Part 11 (2/2)

In short during Scott's absence his companions had been working strenuously to increase the supply of information; so when the second sledding-season ended, they could with reason congratulate themselves that the main part of their work was done.

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CHAPTER X

RELEASE

And Thor Set his shoulder hard against the stern To push the s.h.i.+p through...

...and the water gurgled in And the s.h.i.+p floated on the waves and rock'd.

M. ARNOLD.

After a few days on board Scott became restless to see what was going on in the sawing-camp, and on the morning of the 31st he started off with Evans, Lashly and Handsley to march the ten and a half miles to the north. When the instructions for this attempt to free the _Discovery_ were drawn up, there had been, of course, no telling how broad the ice-sheet would be when operations began, and Scott had been obliged to a.s.sume that it would be nearly the same as in the previous year, when the open water had extended to the Dellbridge Islets about eleven miles from the s.h.i.+p. There he directed that the camp should be made, and Armitage, on whom in Scott's absence the command had devolved, made all preparations in accordance with the instructions he had received.

At the outset, however, a difficulty awaited him, [Page 179]

as in the middle of December the open water, instead of being up to the islets, ended at least ten miles farther to the north. Under the circ.u.mstances he considered it dangerous to take the camp out to the ice-edge, and so the sawing work had been begun in the middle of the ice-sheet instead of at its edge.

Thirty people were in the camp when Scott arrived, and though at first the work had been painful both to arms and backs they were all in splendid condition and spirits. Fortunately this was a land of plenty, penguins and seals abounded, and everyone agreed that, apart from the labour, they were having a most enjoyable time, though no one imagined that the work would be useful.

In two days Scott was as convinced as anyone that the work must be in vain, and ordered the sawing to stop. 'I have been much struck,'

he wrote, 'by the way in which everyone has cheerfully carried on this hopeless work until the order came to halt. There could have been no officer or man among them who did not see from the first how utterly useless it was, and yet there has been no faltering or complaint, simply because all have felt that, as the sailor expresses it, ”Them's the orders.”'

With twenty miles of ice between the _Discovery_ and freedom, the possibility of yet another winter had to be considered, so although most of the company returned to the s.h.i.+p, Lashly, Evans, Handsley and Clarke were left behind to make sure of an adequate stock of penguins. And then Scott being unable [Page 180]

to do any good by remaining in the s.h.i.+p started off to the north with Wilson, the former being anxious to watch the ice-edge and see what chance there was of a break-up, while Wilson wanted to study the life of that region. This journey was to be 'a real picnic,' with no hard marching and plenty to eat; and, pursuing their leisurely way, on January 4 they were within half a mile of the open water when Wilson suddenly said, 'There they are.' Then Scott looked round, and on the rocks of Cape Royds saw a red smudge dotted with thousands of little black and white figures. Without doubt they had stumbled upon a penguin rookery, but interesting as it was to have made the discovery, it was at the same time exasperating to think of the feast of eggs they had missed in the last two years.

During the rest of the day they watched the penguins and the skua gulls which were nesting around them; and before supper they took soap and towels down to a rill of thaw-water that ran within a few yards of their tent, and washed in the warm sunlight. 'Then,' Scott says, 'we had a dish of fried penguin's liver with seal kidneys; eaten straight out of the frying-pan, this was simply delicious.

I have come to the conclusion that life in the Antarctic Regions can be very pleasant.'

Still in the proper picnic spirit they dawdled over their breakfast on the following day, and were lazily discussing plans when Scott, looking through the open door of the tent to the clear sea beyond, suddenly caught sight of a s.h.i.+p. In a moment haste and bustle reigned supreme, and while they were searching for [Page 181]

boots and other things necessary for the march, Wilson said, 'Why, there's another,' and without any doubt two vessels were framed in the doorway. It had at once been taken for granted that the first s.h.i.+p was the _Morning_, but what in the name of fortune was the meaning of the other neither Scott nor Wilson could imagine.

The easiest and quickest way to find out was to go straight on board, for the s.h.i.+ps were making for the ice-edge some five miles to the westward, but if they had followed this simple plan their companions on the _Discovery_ would have known nothing about it, and would have been compelled to wait for their mails. So they started southward to find the penguin hunters, and then to send them to establish communications with the s.h.i.+p. For a long time no sight of the men could be seen, but after traveling about six miles Scott and Wilson saw the tent, though without any signs of life about it; indeed they were within a hundred yards before in answer to their shouts four very satisfied figures emerged, still munching the remains of a meal. 'Of course,' Scott says, 'I thought they had not seen the s.h.i.+ps, but they had, only, as they explained, they didn't see there was any cause for them to do anything in the matter. I said, ”But, good heavens, you want your mails, don't you?” ”Oh, yes, sir,” they replied, ”but we thought that would be all right.” In other words, they as good as said that life was so extremely easy and pleasant that there was no possible object in worrying over such a trifle as the arrival of a relief expedition.'

When, however, they [Page 182]

had got their orders they were off at once, and Scott and Wilson went back to the s.h.i.+ps and soon found out from Colbeck why the _Terra Nova_ had accompanied the _Morning_, and how strangely the aspect of affairs had altered. Writing in his diary on that night Scott says, 'I can only record that in spite of the good home news, and in spite of the pleasure of seeing old friends again, I was happier last night than I am to-night.'

Briefly the reasons for the sending of the two s.h.i.+ps instead of one were these. Scott's report taken by the _Morning_ had left the strong impression that the relief s.h.i.+p must again be sent to the south in 1903. The 'Morning' fund, however, was inadequate to meet the requirements of another year, and there was not time enough to appeal to the public and to explain the full necessities of the case. In these circ.u.mstances there was nothing for the Societies to do but to appeal to the Government, and eventually the latter agreed to undertake the whole conduct of the relief expedition, provided that the _Morning_, as she stood, was delivered over to them. The Government naturally placed the management of affairs in the hands of the Admiralty, and once having taken the responsibility it was felt that two s.h.i.+ps must be sent, in order that there should be no risk of the pledge being unfulfilled.

The _Terra Nova_, one of the finest of the whaling s.h.i.+ps, was bought, and a whaling crew, under the command of Captain Harry MacKay, was engaged to navigate her. Towards the end of November 1903 she layoff Hobart Town in Tasmania, and in [Page 183]

December she was joined by the _Morning_, Captain Colbeck being directed to take charge of this joint venture until both s.h.i.+ps could come under Scott's command.

Thus it happened that, much to every one's surprise, two s.h.i.+ps arrived off the edge of the fast ice on January 4, 1904. It was not, however, the arrival of the _Terra Nova_, whose captain from the first was anxious to help in every way, but quite another matter that made Scott so sad--and naturally sad--at this time.

In England the majority of those competent to judge the situation had formed the opinion that the _Discovery_ was stuck fast in the ice for all time. Whether the Admiralty held this opinion or not is of no consequence, because in any case it was their duty to see that the expense of another relief expedition should be avoided.

Consequently there was no other course open to them except to tell Scott to abandon the _Discovery_, if she could not be freed in time to accompany the relief s.h.i.+ps to the north. But necessary as this order was, it placed Scott and his companions in a very cruel position. Under the most ordinary conditions a sailor would go through much rather than abandon his s.h.i.+p, but the ties which bound Scott and his company to the _Discovery_ were very far beyond the ordinary; indeed they involved a depth of sentiment not in the least surprising when their a.s.sociations with her are remembered.

In spite of their long detention in the ice, the thought of leaving her had never entered their heads.

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Some time she would be free again, and even if they had to spend a third winter in her they had determined to go through with it, and make themselves as comfortable as possible.

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