OHYARN - Meanwhile, back at Cape Evans ...

We've still got two parties out on the trail, and their adventures are about to get a lot more harrowing. I really must lay out what the situation was back at the base, though, before we get swept away in all that, because it will affect reactions and decisions down the road.

So, although there are no significant anniversaries to single out, here is my attempt to fill you in on what was going on ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO ROUGHLY NOWISH:

( Meet Sunny Jim and Mother Meares )

When the First Returning Party arrived at Cape Evans on January 28th, Atch Atkinson became the senior Navy man, and as such was in charge of the non-scientific day-to-day business of the camp, which he expected to last only until Lt. Teddy Evans, the nominal second-in-command, came back with the Second Returning Party. He in turn was only likely to have command until the return of Scott's Polar Party in March. In everyone's expectations the prospects were good:

Scott was going to reach the Pole, probably without great difficulty, for when we left him on the edge of the plateau he had only to average seven miles a day to go there on full rations. We ourselves had averaged 14.2 geographical miles a day on our way home to One Ton Depôt, and there seemed no reason to suppose that the other two parties would not do likewise, and the food was not only sufficient but abundant if such marches were made. Thus we were content as we wandered over the cape, or sat upon some rock warmed by the sun and watched the penguins bathing in the lake which had formed in the sea-ice between us and Inaccessible Island. All round us were the cries of the skua gulls as they squabbled among themselves, and we heard the swish of their wings as they swooped down upon a man who wandered too near their nests. Out upon the sea-ice, which was soggy and dangerous, lay several seal, and the bubblings and whistlings and gurglings which came from their throats chimed musically in contrast to the hoarse aak, aak, of the Adélie penguins: the tide crack was sighing and groaning all the time: it was very restful after the Barrier silence.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World

The original plan was for the expedition to last two years, but for various reasons a third year was tacked on shortly after they arrived in the Antarctic. Some people were not free to extend their stay, however, and when the ship finally arrived on the 4th of February it brought news from home that changed others' plans.
( Plans, More Plans, and Change of Plans – Exit Simpson and Meares )

Wow, okay, that's a lot to keep track of ... I hope I did an adequate job explaining it. By way of a recap/summation (or in other words, tl;dr):

- First Returning Party arrived safe and relatively sound; subsequent parties expected to do likewise
- Ship returned with new supplies (and animals)
- Assorted men preparing to pack up and go home with the ship when she left, including the interim head of the scientific staff and the dog expert
- Northern Party landed in new location with food and gear for a few weeks of summer fieldwork