THE BOOK OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1954, 10 January 1914, Page 9

THE BOOK OF THE DAY.

scorn LAST EXPEDITION, Vol. 1The Journals oi Captain It. F Scott, 1t.N.C.V;0,. Vol. ll—Reports of tho Journeys and tho Scientific Work undertaken by Dr. A. Wilson and tiio Surviving -Members of tho Expeditions. Two volumes (Smith, Elder and Co.; per . Whitcombe and Tombs), 425.

■ 1 No. mors simply eloquent, vet irresistubly impressive, record of either Arctic or Antarctic exploration than that set forth in tho volumes entitled as above has yet found its way into print. It is a story aliko of splendid endeavour,and superb human heroism, a story which, though its end be tragedy, cannot fail to bo - read with pride by every Briton, a story which deserves to go 'down to posterity as 0110 of tho great epics of British enterprise, courage, and gallantry. With the main outlines of the narrative related in tho Journals, tho public is already famiiiar. But a .perusal of tho Journals , in their entirety, togothor with their sequel, Dr. Atkinson's account of tho search for the lost explorers, throws much new and interesting light upon the details of the famous, but alas, ill-fated enterprise. In many cases the actual Journals, carefully edited by Mr. Leonard Huxley, have been supplemented by extracts. from. .Scott's;, ...private letters. Tho editor has not, however, altered or modified Scott's actual story, which 13 left, as it: should be, in ' all its original, simple directness. How thorough, how far-seeing, how essentially practical, were Scott's preparations for the enterprise, may be seen in tho first few chapters. Also, it is made clear by Sir.Clemerits Markliam iii his brief, but Sielpful preface, _ that ' Scott ' had other objects in view besides the mere reaching of tho South Polo. Sir Clements ijays: "Tho principal aim of this great man—for ho : rightly has his niche among tho Polar Dii majores— was the'advancement of knowledge." How rich were the results of tho Expedition as a whole, may bo seen by the narratives—in tho second volume—of the geological explorations of the Woe-1 tern Mountains, the ascent of tho great I 'Antarctic volcanic peak,' Mount Erebus, | and .tho two journeys, ono by Wilson, Bowers, and Cherry-Garrard to Cape Crpzior—a journey undertaken in midwinter ! —and the northern journey of Lieutenant Campbell's party. These journeys '.Were, with .'respect to the <lantrers and hardships encountered, and tho courage and 'determination exhibited by tho explorers, almost equally notable with: that ..of Scott and his four •comrades -to tho - Pole, ■ and- each-result-ed in a . vast store of valuable' geological, meteorological, and biological knowledge \vhi6hT"iii<'due course, will bo recorded -in .detail in tho .' scientific memoirs of the Expedition. Scott's Journals'. general reader will, however, find his most enthralling interest in Scott's own story. Ono fact stands out in special prominence, the mutual, confidence and esteem ivhich ruled between tho leader and his followers, tho generous appreciation 'by ono and all of the good qualities anil ■useful,work of his fellows, tho all-dom-inant spirit, of; determination, energy, and; industry . which governed tho explorers. Here and there, in tho. course or tho narrative, are somo effective little pen portraits, character sketches in miniature, of tho. members of the Expedition. In one of tho private letters is tho following passage:— Words roust always fail mo when I talk ot Bill Wilson. I believo ho reaJJy is .the finest character I ever met. Every quality is so solid and dependable; • cannot- you imagino now that counts down here?. Whatever the matter, one knows Bill will be sound, shrewdly practical, intensely loyal and quito unselfish . a- quiet^'nr-nf-mnnonr l, -and'-realiy - consummate -tact, v ... Bowers is a : positive treasure, absolutely trustworthy and prodigiously energetic. He is about the hardest man . amongst us', and that is saying a good deal.;' I shall have a hundred little tales to tell you of his indefatigable zeal, his unselfishness, and his unextinguishablc good humour. -.. . . The Soldier (Captain Oates) is. •-. a delightfully humorous, cheery old pessimist—striving with tho ponies night and day, and bringing woeful accounts of their small ailments into the hut.

The Supreme Disappointment. The disappointments, the obstacles, were many, and often very grave The motor-sledges were a failure, tho pony transport slower than had been anticipated, and, worst of all, tho weather, when tho Barrier had been crossed and the iicardmoro Glacier camo to bo ascended, was unexpectedly atrocious, uno entry in tho Journal reads: "AVhat on earth does such weather mean at this time ot year? It is moro than our sharo ot 111-torturie, .1 think, but tho luck may turn yet'' Alas,.the luck did not turn, and at length, when only eighty-five miles from tho-Pole;-camo the bitterest disappointment of all tiio discovery that the Norwegians had forestalled tho, British explorers. The worst' has hafipciiet;,'' or nearly tho 'worst. Bowers detected a black spsck.ahcad.' .: Soon wo knew that this could not bo a natural si(dw ieaturo. We'marched on, ' found that it was a black flan- tied to a sledge-bearer; near-by tho remains of a camp; sledge tracks and ski tracks going and coming and the clear traccs of dogs' paws— many dogs • This tokLus the whole Btory iho Norwegians have fore-st-alloel us, and are Jirst at the Pole. It is a tcrriblo disappointment, and 1 am very sorry for my loyal companions. . . . All tho day-dreams must go; it will bo a wearisome reur.n ', ' ®' 00c ' this is ail awful place, and terrible enough for us to have laboured to it without tho reward of priority. Tho Return Journey, To grasp tho full horrors of the return journey, tho journey to bo ended, alas, by King Death, one lias to read between the lines of tho .lourial. There is 110 trace of repining, although oven early in tho journey, there was evidently grave anxiety lest disastor might befall tho party. Tho death of poor Evans undoubtedly affected tho nerves of tho survivors. He had been gradually going downhill, not only physically, but mentally. 011 February 16, Scott wroto: "Evans has nearly broken down in the brain, w think. Ho is absolutely changed from his normal self." Tho end was only too near. It enme tho next day, when the poor fellow "dropped out," 011 tho plea that one of his ski ' shoes was adrift. . What followed may bo told in Scott's own words:— I nrsis. the first to'roach the poor man, and was shocked at liis appearance; ho was 011 .his knees with ■hands uncovered and frostbitten, and .a wild look in his eyes. Asked . ■ what was- tlio ; matter, he replied with a. slow speccli that lie didn't lcrow. but thought lie must hare

fainted. Wo got him 011 Ins-foot, but after, two or three steps he : sank down again. Ho showed every sign of complete collapse. - Wilson, Bowers, and'l went back for tho sledges, whilst Oatcs remained with him. Wlieii wo returned lie was practically unconscious, and when we got him into tho tent quito comatose'. Ho died quietly at 1L'.20 a.m.

Evans's slow progress was one 01" tho chief causes of the final catastrophe. "Wo could have como through had wo neglected the sick," Scott says in his final letter to Sir Francis liridgman. Evans's brain had been affected by a fall, and oven before reaching the 'i'olo tilers was a visiblo physical deeadenco. In tho final ".Message" Scott writes of "the astonishing failure of the man who wo had least expected to fail."

The Soath of Captain Oates. Tho brief description of Captain Oates' end is instinct with truo patlios. Should this be found I want these facts recorded. . Oates's last thoughts were of his mother, but immediately before 110 took pride in thinking that his regiment wouldbo pleased with tho bold way in which ho mot his death Ho slept through the night before last, hoping not to wake; but ho woko in tho morning—yesterday. It was blowing a blizzard. Ho said, "I am 1 just going outsido and may bo Somotime." Ho went out into tho, blizzard, and we have not seen him since. We knew that poor oate3 was walking to his death, but though wo tried to dissuarlo him wo know it was the act of a bravo man and an English gentleman. Wo all hope to meet the end with a similar spirit, and assuredly the end is not far."

TIIO Final Tragedy. , Tho final entries in the Journal, and the text of tho last Message have been published, but one extract from tho diary (March 29) may again bo quoted here:

Every day wo have been ready to 6tart for our depot 11 mites away, but outsido tho.door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think wo can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end,... but we are getting weaker, of course, and the .end cannot be far. - : It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.

... I'.. Scott-. • For God's sake look after our people. .. To his-mother,-the gallant explorer had already written:— The Great God has called me, and I feel-it will add a fearful blow, to" tho heavy" ones that liavo fallen 011. you iu life. But take comfort in that I die at peace with tho world " and myself—not afraid.

When, eight months later, Dr. Atkinson and his party reached the tent, Wilson and Bowers were found in the attitude .of sieap> their sleeping-bags closed over their heads as they would naturally close them. .Scott .had.'died: later. 11(2 Jiad, „.saj's Dr. Atkinson, "thrown back the flaps of liis sleepingbag and opened his coat. Tho littio wallet containing tho three note-books was under his shoulders and his.arm flung round Witaon." AY ell niay Sir Clements Markham say: Scott was among the most remarkable men of our time. . . . Tlio chief traits which shono forth through his life were conspicuous ■in the hour of liis death. Thero are few events in history to bo compared, for grandeur and pathos, with tho last closing scenes in that silent wilderness of suow. Tho great leader, with tho bodies of his dearest friends : besido him, wrote and wroto until tlio pencil dropped from his dying grasp." Other Features.,, ~ To atempt oven the briefest condensation of the' main features of the two volumes in which aro enshrined tho Journals, and tho narratives of tho main and subsidiary expeditions, would take more : spaco than is at my. disposal., Tho account of tho Mount Erebus ascent; tho fascinating description of tho winter sojourn of Lieutenant Campbell's party in their igloo; tho narrativo of the wonderful exploit, of Wilson, Bowers, and Cherry-Garrard' in making their way, in tho most severe season of .the year, to Cape Crozier—a journey rich in sciontilic result—tho studiously, laudably, reserved story by Dr. Atkinson of the search for tho lost explorers, and tho discovery of the tent with its three dead mates; tho account of tho various voyages of the Terra Nova—all these combinc with the Journals themselves to provide a most fascinating record of one of tho finest, noblest,' if tragedy-laden, enterprises to bo found i'i the history of Polar exploration and adventure. Its Wealth of lllusis'atior.. 1 No previous work of' this kind has been more liberally ' illustrated. Two photogravure portraits of Captain Scott and Dr. Wilson respectively servo as frontispieces. Six original sketches by Dr. Wilson, an artist of no mean ability, aro reproduced in- photogravure, and thero are also eighteen coloured plates (16 from original drawings by Dr. Wilson),' somo of which, notalilv a view of an ice-cave, and another representing Mount Erebus, are of. quite exquisite , beauty. In' addition, the . two volumes contain no fewer than 260 fullpage and smaller illustrations,.:', from pliotographs taken by Herbert G, Pouting, the Expedition's nhotograriher, and by other members of tlio expedition, and there .aro also a number of panoramas and maps. Mr. Pouting, whose work in Japan and other countries had already won him a-'high reputation as a photographer, is frequently praised in his Journals for the unremitting industry, disregard of personal discomfort, and even serious danger, which ho displayed in getting picture.? of every phase of the Expedition's work. In its wealth of illustration ■ this' record of "Scott's Last Expedition" is easily without rival in tho long line of works dealing with Polar exploration. A i.ast V/ord. Tho cwo stately tomes havo been printed and produced generally in a manner which reflects the highest credit upon tlio publishers. 'That the volumes deserve, nay; rightly demand, a place in every public library,' goes without saying. Personally,-I'should like to see a copy of tho work placed i;i. every school-house—primary or secondary— in the Dominion, for nowhere could bo iound a nobler, more eloquent testimony to tho qualities which have mado tho British raco what it is than in these two handsomo volumes. By special arrangement, I may state in conclusion, the work is sold in New Zealand at the English price of two guineas. For tlio credit of tho Dominion :it is m be hoped that the sale of the work in New Zealand, a, country which has special and peculiar' interest in all that relates to Captain Scott and liis gallant followers, and their' splendid, but. alas, tragic story, may be exceptionally large.