs and men a good rest, he moved southward again on December thirteen. This proved to be the worst journey the party had made. The men had much trouble with crevasses and they were held up by blizzards on December sixteen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-six and twenty-seven. They spent Christmas day struggling through soft snow against an icy wind and drift. The party reached the bluff depot on December twenty-eight and found that McIntosh, who had been much delayed by the bad weather, had gone south two days earlier on his way to the eighty degrees south depot. He had not made much progress and his camp was in sight. He had left instructions for Joyce to follow him. The bluff depot was now well stopped. Between twenty-eight hundred and twenty-nine hundred pounds of provisions had been dragged to the depot for the use of parties working to the south of this point. This quantity was in addition to stores placed there earlier in the year. Joyce left the bluff depot on December twenty-nine and the parties were together two days later. McIntosh handed Joyce instructions to proceed with his party to latitude twenty-one degrees south and place a depot there. He was then to send three men back to Hutt Point and proceed to latitude eighty-two degrees south where he would lay another depot. Then, if provisions permitted, he would push south as far as latitude eighty-three degrees. McIntosh himself was reinforcing the depot at latitude eighty degrees south and would then carry on southward. Apparently his instructions to Joyce were intended to guard against the contingency of the parties failing to meet. The dogs were hauling well and though their number was small they were of very great assistance. The parties were now ninety days out from Cape Evans and all hands were feeling fit. The next incidence of importance was the appearance of a defect in one of the two Primus lamps used by Joyce's party. The lamps had all seen service with one or another of Captain Scott's parties and they had not been in service condition when the sludging commenced. The threatened failure of a lamp was a matter of grave moment since a party could not travel without the means of melting snow and preparing hot food. If Joyce took a faulty lamp past the eighty degrees south depot, his whole party might have to turn back at latitude eighty-one degrees south and this would imperil the success of the season sludging. He decided therefore to send three men back from the eighty degrees south depot which he reached on January 6, 1916. Cope, Gaze, and Jack were the men to return. They took the defective Primus and a light load and by dent of hard traveling without the aid of dogs they reached Cape Evans on January 16. Joyce, Richards, and Hayward went forward with a load of twelve hundred eighty pounds comprising twelve weeks sludging rations, dog food, and depot supplies in addition to the sludging gear. They built carns at short intervals as guides to the depots. Joyce was feeding the dogs well and giving them a hot hoosh every third night. It is worth it for the wonderful amount of work they are doing. If we can keep them to eighty-two degrees south I can honestly say it is through their work we have got through. On January 8th McIntosh joined Joyce and from that point the parties, six men strong, went forward together. They marched in thick weather during January 10, 11, and 12 keeping the course by means of carns with a scrap of black cloth on top of each one. It was possible by keeping the carns in line behind the sledges and building new ones as old ones disappeared to march on an approximately straight line. On the evening of the twelfth they reached latitude eighty-one degrees south and built a large carn for the depot. The stores left here were three weeks rations for the ordinary sledging unit of three men. This quantity would provide five days rations for twelve men, half for the use of the overland party and half for the depot party on its return journey. The party moved southwards again on January 13 in bad weather. After a little consultation we decided to get under way, wrote Joyce. Although the weather is thick and snow it is worthwhile to make the effort. A little patience with the direction in the carns, even if one has to put them up two hundred yards apart enables us to advance and it seems that this weather will never break. We have cut up an old pair of trousers belonging to Richards to place on the sides of the carns so as to make them more prominent. It was really surprising to find how we got on in spite of the snow and the pie crust surface. We did five miles seventy-five yards before lunch. The dogs are doing splendidly. I really don't know how we should manage if it were not for them. The distance for the day was ten miles seven hundred twenty yards, a splendid performance considering surface and weather. The weather cleared on the fourteenth and the men were able to get bearings from the mountains to the westward. They advanced fairly rapidly during succeeding days, the daily distances being from ten to twelve miles in latitude eighty-two degrees south on the morning of January eighteen. The depot here, like the depot at eighty-one degrees south, contained five days provisions for twelve men. McIntosh was having trouble with the primus lamp in his tent and this made it inadvisable to divide the party again. It was decided therefore that all should proceed and that the next and last depot should be placed on the base of Mount Hope at the foot of the Beardmore Glacier in latitude eighty-three degrees thirty minutes south. The party proceeded at once and advanced five miles beyond the depot before camping on the evening of the eighteenth. The sledge loads were now comparatively light and on the nineteenth the party covered thirteen miles seven hundred yards. A new trouble was developing for Spencer Smith was suffering from swollen and painful legs and was unable to do much pulling. Joyce wrote on the twenty-first was worse and that McIntosh was sowing signs of exhaustion. A mountain that he had believed to be Mount Hope could be seen right ahead over thirty miles away. Spencer Smith, who had struggled forward gamely and made no unnecessary complaints, started with the party the next morning and kept going until shortly before noon. Then he reported his inability to proceed and McIntosh called a halt. Spencer Smith suggested that he should be left with provisions and a tent while the other members of the party pushed on to Mount Hope and pluckily assured McIntosh that the rest would put him right and he would be ready to march when they returned. The party agreed after a brief consultation to adopt this plan. McIntosh felt that the depot must be laid and that delay would be dangerous. Spencer Smith was left with a tent, one sledge and provisions and told to expect the returning party in about a week. The tent was made as comfortable as possible inside and food was placed within the six-man's reach. Spencer Smith bad his companions a cheery goodbye after lunch and the party was six or seven miles away before evening. Five men had to squeeze into one tent that night, but with a minus temperature they did not object to being crowded. On January twenty-three a thick fog obscured all landmarks and, as bearings of the mountains were now necessary, the party had to camp at eleven a.m. after traveling only four miles. The thick weather continued over the twenty-fourth and the men did not move again until the morning of the twenty-fifth. They did seventeen and three-quarters miles that day and camped at six p.m. on the edge of the biggest ice pressure Joyce had ever seen. They were steering in towards the mountains and were encountering the tremendous congestion created by the flow of the Beardmore Glacier into the barrier ice. We decided to keep the camp up, ran Joyce's account of the work done on January twenty-six. Skipper, Richards, and myself roped ourselves together, eye-taking the lead, and tried to find a course through this pressure. We came across very wide crevasses, went down several, came on top of a very high ridge and such a scene. Imagine thousands of tons of ice churned up to a depth of about eight. We took a couple of photographs, then carried on to the east. At last we found a passage through and carried on through smaller crevasses to Mount Hope, or we hoped it was the mountain by that name. We can see a great glacier ahead which we will take for the Beardmore, which this mountain is on, but the position on the chart seems wrong. It was not EHS. We nearly arrived at the ice foot when Richards saw something to the right which turned out to be two of Captain Scott's sledges upright, but three-quarters buried in snow. Then we knew for certain this was the place we had struggled to get to. Soon we climbed the glacier on the slope and went up about one and a quarter miles, and saw the great Beardmore Glacier stretching to the south. It is about twenty-five miles wide, a most wonderful sight. Then we returned to our camp which we found to be six miles away. We left at eight a.m. and arrived back at three p.m., a good morning's work. We then had lunch. About four p.m. we got underway and proceeded with the two sledges and camped about seven o'clock. Wild, Hayward, and myself then took the depot up the glacier of Fort Knight's provisions. We left at last to a broken sledge and put up a large flag. I took two photographs of it. We did not arrive back until ten-thirty p.m. It was rather a heavy pull-up. I was very pleased to see our work completed at last. Turned in at twelve o'clock, the distance done during the day twenty-two miles. The party remained in camp until three-thirty p.m. on the twenty-seventh, owing to a blizzard with heavy snow. Then they made a start in clearer weather and got through the crevast area before camping at seven p.m. Joyce was suffering from snow blindness. They were now homeward bound with three hundred sixty-five miles to go. They covered sixteen-and-a-half miles on the twenty-eighth, with Joyce absolutely blind and hanging to the harness for guidance, but still pulling his whack. They reached Spencer Smith's camp the next afternoon and found him in his sleeping bag quite unable to walk. Joyce's diary of this date contains a rather gloomy reference to the outlook, since he guessed that Macintosh would also be unable to go on their journey. The dogs are still keeping fit, he added. If they will only last to eighty degrees south, we shall have enough food to take them in, and then if the ship is in, I guarantee they will live in comfort the remainder of their lives. No march could be made on the thirtieth since a blizzard was raging. The party made eight miles on the thirty-first, with Spencer Smith on one of the sledges in his sleeping bag. The sufferer was quite scared and carried about, but his courage did not fail him. His words were cheerful even when his physical suffering and weakness were most pronounced. The distance for February one was thirteen miles. The next morning the party abandoned one sledge in order to lighten the load, and proceeded with a single sledge, Spencer Smith lying on top of the stores in gear. The distance for the day was fifteen and a half miles. They picked up the eighty-two degrees echo on February third, and took one week's provisions, leaving two weeks' rations for the overland party. Joyce, Wilde, Richards, and Hayward were feeling fit. Mackintosh was weak and lame. Spencer Smith's condition was alarming. The party was being helped by a strong southerly winds, and the distances covered were decidedly good. The sledge meter recorded fifteen miles, seventeen hundred yards on February four, seventeen miles fourteen hundred yards on the fifth, eighteen miles twelve hundred yards on the sixth, and thirteen miles one thousand yards on the seventh, when the eighty-one degrees south depot was picked up at ten thirty m., and one week's stores taken, two weeks' rations being left. The march to the next depot at eighty degrees south was uneventful. The party made good marches in spite of bad surfaces and thick weather, and reached the depot late in the afternoon of February twelve. The supply of stores at this depot was ample, and the men took a fortnight's rations, calculated on a three-man basis, leaving nearly four weeks' rations. Spencer Smith seemed a little better, and all hands were cheered by the rapid advance. February fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen were bad days, the soft surface allowing the men to sink to their knees at times. The dogs had a rough time, and the daily distances fell eight miles. Mackintosh's weakness was increasing. Then on the eighteenth, when the party was within twelve miles of the bluff depot, a furious blizzard made traveling impossible. This blizzard raged for five days. Rations were reduced on the second day, and the party went on half rations the third day. Still blizzarding, wrote Joyce on the twentieth, things are serious, what with our patient and provisions running short. The provisions are nearly out, and we have to have their rations. We are now on one cup of hoosh among the three of us, with one biscuit and six lumps of sugar. The most serious of calamities is that our oil is running out. We have plenty of tea, but no fuel to cook it with. The men in Mackintosh's tent were in no better plight. Mackintosh himself was in a bad way. He was uncertain about his ability to resume the march, but was still blizzarding, wrote Joyce on the twenty-first. We are lying in pools of water made by our bodies through staying in the same place for such a long time. I don't know what we shall do if this does not ease. It has been blowing continuously without a lull. The food for today was one cup of pimmison amongst the three of us, one biscuit each, and two cups of tea among the three. The kerosene was exhausted, but Richards improvised a lamp by pouring some spirit and ended for priming the oil lamp into a mug, lighting it and holding another mug over it. It took half an hour to heat a mug of melted snow in this way. Same old thing, no ceasing of this blizzard, was Joyce's note twenty-four hours later. Hardly any food left except tea and sugar. Richards, Hayward, and I, after a long talk, decided to get under way to-morrow in any case, or else we shall be sharing the fate of Captain Scott and his party. It was to be very quiet, but now and again we hear a burst of song from wild, so they are in the land of the living. We gave the dogs the last of their food tonight, so we shall have to push, as a great deal depends on them. Further quotations from Joyce's diary tell their own story. February twenty-third, Wednesday. About eleven o'clock saw a break in the clouds and the sun showing. Decided to have the meal we kept forgetting under our party that we should shift as soon as we had a meal. I asked Wild and found that they had a bag of oatmeal, some bovril cubes, one bag of chocolate, and eighteen biscuits, so they are much better off than we are. After we had our meal we started to dig out our sledge, which we found right under. It took us two hours and one would hardly credit how weak we are. Two digs of the shovel and we were out of breath. This was caused through our lying up bed. After getting the sledge out we took it around to the skipper's tent on account of the heavy, says Srisky, which was very high. Got underway about two twenty. Had to stop very often on account of sale, etc. About three twenty the skipper, who had tied himself to the rear of the sledge, found it impossible to proceed. So, after a consultation with Wild and Party, decided to pitch their tent, leaving Wild to look after the skipper and Spencer Smith the best of our way to the depot, which is anything up to twelve miles away. So we made them comfortable and left them about three forty. I told Wild I should leave as much as possible and get back twenty-six or twenty-seventh, whether permitting. But just as we left them it came on to snow pretty hard, sun going in, and we found even with the four dogs we could not make more than one-half to three-quarters of a mile an hour. The surface is so bad that sometimes you go in with your waist, still in spite of all this we carried on till six-thirty-five. Camped in a howling blizzard. I found my left foot badly frost-bitten. Now, after this march, we came into our banquet, one cup of tea and half a biscuit. Turned in at nine o'clock. Situation does not look very cheerful. This is really the worst surface I have ever come across in all my journeys here. McIntosh had stayed on his feet as long as was possible. The records of the outward journey show clearly that he was really unfit to continue beyond the eighty-two degrees south depot and other members of the party would have liked him to have stayed with Spencer Smith at latitude eighty-three degrees south. But the responsibility for the work to be done was primarily his, and he would not give in. He had been suffering for several weeks from what he cheerfully called a sprained leg, owing to scurvy. He marched half an hour on the twenty-third before breaking down, but had to be supported partly by Richards. Spencer Smith was sinking. Wilde, who stayed in charge of the two invalids, was in fairly good condition. Joyce, Richards, and Hayward, who had undertaken the relief journey, were all showing symptoms of scurvy, though in varying degrees. Their legs were weak, their gums swollen. The decision that the invalids with Wilde should stay in camp from February twenty-four while Joyce's party pushed forward to bluff depot was justified fully by the circumstances. Joyce, Richards, and Hayward had difficulty in reaching the depot with a nearly empty sledge. An attempt to make their journey with two helpless men might have involved the loss of the whole party. February twenty-four, Thursday. Up at four thirty had one cup of tea, half a biscuit, underway after seven. Weather snowing and blowing like yesterday. Richards, laying the cairns, had great trouble in getting the compass within ten degrees on account of wind. During the four noon had to stop every quarter of an hour on account of our breath. Every time the sledge struck a drift she stuck in, although only two hundred pounds, and in spite of three men and four dogs we could only shift her with one, two, three, haul. I wonder if this weather will ever clear up. We camped in an exhausted condition about twelve ten. Lunch, half a cup of weak tea and a quarter biscuit, which took over half an hour to make. Richards and Hayward went out of tent to prepare for getting under way, but the force of wind and snow drove them back. The force of wind is about seventy to eighty miles per hour. We decided to get the sleeping bags in, which took some considerable time. The worst of camping is the poor condition, which means we have to get out of our wet sleeping bags and have another half cup of tea without working for it. With scrapings from dog tank it is a very scanty meal. This is the second day the dogs have been without food and if we cannot soon pick up depot and save the dogs it will be almost impossible to drag our two invalids back the one hundred miles which we have to go. The wind carried on with unabating fury until seven o'clock day Malol. We at once turned out but found it snowing so thickly that it was impossible to proceed on account of our weakness. No chance must we miss. Turned in again. Wind sprang up again with heavy drift eight thirty. In spite of everything my tent mates are very cheerful and look on the bright side of everything. After a talk we decided to wait and turn in. It is really wonderful what dreams we have especially of food. Wasting in Providence for fine weather tomorrow. February twenty-five Friday. Turned out four forty-five. Richards prepared our usual banquet half cup of tea quarter biscuit which we relished. Underway at seven carried on halting every ten minutes or quarter of an hour. Weather snowing and blowing same as yesterday. We are in a very weak state but we cannot give in. We often talk about poor captain Scott and the blizzard that finished him the party. If we had stayed in our tent another day I don't think we should have got underway at all and we would have shared the same fate. But if the worst comes we have made up our minds to carry on and die in harness. If anyone were to see us on trek they would be surprised. Three men staggering on with four dogs very weak practically empty sledge with fair wind and just crawling along. Our clothes are all worn out, finisco and sleeping bags torn. Tent is our worst point all torn in front and we are afraid to camp on account of it as it is too cold to mend it. We camped for our grand lunch at noon. After five hours struggling I think we did about three miles. After lunch sat in our tent talking over the situation. Decided to get underway again as soon as there is any clearance. Snowing and blowing force about fifty or sixty miles an hour. February twenty-six Saturday. Richards went out at one ten a.m. and found it clearing a bit so we got underway as soon as possible which was two ten a.m. About two thirty five Richard cited depot which seemed to be right on top of us. I suppose we camped no more than three quarters of a mile from it. The dogs cited it which seemed to electrify them. They had new life and started to run but we were so weak that we could not go more than two hundred yards away from the spell. I think another day would have seen us off. Arrived at depot three twenty-five found it in a dilapidated condition cases all about the place. I don't suppose there has ever been a weaker party arrived at any depot either north or south. After a hard struggle got our tent up and made camp. Then gave the dogs a good feed of Pemison. If ever dogs saved the life of anyone they have saved ours. Let us hope they will continue to benefit health so that we can get out to our comrades. I started on our cooking. Not one of us had any appetite although we were in the land of plenty as we call this depot. Plenty of biscuit etc. but we could not eat. I think it is the reaction not only in arriving here but also finding no news of the ship which was arranged before we left. We all think there has been a calamity there. Let us hope for the best. We decided to have rolled oats and milk for a start which went down very well and then a cup of tea. How cheery the primus sounds. It seems like coming out of a thick London fog into a drawing room. After a consultation we decided to have a meal of Pemison in four hours and so on until our weakness was gone. Later. Still the same weather. We shall get underway and make a forced march back as soon as possible. I think we shall get stronger traveling and feeding later. Weather will not permit us to travel yet. Mended our torn tent with food bags. This took four hours. Feeding the dogs every four hours and Richardson Hayward built up depot. It is really surprising to find it takes two men to lift a fifty pound case. It only shows our weakness. Weather still the same. Force of wind at times about seventy to ninety miles an hour. Really surprising how this can keep on so long. End of chapter fifteen part one.