Scotts Last Expedition Volume I | Page 2

the pencil dropped from his dying grasp. There was no thought of himself, only the earnest desire to give comfort and consolation to others in their sorrow. His very last lines were written lest he who induced him to enter upon Antarctic work should now feel regret for what he had done.
'If I cannot write to Sir Clements, tell him I thought much of him, and never regretted his putting me in command of the Discovery.'
CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM.
Sept. 1913.

Contents of the First Volume

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
THROUGH STORMY SEAS
General Stowage--A Last Scene in New Zealand--Departure--On Deck with the Dogs--The Storm--The Engine-room Flooded--Clearing the Pumps--Cape Crozier as a Station--Birds of the South--A Pony's Memory--Tabular Bergs--An Incomparable Scene--Formation of the Pack--Movements of the Floes ... 1

CHAPTER II
IN THE PACK
A Reported Island--Incessant Changes--The Imprisoning Ice--Ski-ing and Sledging on the Floes--Movement of Bergs--Opening of the Pack--A Damaged Rudder--To Stop or not to Stop--Nicknames--Ski Exercise--Penguins and Music--Composite Floes--Banked Fires--Christmas in the Ice--The Penguins and the Skua--Ice Movements--State of the Ice-house--Still in the Ice--Life in the Pack--Escape from the Pack--A Calm--The Pack far to the North--Science in the Ice ... 20

CHAPTER III
LAND
Land at Last--Reach Cape Crozier--Cliffs of Cape Crozier--Landing Impossible--Penguins and Killers--Cape Evans as Winter Station--The Ponies Landed--Penguins' Fatuous Conduct--Adventure with Killer Whales--Habits of the Killer Whale--Landing Stores--The Skuas Nesting--Ponies and their Ways--Dangers of the Rotting Ice ... 53

CHAPTER IV
SETTLING IN
Loss of a Motor--A Dog Dies--Result of Six Days' Work--Restive Ponies--An Ice Cave--Loading Ballast--Pony Prospects--First Trip to Hut Point--Return: Prospects of Sea Ice--A Secure Berth--The Hut--Home Fittings and Autumn Plans--The Pianola--Seal Rissoles--The Ship Stranded--Ice begins to go. ... 73

CHAPTER V
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP
Dogs and Ponies at Work--Stores for Depots--Old Stores at Discovery Hut--To Encourage the Pony--Dep?t Plans--Pony Snowshoes--Impressions on the March--Further Impressions--Sledging Necessities and Luxuries--A Better Surface--Chaos Without; Comfort Within--After the Blizzard--Marching Routine--The Weakest Ponies Return--Bowers and Cherry-Garrard--Snow Crusts and Blizzards--A Resented Frostbite--One Ton Camp. ... 96

CHAPTER VI
ADVENTURE AND PERIL
Dogs' and Ponies' Ways--The Dogs in a Crevasse--Rescue Work--Chances of a Snow Bridge--The Dog Rations--A Startling Mail--Cross the Other Party--The End of Weary Willy--The Ice Breaks--The Ponies on the Floe--Safely Back. ... 122

CHAPTER VII
AT DISCOVERY HUT
Fitting up the Old Hut--A Possible Land Route--The Geological Party Arrives--Clothing--Exceptional Gales--Geology at Hut Point--An Ice Foot Exposed--Stabling at Hut Point--Waiting for the Ice--A Clear Day--Pancake Ice--Life at Hut Point--From Hut Point to Cape Evans--A Blizzard on the Sea Ice--Dates of the Sea Freezing. ... 138

CHAPTER VIII
HOME IMPRESSIONS AND AN EXCURSION
Baseless Fears about the Hut--The Death of 'Hackenschmidt'--The Dark Room--The Biologists' Cubicle--An Artificer Cook--A Satisfactory Organisation--Up an Ice Face--An Icy Run--On getting Hot ... 158

CHAPTER IX
THE WORK AND THE WORKERS
Balloons--Occupations--Many Talents--The Young Ice goes out--Football: Inverted Temperatures--Of Rainbows--Football: New Ice--Individual Scientific Work--Individuals at Work--Thermometers on the Floe--Floe Temperatures--A Bacterium in the Snow--Return of the Hut Point Party--Personal Harmony ... 171

CHAPTER X
IN WINTER QUARTERS: MODERN STYLE
On Penguins--The Electrical Instruments--On Horse Management--On Ice Problems--The Aurora--The Nimrod Hut--Continued Winds--Modern Interests--The Sense of Cold--On the Floes--A Tribute to Wilson ... 190

CHAPTER XI
TO MIDWINTER DAY
Ventilation--On the Meteorological Instruments--Magnesium Flashlight--On the Beardmore Glacier--Lively Discussions--Action of Sea Water on Ice--A Theory of Blizzards--On Arctic Surveying--Ice Structure--Ocean Life--On Volcanoes--Daily Routine--On Motor Sledging--Crozier Party's Experiments--Midwinter Day Dinner--A Christmas Tree--An Ethereal Glory ... 205

CHAPTER XII
AWAITING THE CROZIER PARTY
Threats of a Blizzard--Start of the Crozier Party--Strange Winds--A Current Vane--Pendulum Observations--Lost on the Floe--The Wanderer Returns--Pony Parasites--A Great Gale--The Ways of Storekeepers--A Sick Pony--A Sudden Recovery--Effects of Lack of Light--Winds of Hurricane Force--Unexpected Ice Conditions--Telephones at Work--The Cold on the Winter Journey--Shelterless in a Blizzard--A Most Gallant Story--Winter Clothing Nearly Perfect. 228

CHAPTER XIII
THE RETURN OF THE SUN
The Indomitable Bowers--A Theory of Blizzards--Ponies' Tricks--On Horse Management--The Two Esquimaux Dogs--Balloon Records--On Scurvy--From Tent Island--On India--Storms and Acclimatisation--On Physiography--Another Lost Dog Returns--The Debris Cones--On Chinese Adventures--Inverted Temperature. ... 255

CHAPTER XIV
PREPARATIONS: THE SPRING JOURNEY
On Polar Clothing--Prospects of the Motor Sledges--South Polar Times, II--The Spring Western Journey--The Broken Glacier Tongue--Marching Against a Blizzard--The Value of Experience--General Activity--Final Instructions ... 276

CHAPTER XV
THE LAST WEEKS AT CAPE EVANS
Clissold's Accident--Various Invalids--Christopher's Capers--A Motor Mishap--Dog Sickness--Some Personal Sketches--A Pony Accident--A Football Knee--Value of the Motors--The Balance of Heat and Cold--The First Motor on the Barrier--Last Days at Cape Evans. ... 290

CHAPTER XVI
SOUTHERN JOURNEY: THE BARRIER STAGE
Midnight Lunches--A Motor Breaks Down--The Second Motor Fails--Curious Features of the Blizzard--Ponies Suffer in a Blizzard--Ponies go Well--A Head Wind--Bad Conditions Continue--At One Ton Camp--Winter Minimum Temperature--Daily Rest in the Sun--Steady Plodding--The First Pony Shot--A Trying March--The Second Pony Shot--Dogs, Ponies, and Driving--The Southern Mountains Appear--The Third Blizzard--A Fourth Blizzard--The Fifth and Long Blizzard--Patience and Resolution--Still Held Up--The End of the Barrier Journey. ... 308

CHAPTER XVII
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER
Difficulties with Deep Snow--With Full Loads--After-Effects of the Great Storm--A Fearful Struggle--Less Snow and Better Going--The Valley of the Beardmore--Wilson Snow Blind--The Upper Glacier Basin--Return of the First Party--Upper Glacier Depot. ... 340

CHAPTER XVIII
THE SUMMIT JOURNEY TO THE POLE
Pressures Under Mount Darwin--A Change for the Better--Running of a Sledge--Lost Time Made