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SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE
SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE
Photo: Wilkins THE CAIRN SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE. The Story of the Quest . By Commander FRANK WILD, c.b.e. From the Official Journal and Private Diary kept by Dr. A. H. MACKLIN With Frontispiece in Colour, numerous Maps and over 100 Illustrations from Photographs CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne 1923...
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PREFACE
PREFACE
Sir Ernest Shackleton died suddenly; so suddenly that he said no word at all with regard to the future of the expedition. But I know that had he foreseen his death and been able to communicate to me his wishes, they would have been summed up in the two words, “Carry on!” Perhaps the most difficult part of my task has been the recording of the work of the expedition. It has been to me a very sad duty, and one which I would gladly have avoided had it been possible. The demand, however, for the com
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CHAPTER I INCEPTION
CHAPTER I INCEPTION
Sir Ernest Shackleton was fortunate in securing the active co-operation in the working out of his plans of Dr. H. R. Mill, the greatest living authority on Polar regions. The scheme, however, was an ambitious one, and was likely to prove costly. The period following the end of the war was perhaps not a suitable one in many ways to commence an undertaking of this nature, for Sir Ernest had the greatest difficulty in raising the necessary funds. In this country he received the support of Mr. John
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CHAPTER II LONDON TO RIO DE JANEIRO
CHAPTER II LONDON TO RIO DE JANEIRO
We dipped our ensign in a last farewell to London as we passed out from St. Katherine’s Dock, and turned our nose down-river for Gravesend, a tiny vessel even amongst the small shipping which comes thus far up the river. We were accompanied on this part of our journey by Mr. Rowett, who had taken a keen personal interest in everything connected with the expedition. Enthusiastic crowds cheered us at the start, and everybody we met wished us “Good luck and safe return.” The ensign was kept in a co
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CHAPTER III RIO TO SOUTH GEORGIA
CHAPTER III RIO TO SOUTH GEORGIA
Sir Ernest Shackleton lost no time in going ashore to make arrangements for the necessary work, and set it going with the least possible delay. Messrs. Wilson, Sons & Co. were appointed agents, and their engineer, Mr. Howard, came aboard the same day. In addition, a consulting engineer was employed to make a report on the condition of the engines. The crank-shaft was badly out of alignment, and from this had resulted all the other disabilities which had so continuously cropped up during
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CHAPTER IV DEATH OF SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON
CHAPTER IV DEATH OF SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON
On Thursday, January 5th, I was awakened about 3.0 a.m. to find both of the doctors in my cabin—Macklin was lighting my oil lamp. McIlroy said: “We want you to wake up thoroughly, for we have some bad news to give you—the worst possible.” I sat up, saying: “Go on with it, let me have it straight out!” He replied: “The Boss is dead!” It was a staggering blow. Roused thus in the middle of the night to receive this news, it was some minutes before I felt its full significance. I remember saying mec
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CHAPTER V PREPARATIONS IN SOUTH GEORGIA
CHAPTER V PREPARATIONS IN SOUTH GEORGIA
We can make good all loss except The loss of turning back.— Kipling. Though we all felt very keenly the loss we had suffered in the death of the Boss, we could not allow our depression of spirits to take too strong a hold on us, for there was much work to be done. The season was now well advanced, and I had to make up my mind at once as to what we were going to do. Sir Ernest Shackleton’s death, occurring at this critical juncture, left me with no knowledge of his plans, for he had withheld any
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CHAPTER VI INTO THE SOUTH
CHAPTER VI INTO THE SOUTH
We left Leith Harbour on January 17th, and proceeded along the coast to Cooper Bay. Douglas and Carr had gone there some days before to carry on their geological examination of the island. On arrival we found that they had set up a tent on the beach and had built outside it a fireplace of stones. For fuel they used driftwood, which lined the beach in large quantities. Douglas came to meet us in the kayak, a small skin-boat which had been presented to us by Mr. Jacobsen. I lowered the surf-boat a
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CHAPTER VII THE ICE
CHAPTER VII THE ICE
At about 4.0 p.m. on February 12th, having come to my decision, I blew the steam whistle for the recall of all hands, who had thoroughly enjoyed their day on the ice. Query had had a splendid time in spite of having once or twice fallen through mushy holes into freezing water, and he came back to the ship thoroughly tired from the unwonted exercise. Photo: Wilkins COMMANDER WILD’S WATCH—McILROY, CARR, WILD, MACKLIN Photo: Wilkins THE “BLACK” WATCH—ROSS, ARGLES, YOUNG, KERR, SMITH Photo: Wilkins
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CHAPTER VIII ELEPHANT ISLAND
CHAPTER VIII ELEPHANT ISLAND
The wind hauling ahead about 6.30 a.m. on March 25th we took in sail and under steam proceeded south-west by south in the direction of Clarence Island. We got a sight of it at 7.35 a.m. , but snow flurries obscured it again. About midday the weather cleared when both it and Elephant Island showed up distinctly. It is hard to describe the memories which these two islands revived for those of us who took part in the Endurance expedition. Readers of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s “South” will find a descr
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CHAPTER IX SOUTH GEORGIA (SECOND VISIT)
CHAPTER IX SOUTH GEORGIA (SECOND VISIT)
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s body had been brought back to South Georgia for burial. I insert an account written by Hussey of what had occurred since I saw him last. “The journey up to Monte Video was marked by wretched weather. The ship’s wireless was out of order, so that I was unable to acquaint the world with my sad news. We arrived on Sunday morning, January 29th, and I immediately went on shore and cabled to Mr. Rowett, asking him to break the news to Lady Shackleton. “That afternoon, while I w
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CHAPTER X THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA GROUP
CHAPTER X THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA GROUP
From South Georgia we proceeded first in a northerly direction in order to get into the belt of prevailing westerlies which would give us a fair quarterly wind for Tristan da Cunha. Whilst still in the vicinity of the island a number of soundings were carried out by Worsley and his assistants. From the first we had bad weather, and the winds increased in force during the next few days until, on Friday, May 12th, so fierce a gale was blowing that I was compelled to take in sail and heave to. We h
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CHAPTER XI TRISTAN DA CUNHA[13]
CHAPTER XI TRISTAN DA CUNHA[13]
We arrived at Tristan da Cunha on May 20th, 1922, just as dawn was breaking. A fine rain was falling and all the upper part of the island was shrouded in mist. The islanders seemed to be still in bed, for we saw no signs of activity until Commander Wild blew the steam whistle, which brought them running from their houses in haste, evidently very excited, for we saw them pointing towards us. The men ran down a steep winding path leading to a beach of black sand where a number of boats were drawn
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CHAPTER XII TRISTAN DA CUNHA (continued)[14]
CHAPTER XII TRISTAN DA CUNHA (continued)[14]
Again during the night I was attacked by marauders, which allowed me little rest. In the morning, after breakfast, I took a walk out along the bluff to see if I could pick out through my binoculars any signs of the Quest at Inaccessible Island. It was too misty to get a clear view, but as there was a strong nor’westerly wind and a heavy swell with much surf, which would have made a landing there quite impossible, it did not seem likely that they would be successful. I was followed out from the s
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CHAPTER XIII DIEGO ALVAREZ OR GOUGH ISLAND
CHAPTER XIII DIEGO ALVAREZ OR GOUGH ISLAND
On May 26th the wind was fair for Gough Island and we made good progress. Our ship had become a floating farmyard, for our live stock included sheep, geese, fowls, pig, cat, and, to stir them up and make things lively, our own dog Query, who had never before had so many interesting real live things to play with. The sow Bridget and the geese wandered all about the decks and got in the way generally. One gander was quite a character. He was blind of one eye and had a curious knack of standing wit
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CHAPTER XIV CAPE TOWN
CHAPTER XIV CAPE TOWN
On June 3rd we set course for Cape Town, where I should be able to get into communication with Mr. Rowett. We had had a pretty hard and trying time, but I should have liked to have one more season in the Enderby Quadrant. The Quest had her faults—too many—but yet I had learned to love this little ship for all her waywardness. I had come to believe that much might be accomplished by making Cape Town our starting point and setting out early in the season . On mature consideration, however, I reali
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CHAPTER XV ST. HELENA—ASCENSION ISLAND—ST. VINCENT
CHAPTER XV ST. HELENA—ASCENSION ISLAND—ST. VINCENT
For the first few days at sea after leaving Cape Town I was obliged to keep my bunk, but the care of the doctors, the solicitous attentions of Green, who went to all sorts of length to produce delicacies for me, and the good salt air worked wonders, and I began to regain strength and was soon up and about. As I was in bed the following is quoted verbatim from Macklin’s diary: July 14th. A lovely sunny day with smooth sea, and the Quest behaving better than she has ever done before. Surely this i
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CHAPTER XVI HOME
CHAPTER XVI HOME
We left on Sunday (20th), intending to call at Madeira, but the north-east trades proving too much for the Quest I adopted the sailing ship route and proceeded “full and by” in the direction of the Azores. Conditions were now more pleasant than we had had them since setting out from England at the commencement of our enterprise. The weather became daily cooler and the air fresher. The winds blew the dust and ashes away to leeward, and we were able to have a clean ship. It was quite like the old
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ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
This island is about 116 miles long by 20 miles wide, with the longer axis lying in a general N.W. and S.E. direction. It has the appearance of an upland dissected by cirque recession and enlargement. The highest peak, Mount Paget, which is an isolated remnant of the upland, is about 8,000 feet high. TERMINATION OF ROSS GLACIER SOUTH GEORGIA 8 TH MAY, 1922 SHACKLETON-ROWETT EXPEDITION View larger image The average peaks in the comb ridges are about 2,000 feet, and the average level of the interi
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ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Gough Island lies roughly 200 miles south of the Tristan da Cunha group. It is 8 miles long by 3 miles wide. The island forms a monoclinal block with dip slopes to the west and escarpments to the east. The highest point on the long ridge which runs down the longer axis of the island is about 2,915 feet above sea level. The west side of the ridge goes down in a long slope to the cliffs bordering the sea. The escarpments on the east side are cut by three or four glens. The largest one, about half-
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ISLANDS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC OCEAN
ISLANDS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC OCEAN
These lie just north of the equator, almost midway between Africa and Brazil. These rocks are almost unique in occurrence, for, as Charles Darwin remarks in his journal, “Its mineralogical constitution is not simple.... It is a remarkable fact that all the many small islands, lying far from any continent, with the exception of the Seychelles and this little point of rock, are composed either of coral or erupted matter.” The St. Paul’s Rocks are a group of eight or nine small rocky islands, the l
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APPENDIX II NATURAL HISTORY
APPENDIX II NATURAL HISTORY
Soon after leaving England numbers of landbirds were seen about the ship. In position lat. 43° 52´ S. and 11° 51´ W. long, we saw a heron passing overhead, steering in a S.S.E. direction towards the northern coast of Africa. After leaving Lisbon on the way to Madeira, numbers of robins, wrens, doves, larks and sparrows flew aboard in an exhausted condition. They were captured, measured and their colourings noted, afterwards given food and water, and allowed to go free. One dove that came near th
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APPENDIX III METEOROLOGY
APPENDIX III METEOROLOGY
J. A. McIlroy , M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., and L. D. A. Hussey , B.Sc. Meteorological observations made at one single station are of little value by themselves. Their full value lies in the possibility of their being correlated with observations made contemporaneously at other stations in neighbouring parts of the world. Particularly is this so where the station is a moving one, as in the case of the Quest . Consequently no attempt can be made here to draw any general conclusions from the observations
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DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS
DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS
Thirty-two soundings were taken in the southern ocean, practically all in previously sounded areas, and so of great value in adding to our bathymetrical knowledge of the ocean between the Atlantic Ocean and the Antarctic Continent. They were made with a Lucas machine, driven by a small Brotherhood engine, all kindly lent to Sir Ernest Shackleton by the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, who also provided the Endurance’s Lucas, with which we sounded the Weddell Sea. Our first line of
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Notes on Oils and Grease
Notes on Oils and Grease
It is commonly believed that fats, oils and grease are good non-conductors of heat and if placed on the clothes or on the skin help to keep one warm. There was never a greater fallacy, for it is common experience of polar explorers that the reverse is the case. Circumstances do not permit of regular laundrying or even of regular hot baths, and situations are not rare at this work in which men have spent several months without a wash or a change of clothes. After the loss of the Endurance the par
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