Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
33
the spirits of the forebearers. During the first weeks, the expedition named landmarks
so familiar to those Americans and New Zealanders who work at McMurdo Station and
Scott Base: Hut Point at the end of the spur where the hut was built and Cape Armitage
at the tip of the peninsula for Lieutenant Albert B. Armitage, the second in command of
the expedition. Behind this, Winter Quarters Bay, where Discovery was moored and sup-
ply ships for McMurdo Station dock today. Observation Hill was the name given to the
prominent 750-foot volcanic cone beyond McMurdo Station that commands a superb
view of all of McMurdo Sound. Behind this, Crater Hill, and between the two, The Gap,
through which today runs the road that connects McMurdo Station with Scott Base. Ar-
rival Heights designates the high cliVs along the northwestern edge of Hut Point Penin-
sula, and commanding the highest vantage on the ridge, five miles toward Mount Erebus
from the hut, the bare orange faces of Castle Rock.
A number of short sledging parties, both man-hauling and with dog teams, set out
to explore the area and to shake down the gear, in anticipation of more formidable cam-
paigns to the south and to the west the following year. These first forays showed most of
the men to be woefully inexperienced in dealing with polar conditions. Many suVered
frostbite. Although individuals survived a number of near misses, one fatality did occur
when a party returning from Cape Crozier was caught in a blizzard several miles up from
the ship on Hut Point Peninsula. Rather than setting up camp, the men pushed forward
with zero visibility. George Vince, one of the seamen, slipped on a precipice and plunged
over Arrival Heights into the sea, where he was lost.
The sledge trip with the most important accomplishment was to White Island where
Shackleton, Ferrar, and Wilson climbed 2,500 feet to the summit and were able to see far
to the south. The coastline of the mountains met a high, volcanic peak (Mount Discov-
ery), with a long ridge extending from it toward the east, where it terminated in a steep
bluV (Minna BluV). Beyond this the mountains could be seen to recede to the west and
then continue southward into the murkiness of the horizon. But in front of this was
smooth ice that connected through McMurdo Sound on back along the mountains as far
as the eye could see. Here was the sure route to the south, with Minna BluV chosen as the
first major depot for the southern party the following summer.
