Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
109
That evening a “fat hoosh” brought brief comfort to the men. On the 14th they shook
down their sledges, with three week's rations to cover 130 miles to Depot A. In the previ-
ous week, Shackleton had developed a troublesome cough and was beginning to suVer
from the scurvy, but on this day a medical examination revealed the first signs of scurvy
in Scott and Wilson too, though their performance had not yet been impaired. Wilson
was so alarmed by Shackleton's health that Scott forbade him from participating in any
man-hauling or camp work, lest he break down. So Shackleton trudged along in his har-
ness without pulling, then went it alone on skis, and sat discontentedly while Scott and
Wilson set up and broke down camps.
Slowly the old landmarks began to reappear, Mount Discovery, Minna BluV, Mount
Erebus. For a number of those days the party marched through fog in total whiteout
conditions, always with “a desperate hunger,” as Shackleton's condition worsened. On
January 26 the men were heartened to come upon tracks from Barne's party returning
from his reconnaissance of the coastline to the west. Two days later they reached Depot
A, knowing that they had survived.
At last the gaunt trio had food aplenty, plus a sack brought out from the ship with
letters and special treats for everyone, including a packet of tobacco for Scott, the only
smoker. The three filled themselves that night with a triple serving of hoosh topped oV
by “the thickest brew of cocoa with 'lashings' of jam and biscuit.” Because of his state of
health Shackleton did not overeat, but Scott and Wilson gorged themselves. In a short
time the dried food in their bellies began to expand, causing so much discomfort that
they feared they might actually burst, and they were forced to walk in a circle around the
tent until the pressure in their stomachs subsided.
On January 29 another storm was blowing, so the party laid up for the day, then
pushed on for the final stretch back to the ship. On February 3, six miles from their goal,
they were excitedly met by Skelton and Bernacchi, who escorted them back to Discovery
and a hero's welcome.
Having been unable to see into either of the major straits that they had passed, Scott
was anxious to hear the report from Barne of his explorations to the southwest of
Minna BluV. After leaving the southern party, the support party returned to Discovery,
where they made ready for another traverse to the BluV depot. On New Year's Day the
party of six, led by Barne, was back at the depot, poised to sledge to the southwest with
rations for twenty-four days. According to instructions, Barne was to set a course to
the southernmost appearance of land—that is, to the south cape of the second island as
viewed from the BluV. On January 3 a third island appeared farther to the south, and as
the day's march continued, it extended into an elongate coastline. On the 4th the party
advanced in a snowstorm with no visibility following a compass setting toward the new
southernmost land. At lunchtime on the 5th, as a clearing blew through, Barne could
make out far to the south a new “indistinct white mass.”
When the skies again cleared on January 7, the party could see that the “white mass”
was the northern point (Cape Selborne) of a highland that continued south, veering
slightly to the east. North of this was another wide gap before the land that had been
sighted several days before (Britannia Range). Barne knew that the southern party would
