South

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South

The Project Gutenberg EBook of South!, by Sir Ernest Shackleton
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Title: South!
Author: Sir Ernest Shackleton
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one year ahead of schedule] [Most recently updated April 21, 2003]
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SOUTH!
THE STORY OF SHACKLETON'S LAST EXPEDITION 1914-1917
BY SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON C.V.O.

TO
MY COMRADES
WHO FELL IN THE WHITE WARFARE OF THE SOUTH AND ON
THE RED FIELDS OF FRANCE AND FLANDERS

CONTENTS
I. INTO THE WEDDELL SEA II. NEW LAND III. WINTER
MONTHS IV. LOSS OF THE 'ENDURANCE' V. OCEAN CAMP VI.

THE MARCH BETWEEN VII. PATIENCE CAMP VIII. ESCAPE
FROM THE ICE IX. THE BOAT JOUY X. ACROSS SOUTH
GEORGIA XI. THE RESCUE XII. ELEPHANT ISLAND XIII. THE
ROSS SEA PARTY XIV. WINTERING IN McMURDO SOUND XV.
LAYING THE DEPOTS XVI. THE 'AURORA'S' DRIFT XVII. THE
LAST RELIEF XVIII. THE FINAL PHASE
APPENDIX I: SCIENTIFIC WORK SEA-ICE NOMENCLATURE
METEOROLOGY PHYSICS SOUTH ATLANTIC WHALES AND
WHALING
APPENDIX II: THE EXPEDITION HUTS AT McMURDO SOUND
INDEX

PREFACE
After the conquest of the South Pole by Amundsen, who, by a narrow
margin of days only, was in advance of the British Expedition under
Scott, there remained but one great main object of Antarctic
journeyings--the crossing of the South Polar continent from sea to sea.
When I returned from the 'Nimrod' Expedition on which we had to turn
back from our attempt to plant the British flag on the South Pole, being
beaten by stress of circumstances within ninety-seven miles of our goal,
my mind turned to the crossing of the continent, for I was morally
certain that either Amundsen or Scott would reach the Pole on our own
route or a parallel one. After hearing of the Norwegian success I began
to make preparations to start a last great journey--so that the first
crossing of the last continent should be achieved by a British
Expedition.
We failed in this object, but the story of our attempt is the subject for
the following pages, and I think that though failure in the actual
accomplishment must be recorded, there are chapters in this book of
high adventure, strenuous days, lonely nights, unique experiences, and,
above all, records of unflinching determination, supreme loyalty, and

generous self-sacrifice on the part of my men which, even in these days
that have witnessed the sacrifices of nations and regardlessness of self
on the part of individuals, still will be of interest to readers who now
turn gladly from the red horror of war and the strain of the last five
years to read, perhaps with more understanding minds, the tale of the
White Warfare of the South. The struggles, the disappointments, and
the endurance of this small party of Britishers, hidden away for nearly
two years in the fastnesses of the Polar ice, striving to carry out the
ordained task and ignorant of the crises through which the world was
passing, make a story which is unique in the history of Antarctic
exploration.
Owing to the loss of the 'Endurance' and the disaster to the 'Aurora',
certain documents relating mainly to the organization and preparation
of the Expedition have been lost; but, anyhow, I had no intention of
presenting a detailed account of the scheme of preparation, storing, and
other necessary but, to the general reader, unimportant affairs, as since
the beginning of this century, every book on Antarctic exploration has
dealt fully with this matter. I therefore briefly place before you the
inception and organization of the Expedition, and insert here the copy
of the programme which I prepared in order to arouse the interest of the
general public in the Expedition.
"The