South
THE STORY OF SHACKLETON’S LAST EXPEDITION 1914–1917
by Sir Ernest Shackleton C.V.O.
TO
MY COMRADES
WHO FELL IN THE WHITE WARFARE OF THE SOUTH AND ON THE RED FIELDS OF FRANCE AND FLANDERS
Contents
PREFACE I. INTO THE WEDDELL SEA II. NEW LAND III. WINTER MONTHS IV. LOSS OF THE ENDURANCE V. OCEAN CAMP VI. THE MARCH BETWEEN VII. PATIENCE CAMP VIII. ESCAPE FROM THE ICE IX. THE BOAT JOURNEY X. ACROSS SOUTH GEORGIA XI. THE RESCUE XII. ELEPHANT ISLAND XIII. THE ROSS SEA PARTY XIV. WINTERING IN McMURDO SOUND XV. LAYING THE DEPOTS XVI. THE AURORA’S DRIFT XVII. THE LAST RELIEF XVIII. THE FINAL PHASE
APPENDIX I: SCIENTIFIC WORK SEA-ICE NOMENCLATURE METEOROLOGY PHYSICS SOUTH ATLANTIC WHALES AND WHALING
APPENDIX II: THE EXPEDITION HUTS AT McMURDO SOUND
INDEX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IN THE PRIDE OF HER YOUTH. Colour Photograph by F. Hurley The Leader The Weddell Sea Party Young Emperor Penguins A Huge Floe of Consolidated Pack Samson Ice-Flowers Midnight off the New Land New Land: Caird Coast Close Under the Barrier Trying to cut a way for the Ship through the Ice to a Lead ahead (February 14, 1915) The Night Watchman’s Story The Dying Sun: The Endurance firmly frozen in The Rampart Berg A Bi-Weekly Performance: Scrubbing out the “Ritz” Pylon Avenue The Long, Long Night The Pups Ice-Pressure Approaching the Ship Ice-Rafting The Returning Sun Wild and Shackleton in the Heavy Pressure Exercising the Dogs Crab-eater Seals The Beginning of the End “Within a few Seconds she heeled over until she had a List of Thirty Degrees to Port” Almost Overwhelmed [Attack of the floes] “The Driving Floe, moving laterally across the Stern, split the Rudder and tore out the Rudder-Post and Stern-Post” The End A Week Later “The Wreckage lies around in Dismal Confusion” The First Attempt to reach the Land 346 Miles Away Ocean Camp The Look-out at Ocean Camp The Emergency Sledges being packed in case of a sudden break up of the Ice The Sledges packed and ready Relaying the James Caird Potash and Perlmutter “Loneliness”: Patience Camp The Kitchen at Patience Camp The Stove at Patience Camp constructed out of old Oil-drums Worsley taking Observations of the Sun to determine our Position “We cut Steps in this Twenty-five Foot Slab and it makes a fine Look-out” “There was no Sleep for us that Night, so we lit the Blubber Stove” Hauling up the Boats for the Night The Reeling Berg Sailing South Again The First Landing ever made on Elephant Island, April 15, 1916 “We Pulled the Three Boats a little Higher on the Beach” Rough sketch map of landing place and first camp at C. Valentine, Elephant Island The First Drink and Hot Food for Three-and-a-Half Days Mount Frank Houlder, Elephant Island Launching the James Caird The Stancomb Wills In Sight of our Goal: Nearing South Georgia Landing on South Georgia [Cave Cove on South Georgia] [Surroundings of King Haakon Bay] [Plan of Sleeping Berths in Cave] Sea Elephants on South Georgia The Cliffs we descended whilst crossing the Island One of the Glaciers we Crossed A Typical View in South Georgia [Rough Memory Map of Route Across South Georgia] Panorama of South Georgia The Yelcho Arrival at Punta Arenas with the Rescued Men Frank Wild, Second in Command of the Expedition Our Dugout The Hut on Elephant Island View of Interior of Hut on Elephant Island Marooned on Elephant Island Elephant Island The Rescue Ship Sighted “All Safe! All Well!” View through a Cave on Elephant Island The Aurora Ice Stalactites at the Entrance to a Cave on Elephant Island A Newly-frozen Lead The Ross Sea Party Mackintosh and Spencer-Smith being dragged on the sledge “The Rudder was bent over to Starboard and Smashed” “Next Morning the Jury-Rudder was Shipped” Ice Nomenclature: 1. Young Ice (Bay Ice of Scoresby) in the Middle Distance 2. Light Pack 3. Heavy Hummocked Pack 4. Hummocky Pack and Frozen Lead of Young-Ice 5. Close Pack 6. Open Pack 7. Very Open Pack, approximating to Drift-ice 8. Drift-Ice “The Rookery” The Anemometer covered with Rime Map: The Voyage of the Endurance