OHYAT: [Temporary] Return to Cape Evans

There had been a great deal of uncertainty about the ice between Hut Point and Cape Evans, but ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TODAY it was deemed safe to cross, so Atch and Keohane set out for the base to bring them news and fetch help.

Frank Debenham, who was at Cape Evans, recorded their stay on the 14th, when they departed once again for Hut Point.

On March 27th Atch and Keohane manhauled out to Corner Camp ... their experience on that little trip made Atch doubt whether the Polar Party would get back at all and ... he had given up all hope. The news was crushing but one and all here have refused yet to give up hope.

Atch laid out his immediate plans for the men at Cape Evans the night he arrived. He wanted to take a party up the western coastline to meet Campbell, who might be coming south, or at least depot some food and supplies which he might find and help get him through the winter.

Most of us disagreed openly, but as I knew the western coast better than the others, I went into it very fully. I succeeded in showing that (first) Campbell, if coming down the coast could not possibly miss our Cape Roberts depot. (Second) that no party could help him if operating north of that depot, nor south of it except to help pull sledges, and as there are six in Campbell's party that wouldn't be necessary. (Third) that at this time of year there is great risk in travelling over sea-ice and that it is not right to expose a 2nd party to that risk. However Atch, tho' he admitted my points, blindly said something must be done and adheres to his plan.

Aside from organising a relief trip, Atch also had to bring some people back to Hut Point to tend to Cherry, who was far from well: he could hardly stand, had swollen glands in his throat and pains in his chest. Atch had been tending him 'with the greatest patience and care' inasmuch as that was possible with the limited resources at Hut Point, but unless Cambpell returned, Atch was the senior officer and had far more responsibilities than the medical. When the ice in the bay froze over he had to get help from Cape Evans, and was driven to do what he could for Campbell, but that meant leaving Cherry ...

Meanwhile I was left alone at Hut Point, where blizzards raged periodically with the usual creakings and groanings of the old hut. Foolishly I accompanied my companions, when they started for Cape Evans, as far as the bottom of Ski Slope. When I left them I found I could not keep my feet on the slippery snow and ice patches, and I had several nasty falls, in one of which I gave my shoulder a twist. It was this shaking combined with the rather desperate conditions which caused a more acute state of illness and sickness than I had experienced for some time. Some of those days I remained alone at Hut Point I was too weak to do more than crawl on my hands and knees about the hut. I had to get blubber from the door to feed the fire, and chop up seal-meat to eat, to cook, and to tend the dogs, some of whom were loose, while most of them were tied in the verandah, or between the hut door and Vince's Cross. The hut was bitterly cold with only one man in it: had there not been some morphia among the stores brought down from Cape Evans I do not know what I should have done.

The dogs realized that they could take liberties which they would not have dared to do in different circumstances. They whined and growled, and squabbled amongst themselves all the time, day and night. Seven or eight times one day I crawled across the floor to try and lay my hands upon one dog who was the ringleader. I was sure it was Dyk, but never detected him in the act, and though I thrashed him with difficulty as a speculation, the result was not encouraging. I would willingly have killed the lot of them just then, I am ashamed to say. I lay in my sleeping-bag with the floor of the hut falling from me, or its walls disappearing in the distance and coming back: and roused myself at intervals to feed blubber to the stove. I felt as though I had been delivered out of hell when the relief party arrived on the night of April 14. I had been alone four days, and I think a few more days would have sent me off my head.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World

He had requested Atch bring Deb back to be his nurse, but at the last minute Deb disclosed that he'd hurt his ankle on his geological trip and it still wasn't back in shape; Atch deemed it too wounded to carry him to Hut Point and substituted the Norwegian skier Gran. 'I was very disappointed,' Deb wrote, 'but I believe I should have had to be dragged a good deal of the way for the foot is still very swollen.'