From Ice Floes to Battlefields Page 4

  As the Terra Nova continued south towards McMurdo Sound, fog descended and ice closed in, leaving Pennell in little doubt that his next three tasks might be more difficult to achieve than the first two.8 Now, day after day, stuck fast in the ice, all he and his crew could do was trim coal and exercise the mules and dogs. To while away the time Rennick chased an emperor penguin around an ice floe, Pennell stared at the mock suns and several people joined in a lively discussion about the similarity between the calls of ‘the inevitable skua’ and the farmyard duck.

  On 21 January, after Pennell had conducted on-board church service, they made 2 miles over six hours, which brought their progress over four days to 3 miles in total. As they languished in the pack, the wildlife offered welcome diversion:9

  Yesterday a large school of Killers were round the ship … [a] question that the Killers raise is as to whether the Adélie is afraid of them. The Penguin is quite inconsistent in this as in other matters, occasionally a flock of the birds will be gambolling in the water quite close to the whales, while at others they will rush out on a floe apparently terrified when a Killer comes in sight.

  By 30 January the ice had pushed them north to 76°S, which latitude they had passed three weeks previously. On 3 February Pennell managed to bring the ship sufficiently close to Cape Evans for Atkinson, Meares and Simpson to sledge over to meet them.10 Atkinson, who had ‘good news of everyone’, was delighted to be able to pick the bundles of mail Pennell had brought south with him.

  Pennell and his men were equally keen to learn what had happened since they set sail from Cape Evans twelve months previously.

  On 1 November 1911, the last members of a long convoy of men, ponies, dogs and sledges had left Cape Evans, heading south. Scott had not given any indication as to who he might take to the South Pole with him but he had made it clear that anyone chosen risked not being back at Cape Evans until late March 1912. Unless the weather was unexpectedly warm, the Terra Nova would need to have left by then to avoid being frozen in – and Pennell would need to return again in early 1913.11

  Teddy Evans, motor engineer Bernard Day, William Lashly and steward Hooper had left with the motor-sledges several days ahead of the main party. The main convoy had only been marching for a few days when they came across the remains of two broken-down machines and notes from Teddy Evans. He and his three companions were now faced with marching for hundreds of miles, pulling what provisions and equipment they could until they reached the agreed meeting point just south of 80°S.

  On 24 November, after everyone was reunited, Day and Hooper turned back to Cape Evans, leaving a somewhat exhausted Teddy Evans and Lashly to continue south with the rest of the party. Due to the demise of the motor-sledges and several ponies, Scott asked Meares to continue south with the party for further than they had both originally planned.

  Scott’s original plan had been for Meares, on his return to Cape Evans, to take provisions for men and sledge-dogs to One Ton Depot. Now Scott wrote a note for Day to take back to Cape Evans explaining the situation and asking Simpson to arrange for a sledge-hauling party to take additional provisions from Cape Evans to One Ton Depot (a round trip of over 200 miles). This would leave Meares with a less onerous task to do on his return.

  Day and Hooper arrived back at Cape Evans on 21 December which, if the original plans had been adhered to, was around the time Scott had expected Meares to be back. After a brief rest Day, Hooper and Cape Evans ‘residents’ Edward Nelson and cook Thomas Clissold piled a sledge with provisions and hauled it to One Ton Depot.12

  On 5 January 1912 Meares, his assistant Demitri and the dogs finally returned to Cape Evans after a difficult return journey. Having travelled for a longer period and over a greater distance than originally planned, they all needed time to recover before setting out with another load of provisions to One Ton Depot.

  Meares had already made it clear to Scott and other members of the expedition that he would not be staying for another season. He was a seasoned traveller and accomplished linguist but he had unhappy memories of waiting for relief ships in polar regions. He had been working on an isolated trading post on the remote Kamchatka Peninsula in 1904 when the Russo-Japanese war had broken out.13 When the ship which was due to pick him up had failed to return, Meares and his companions avoided starvation and scurvy thanks only to a passing American ship which found them and took them to Nome, Alaska. After Meares had recovered, he went to do business in Mukden but found himself embroiled in a huge clash between Russian and Japanese forces. As he made his way to the relative safety of Shanghai he met photographer-cum-war-correspondent Herbert Ponting, who invited Meares to join him on a photographic expedition covering Burma, India and Ceylon. So, when Scott later hired Meares as expedition ‘dog expert’, Meares had suggested that his friend Ponting would make an excellent expedition photographer.14

  On 17 January Ponting, during one of his daily walks, spotted the mirage of the Terra Nova through his 12x magnifier lens.15 It became evident that she was stuck in the ice, leaving Meares reluctant to set out for One Ton Depot and risk missing her arrival.

  On 26 January Atkinson, Cherry-Garrard, Wright and Keohane arrived back at Cape Evans. When Atkinson’s party had turned north, Scott, Wilson, Oates and ‘Taff’ Evans (a foursome in place since the outset) had been pulling one sledge while the newly formed team of Bowers, Teddy Evans, Lashly and Crean pulled the second sledge. Scott had still not indicated who would accompany him to the Pole. Everyone at Cape Evans agreed that Scott’s remaining seven companions all had good claims for inclusion.

  Just over a week after Atkinson’s party returned, the Terra Nova finally arrived. Now everyone at Cape Evans had their mail from home – but they would only know who would be going to the South Pole with Scott when the second returning sledge-party arrived off the ice-barrier.

  By 6 February 1912 Pennell had managed to bring the Terra Nova sufficiently close to Cape Evans that dogs and mules could be landed and important items of cargo unloaded and taken by dog-sledge to the hut.16 Pennell was handed a bundle of letters, which turned out to be from Scott, Atkinson, Bowers and Teddy Evans. All had been written in the expectation that the writer would not be at Cape Evans to greet Pennell when he arrived.

  Atkinson’s now somewhat redundant letter opened with a description of an incident which had occurred towards the end of the depot journey:17

  the sea-ice had gone out with Cherry, Birdie and Crean. They did a very plucky thing. They were trekking for the hut over sea-ice when they realised the ice was going out. Birdie sent Crean to tell the Owner and he and Cherry with all food and four ponies made for the Barrier. They were rescued, all fine, but lost 3 ponies unavoidably. I had better tell you now Birdie, Cherry and Uncle and Titus are quite the pick of the whole bunch.

  By contrast, Atkinson continued, Teddy Evans did not seem well suited to on-shore expedition life. Atkinson had therefore taken the liberty of telling Scott about a matter the two friends had discussed before Pennell had left the previous year:

  About the 2nd year I have let the Owner know your wishes off my own bat and he told me that he had been considering it, would like it very much but that it was a very difficult question. You would like the life it is good and hard.

  Bowers’ letter opened with lists of goods in short supply or overstocked and requests for items Pennell might have to hand, including boot-leather, reindeer skins, china mugs and new gramophone records. Having dealt with his duties as quartermaster Bowers told Pennell who he thought might return to New Zealand with the ship and who might stay on for another season:18

  I don’t think [Scott] is particularly keen on coming home this time … if you have brought the beasts [mules] down he will certainly stay … Bill [Wilson] I believe has decided to stay … provided he gets good news of Mrs Wilson’s health, etc. Teddy [Evans] I think is keen on leaving once the polar show is over. I am staying anyhow, so is Sunny Jim [Simpson], Silas, Deb, Day, Nelson, Atkinson & probably Titus, Cherry &
Trigger. Meares, Ponko [Ponting], & Griff [Taylor] are returning in the ship … I think Anton [the groom] will go home, he is a good little chap but gets depressed at times. Demitri is staying & is a great success with the dogs.

  Bowers had warm words for many of his companions, including ‘Taff’ Evans (‘perfect godsend’), Lashly (‘equally good in his line’), Clissold (‘a great success’), Hooper (‘filled out & become quite a hefty chap’), Cherry-Garrard and Wright (now both ‘great sledger[s]’), Ponting (‘indefatigable with his photography’) and Day (‘a marvel at all mechanical jobs’). Wilson and Atkinson were, Bowers confirmed, ‘just the good chaps’ they had first appeared to be. Scott and Wilson made ‘an ideal pair’ and Simpson had made a ‘sporting effort’ in joining one of the shorter expeditions from Cape Evans.

  Others had not, Bowers felt, taken so well to life on the ice:

  Teddy has changed a good deal[;] he is just as enthusiastic & energetic as ever but inconceivably quiet for his mercurial nature. One hardly ever hears him & we have [not] had a single sing-song since you left us. Trigger [Gran] was a little flattened out by the cold in the autumn but has bucked up considerably since. Titus [Oates] is much more cheerful than he was at the start of the depôt journey … the great ‘Griff’ [Taylor] … is up & down like a barometer always … an enthusiast as well as an egoist & probably the cleverest fellow in the party by a long chalk.

  Bowers, like Atkinson, hoped that ‘wheels within wheels’ would result in Pennell joining the landing party for what would certainly be the final season of the expedition.

  Scott’s letter was also encouraging in that and other respects:19

  I guess that you yourself would like to have a turn at shore work and I have it in my mind to arrange it but it is a delicate matter and best left to one of my Southern notes or for my return. I needn’t tell you I should be delighted to have you here. I have written to the Admiralty to commend your services … I know you will do your best and I want you to feel confident that I shall support your actions whatever they may be. Don’t ever worry yourself by wondering whether I should approve this or that; if you think it is the right thing I shall be satisfied. Goodbye for the present. I shall be writing from the South I suspect.

  Teddy Evans’ letter made it clear he was not entirely happy and would not be averse to exchanging duties with Pennell:20

  Dear old Penelope

  I shall be awfully glad to see you again. I asked Capt. Scott to write & ask the Admiralty to promote you early[;] this he has done. Excuse a short note I am tired out. I have been away sledging for the past month, or I would have written more fully. Good bye, don’t hurry out of [McMurdo Sound] too soon. If we stay a 2nd year I don’t mind exchanging with you if you like, as I am rather afraid it is not quite fair to my dear little Hilda.

  But Pennell knew that, regardless of what he or the others wanted, nothing could be counted on unless Scott sent a written instruction back, as he had suggested he might, with the second returning party sledge-party.

  In the absence of Wilson and Bowers, Cherry-Garrard had a tale to tell. On 27 June 1911, in the depths of the Antarctic winter, Cherry, Bowers and Wilson had set out to trek to the emperor penguin colony at Cape Crozier. Wilson wanted to collect specimen eggs, which would, he hoped, show whether there was an evolutionary link between birds and reptiles.21 During their five-week expedition howling gales had shattered their ‘igloo’ shelter, their tent had blown away, they had fallen down crevasses, and, in temperatures as low as 70°F below freezing point, their helmets had frozen into blocks of ice and they had suffered frostbitten extremities and cracked teeth. They had staggered back into Cape Evans on 1 August, starving and virtually unrecognisable, but bearing three specimen eggs. The expedition, during which Wilson and Bowers had ‘celebrated’ their 39th and 28th birthdays respectively, had tested Cherry’s endurance to the limits but he would never forget the resilience and kindness of his two companions.

  On 14 February 1912, with most of the unloading completed, Pennell decided to make another attempt to pick up Taylor’s geological party (the still unfulfilled third task on his list). As he sailed, Atkinson and Demitri also left Cape Evans for Hut Point with a dog team. Given the uncertainty as to when the ship would leave, they would travel south to meet Scott and the South Pole party and rush back with their news in the hope the ship had not yet left McMurdo Sound for New Zealand.

  On 16 February, Pennell welcomed Taylor, Debenham, Gran and Forde aboard the Terra Nova.22 They had seen the ship in the distance during Pennell’s first attempt to reach them and had since been making their way across the ice floes in anticipation of Pennell’s return.

  When a ‘snow and blow’ made an immediate return to Cape Evans impossible, Pennell decided to head for Terra Nova Bay in case he could retrieve Campbell’s party. But the pack was still heavy and there was no sign of open water. He had no option but to retreat, but it took four hours to turn the ship and three hours of alternating reverse thrust and ‘full steam ahead’ to make a mile through the overlapping pancake ice. Pennell knew it was no help to Campbell or anyone else if the Terra Nova became frozen in, so he decided to return to Cape Evans.

  When he arrived on 25 February, Pennell asked those on board who were planning to stay for a further season to gather their belongings and disembark and those who were planning on returning to New Zealand to disembark, pack quickly and tell anyone else who wanted to leave to prepare for departure. If everyone did as asked, he might be able to make one more attempt to relieve Campbell.

  Suddenly Simpson arrived on board with news of the second returning sledge party. They were off the Barrier but Teddy Evans was desperately ill with scurvy and needed to be brought onto the ship immediately. Atkinson and Evans were both at Hut Point, where Atkinson was treating him with scorbutics. But it was to Bill Lashly and Tom Crean that Evans owed his life.

  On 4 January 1912 Teddy Evans, Lashly and Crean had waved Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oates and Taff Evans away to the Pole and then turned north. As the days and weeks passed it became clear that Evans was gradually losing strength, but Lashly and Crean were still pulling strongly. On 13 February, about 100 miles from Hut Point, Evans collapsed completely.

  Lashly and Crean decided what films, personal possessions and non-necessities they could safely take off the sledge and loaded the comatose Evans onto the sledge. For the next week they dragged Evans, their tent, vital equipment and a diminishing stock of rations at an average speed of 10 miles a day for ten hours’ pulling. Eventually Lashly and Crean began to weaken. Evans roused himself sufficiently to order them to abandon him, but they decided to disobey him and instead to put themselves on half rations and continue marching towards Hut Point. With any luck, they thought, there might be someone waiting there to meet them or the South Pole party.

  After four days on half-rations Lashly and Crean worked out that they would not, at their current rate of progress, reach Hut Point before their rations ran out completely. They agreed that Lashly would stay with Evans while Crean, armed with two sticks of chocolate and three biscuits, would set out to walk the remaining 30 or so miles to Hut Point.

  On 19 February Tom Crean staggered into Hut Point to be greeted by an astonished Atkinson and Demitri. Crean had walked for eighteen hours with only a five-minute break to eat his chocolate and two biscuits.

  Now Atkinson needed to reassess his priorities. Of his two fellow doctors, Wilson was on his way to or from the South Pole and Levick was marooned at Evans Cove. Only Atkinson was available to try to save Teddy Evans’ life.

  Atkinson and Demetri set out with a dog-sledge and brought Evans back to Hut Point. Knowing he also needed to think about who would travel south to meet the South Pole party he sent Crean to Cape Evans with a note asking Cherry-Garrard and Wright to come to Hut Point. With the ship due to leave, Atkinson had little choice. Meares was packed and ready to go; Simpson had been prepared to stay (as Bowers suggested) but Pennell had brought him a letter from the India M
eteorological Department summoning him back to work.23 Simpson was keen for Wright (who was staying) to take over his meteorological work straight away. Atkinson knew he could not expect Lashly and Crean to return immediately to the barrier. He also knew that, as a doctor, he was duty bound to stay with Evans until he was out of danger. That left Cherry-Garrard and Demitri. The latter was an experienced dog-driver; the former could be trusted to do his utmost to meet up with the South Pole party, which included Wilson and Bowers, two of his best friends on the expedition.

  On 23 February Atkinson gave his Cherry his orders. As the South Pole party was by now almost certain to have passed 83°S (the most southerly meeting point Scott had specified to Meares), Cherry and Demitri should travel as fast as possible to One Ton Depot, with supplies for themselves, their dogs and the South Pole party. If they met the South Pole party at or before reaching One Ton Depot they should dash straight back with Scott’s news and reports in case the Terra Nova was still in the area.

  On 26 February Atkinson saw Cherry-Garrard and Demitri off from Hut Point, then settled down to wait for Pennell to bring the Terra Nova round from Cape Evans to collect him and Teddy Evans. By now the ice between Hut Point and Cape Evans had floated out to sea, so the only way out was by ship.

  On 27 February Harry Pennell was waiting for a gale to die down so he could get round to Hut Point and pick up Evans and Atkinson. To pass the time he had started a letter to Edward Wilson, which he would leave at Cape Evans for Wilson to find on his return. Having assured Wilson that his wife, Oriana, was in good health and would be well looked after by Joseph Kinsey and others in New Zealand he told Wilson about his current concerns:24