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OHYAT: The Pole
Jan. 17th, 2012 08:28 amScott:
Wilson:
They followed the tracks of Amundsen's dogsleds for the first part of the day but then ascertained they were drifting too far west, so made a straight shot for where they considered the pole to be. 'To-night little Bowers is laying himself out to get sights in terrible difficult circumstances,' wrote Scott, and they camped that night roughly where they estimated the pole to be. Despite the discomfort of his routine, Birdie sounds cheerful enough in his letter home:
Bill was similarly unfazed:
Scott is less sanguine, and rounds out his journal entry thus:
The Pole. Yes, but under very different circumstances from those expected. We have had a horrible day – add to our disappointment a head wind ...
Wilson:
... It blew force 4 to 6 all day in our teeth with temp. -22°, the coldest march I ever remember. It was difficult to keep one's hands from freezing in double woollen and fur mitts. Oates, Evans, and Bowers all have pretty severe frost-bitten noses and cheeks and we had to camp early for lunch on account of Evans's hands.
They followed the tracks of Amundsen's dogsleds for the first part of the day but then ascertained they were drifting too far west, so made a straight shot for where they considered the pole to be. 'To-night little Bowers is laying himself out to get sights in terrible difficult circumstances,' wrote Scott, and they camped that night roughly where they estimated the pole to be. Despite the discomfort of his routine, Birdie sounds cheerful enough in his letter home:
I don't suppose you ever thought that your son would be at the Apex of the Earth. Well, here I really am and very glad to be here too. It is a bleak spot – what a place to strive so hard to reach. Now the great journey is done it only remains for us to get back. Fortunately we are all fit and well ... It is sad that we have been forestalled by the Norwegians, but I am glad we have done it by good British manhaulage. ... I could not have better companions – we are a most congenial party and five is a pleasant little crowd when one is so far from home.
Bill was similarly unfazed:
... in any case [we] are all agreed that he can claim prior right to the Pole itself. He has beaten us in so far that he made a race of it. We have done what we came for all the same and as our programme was made out.
Scott is less sanguine, and rounds out his journal entry thus:
Great God! this is an awful place and terrible enough for us to have laboured to it without the reward of priority. Well, it is something to have got here, and the wind may be our friend to-morrow. ... Now for the run home and a desperate struggle. I wonder if we can do it.
