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OHYAT: The First Casualty
Nov. 3rd, 2011 07:02 pmWell, that was nice while it lasted, but ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TODAY, Scott and the rest of the Southern Party came across an abandoned motor sledge.
Shortly after climbing from the sea ice onto the Barrier proper, south of Hut Point, the big end of a cylinder on the motor being driven by Lashly had cracked; they replaced it with a spare and kept going. When the same thing happened to Day's motor the following day there was no spare, so they decided to leave it behind.
The Pony Party meanwhile had switched to marching by 'night' so the ponies could sleep while the sun was warmest. They would set off at predetermined intervals from 8 to 11 pm, slowest animals first, so that they'd reach 'night' camp more or less at the same time. When they got there, around noon the next day, they'd build a wall of ice and snow and tether the ponies next to it to keep the wind off them. The temperature was -22°F (-30°C) but it was dry and sunny enough that Scott was making comparisons to 'hot sunlit streets and scorching pavements.' Bill made similar comments about 'hot' sub-zero weather on the Barrier during the Discovery expedition nine years previous.
*The midnight marches make it slightly more tricky to date things, because one of their 'days' straddles two calendar days, but on the other hand they're operating more in my time zone now. :)
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE PRESENT:
My friend and colleague in all things Antarctic, VanDee, happens to be a practising member of the Professional Organization of English Majors, and at the mention of Browning in the last entry, provided a sample of a Browning poem which was, shall we say, 'highly relevant.' It found its way into my sketchbook via gaps in my schedule between working and meetings. ( Do you ever get the feeling that someone's trying to tell you something? )
Shortly after climbing from the sea ice onto the Barrier proper, south of Hut Point, the big end of a cylinder on the motor being driven by Lashly had cracked; they replaced it with a spare and kept going. When the same thing happened to Day's motor the following day there was no spare, so they decided to leave it behind.
So the dream of great help from the machines is at an end! The track of the remaining motor goes steadily forward, but now, of course, I shall expect to see it every hour of the march.– R.F. Scott, 4 Nov 1911*
The Pony Party meanwhile had switched to marching by 'night' so the ponies could sleep while the sun was warmest. They would set off at predetermined intervals from 8 to 11 pm, slowest animals first, so that they'd reach 'night' camp more or less at the same time. When they got there, around noon the next day, they'd build a wall of ice and snow and tether the ponies next to it to keep the wind off them. The temperature was -22°F (-30°C) but it was dry and sunny enough that Scott was making comparisons to 'hot sunlit streets and scorching pavements.' Bill made similar comments about 'hot' sub-zero weather on the Barrier during the Discovery expedition nine years previous.
*The midnight marches make it slightly more tricky to date things, because one of their 'days' straddles two calendar days, but on the other hand they're operating more in my time zone now. :)
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE PRESENT:
My friend and colleague in all things Antarctic, VanDee, happens to be a practising member of the Professional Organization of English Majors, and at the mention of Browning in the last entry, provided a sample of a Browning poem which was, shall we say, 'highly relevant.' It found its way into my sketchbook via gaps in my schedule between working and meetings. ( Do you ever get the feeling that someone's trying to tell you something? )
