The Voyages of Captain Scott | Page 9

training in
sailing ships, but also valuable Polar experience; for the P. and O.
Company, in which he held a position, had in 1894 granted him leave
of absence to join the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz-Josef
Land.
Reginald Koettlitz, the senior doctor, had also seen Arctic service in the
Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition. As his medical duties were expected
to be light, he combined them with those of official botanist.
The task of Thomas V. Hodgson, biologist, was to collect by hook or
crook all the strange beasts that inhabit the Polar seas, and no greater
enthusiast for his work could have been chosen.
Charles W. R. Royds was the first lieutenant, and had all to do with the
work of the men and the internal economy of the ship in the way that is
customary with a first lieutenant of a man-of-war. Throughout the
voyage he acted as meteorologist, and in face of great difficulties he
secured the most valuable records.
Michael Barne, the second naval lieutenant, had served with Scott in
the Majestic. 'I had thought him,' Scott wrote after the expedition had
returned, 'as he proved to be, especially fitted for a voyage where there
were many elements of dangers and difficulty.'

The original idea in appointing two doctors to the Discovery was that
one of them should be available for a detached landing-party. This idea
was practically abandoned, but the expedition had reason to be thankful
that it ever existed, for the second doctor appointed was Edward A.
Wilson. In view of the glorious friendship which arose between them,
and which in the end was destined to make history, it is of inestimable
value to be able to quote what is believed to be Scott's first written
opinion of Wilson. In a letter headed 'At sea, Sept. 27,' he said: 'I now
come to the man who will do great things some day--Wilson. He has
quite the keenest intellect on board and a marvelous capacity for work.
You know his artistic talent, but would be surprised at the speed at
which he paints, and the indefatigable manner in which he is always at
it. He has fallen at once into ship-life, helps with any job that may be in
hand... in fact is an excellent fellow all round.
Wilson, in addition to his medical duties, was also vertebrate zoologist
and artist to the expedition. In the first capacity he dealt scientifically
with the birds and seals, and in the second he produced a very large
number of excellent pictures and sketches of the wild scenes among
which he was living.
One of Scott's earliest acts on behalf of the expedition was to apply for
the services of Reginald W. Skelton as chief engineer. At the time
Skelton was senior engineer of the Majestic, and his appointment to the
Discovery was most fortunate in every way. From first to last there was
no serious difficulty with the machinery or with anything connected
with it.
The geologist, Hartley T. Ferrar, only joined the expedition a short time
before the Discovery sailed, and the physicist, Louis Bernacchi, did not
join until the ship reached New Zealand.
In addition there were two officers who did not serve throughout the
whole term. Owing to ill-health Ernest H. Shackleton was obliged to
return from the Antarctic in 1903, and his place was taken by George F.
A. Mulock, who was a sub-lieutenant in the Navy when he joined.
Apart from Koettlitz, who was forty, and Hodgson, who was

thirty-seven, the average age of the remaining members of the
wardroom mess was just over twenty-four years, and at that time Scott
had little doubt as to the value of youth for Polar service. Very
naturally, however, this opinion was less pronounced as the years went
by, and on August 6, 1911, he wrote during his last expedition: 'We
(Wilson and I) both conclude that it is the younger people who have the
worst time... Wilson (39) says he never felt cold less than he does now;
I suppose that between 30 and 40 is the best all-round age. Bower is a
wonder of course. He is 29. When past the forties it is encouraging to
remember that Peary was 52!'
The fact that these officers lived in complete harmony for three years
was proof enough that they were well and wisely chosen, and Scott was
equally happy in his selection of warrant officers, petty officers and
men, who brought with them the sense of naval discipline that is very
necessary for such conditions as exist in Polar service. The Discovery,
it must be remembered, was not in Government employment, and so
had no more stringent regulations to enforce discipline than those
contained in the Merchant Shipping Act. But everyone on board lived
exactly as though the ship