STORY OF EXPEDITION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 541, 12 February 1913, Page 5

STORY OF EXPEDITION.

ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE. FINDING THE BODIES. HOW THE PARTY DIED. London, Tuesday. The expedition reports the Terra Nova arrived at Cape Evans on January 18th this year, and obtained the following information from the shore party there: — Captain Scott reached the South Pole on January 18th, 1912, and found Amundsen's tent and records. On the return journey the whole southern party perished. Scott, Wilson, and Bowers died from exposure during a blizazrd on about March 29tb, 1912. The last camp was eleven miles south of "oneton depot," or 155 miles from the hut at Cape Evans. Oates died from exposure on March 17th. The seaman, Edgar Evans, died from concussion of the brain on February 17th. The health of the remainder of the expedition was excellent, including Lieut. Campbell's party, who wintered at Terra Nova Bay. Thn history of the expedition is as follows: Before the Terra Nova left for New Zealand last March. Surgeon Atkinson, who had been left in charge of the Western party until Capt. Scott's return, despatched Garrard and Demeteri to Dog River with two dog teams to assist the Southern party, whose ratrurn to Hut Point waß expected about March 10th, 1912. Mr Atkinson would have accompanied this party, but was kept back in medical charge of Lieut. Evans, second in charge, who, it will be remembered, nearly died of scurvy. This relief party reached "one ton depot" on March 3rd, but was compelled to return on March 10th owing primarily to dog food running short; also to persistent bad weather and the poor condition of the dogs after the strain of a hard season's work. The dog ' teams returned to Hut Point on 1 March 16th. The poor animals were ' mostly frost-bitten, and were incap--1 able of further work. Garrard col- : lapsed through an overstrained heart, and his companion was also sick. As it was impossible to communicate with Cape Evans, the ship having left on March 4th, and open sea lying between Atkinson and Keohane, the only two men left sledged out to

Corner Camp to render any help that might be wanted by the Southern party. They fought their way out to Corner Camp against the unusually severe weather, and realising they j could be of no assistance were forced to return to Hut Point after leaving at the depot one week's provisions. In April, when communication with Cape Evans was established, a gallant attempt to relieve Lieut. Campbell was made by Atkinson, Wright, Williamson and Keahane. This party reached Butter Point where they were stopped by open water. Their return was exciting, and nearly resulted in disaster owing to sea ice. THE FINAL SEARCH. On October 30th last, an expedition was organised by Surgeon Atkinson, consisting of two divisions, Atkinson taking the dog teams with Garrard and Determi, and Mr Wright in charge of a party, including Nelson, Fran, Lashley, Crean, Williamson, Keohane and Hooper, with seven Indian mules. They were provisioned for three months. "One-ton" camp was found in order and was all provisioned. FINDING THE BODIES. Proceeding along the old Southern route on November 12th, Wright's party sighted Scott's tent. Within it were the bodies of Oapt. E. F. Scott, Royal Navy; Dr E. A. Wilson, chief of the scientific staff; and Lieut. H. R. Bowers, Royal Indian Marines. From their records the folluwing information was gleaned:— First death was that of Seaman Edgar Evans, petty officer of the Royal Navy, official number 160,225, who died on February 17th, at the foot of Beardmore Glacier. His death was accelerated by concussion of the brain, sustained while travelling over rough ice some time before. Captain L. E. G. Oates, Inniskilling Dragoons, was next lost. His feet and Bands were badly frostbitten, and although he struggled on heroically on March 16th, his comrades knew his end was approaching. He had borne intense suffering for weeks without complaining, and he did not give up hope to the very end. Capt. Scott writes: "He was a I brave soul. He slept through the nights hoping not to wake, but awoke in the morning. It was blowing a blizzard. Oates said '1 am just going outside, and may be sume time.' He went out to the blizzard, and we have not seen him since." Scott adds: "We knew that Oates was walking to hia death but though we tried to dissuade him we knew it was the action of a brave man and an English general. On March 16th Oates was really unable to travel, but the others could not leave him. His was a gallant death." Scott, Wilson and Bower pushed northwards when the abornally bad weather would permit, but were forced to camp on March 21st in latitude 79 degrees 40 minutes south, longitude 169 degrees 2 minutes east, eleven miles south of the big depot at "one-ton" camp. This they never reached, owing to a blizzard which is known from the records to have lasted nine days, overtaking them, and food and fuel giving out. In Capt. Scott's diary Atkinson found the following, which is quoted verbatim. THE LAST MESSAGE. Thus begins the message to the public:— "The causes of this diaster are not due to faulty organisation, but to misfortune in all risk which had to be undertaken. First: The loss of the pony transport in March, 1911, obliged me to start later than I had intended, and obliged che limit of the stuff transported. Second: The weathei throughout the outward journey, anc especially the long gale in 83 degrees south, stopped us. Third: The soft i snow in the lower reaches of tht 1 glacier again reduced our pace. i "We fought these untoward events , with a will, and conquered, but afci > into the provision reserve. Ever;

detail of our food supplies, clothing and depots, was made, and on that long stretch of 700 miles to the Pole and back, worked out to perfection. The advance party would have returned to the glacier in fine form, and with a surplus of food, but for the astonishing failure of the man whom we had least expected to fail. Seaman Edgar Evans was thought the strongest man of the party. , "The Beardmore glacier is not difficult in fine weather, but on our return we did not get a single completely fine day. This, with a sick comrade, enormously increased our anxieties. I have said elsewhere we got into frightfully rough ice, and Edgar Evans received a concussion of the brain. He died a natural death, but left us a shaken party with the season unduly advanced. But all the factß above enumerated were as nothing to the surprise which awaited us on the barrier. I maintain that our arrangements for returning were quite adequate, and that no one in the world would have expected the temperatures and surfaces which we encountered at this time of the year. On the summit, in latitude 85 degrees to 86 degrees, we had minus 20 to minus 30. On the barrier in latitude 82 de- j grees 10,000 feet lower we had minus 30 in the day and minus 47 at night pretty regularly with a continuous head wind. During our day marches. It is clear that these circumstances came on very suddenly, and our wreck is certainly due to this sudden advent of severe weather, which does not seem to have any sat' isfactory cause. I do not think human beings ever came through such a month as we have come through, and we have got through in spite of the weather. But for the sicking of a second companion, Capt. Oates, and a shortage of fuel in -our depots, for which I cannot account, and finally, but for the storm which has fallen on us within 11 miles of this depot at which we hoped to secure the final supplies. Surely misfortune could scarcely have exceeded this last blow. Wa arrived within 11 miles of our old "one-ton" camp with fuel for one hot meal, and food for two days. For four days we have been unable to leave the tent. We are weak; writing is difficult, but for my own sake I do not regret this journey, which has shown that Englishmen can endure hardship, help one another, and meet death with as great a fortitude as ever in the past. We took risks, and we new we took them. Things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence determined still to do our best to the last. But if we have been willing to give our lives to this enterprise, which for the honour of our country, I appeal to our countrymen to see that those who depend on us are properly cared for. Had we lived I sho.ild have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. The rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale but surely a great, rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for. —R. Scott, March 25th, 19155."

Thus the message ends, A LONELY BURIAL

Surgeon Atkinson and party gathered the records and effects of the dead men.

They read a burial service over their bodies, and erected a cairn and cross to their memory over the inner tent in which they buried them. ,