The great silence was broken by the order to let the anchor fall: the splash which followed and the rattle of the chain gave us relief, and then Campbell and Atkinson came off in a boat to tell us in detail how misfortune after misfortune had befallen our leader and his four brave comrades. Slowly and with infinite sadness the flags were lowered from the mastheads and Scott's little "Terra Nova" stood bareheaded at the Gate of the Great Ice Barrier.
From the bridge one heard the occasional clatter of plates and cutlery, for the steward was busy removing the table dressings and putting away the things that we had no heart for any longer. The undelivered letters were taken out of the bunks, which had been spread with white clean linen for our chief and the Polar team, and Drake sealed them up for return to the wives and mothers who had given up so much in order that their men might achieve.
A great cross was now carved of Australian jarrah, on which was carved by
Davis:
In
Memoriam
CAPT. R.F. Scott, R.N.,
DR. E.A. WILSON, Capt. L.E.G. Oates, INS. DRGS.
LT. H.R. BOWERS, R.I.M.,
PETTY OFFICER E. Evans, R.N.,
Who Died on their
Return from the
Pole-March,
1912.
To Strive, To Seek,
To Find,
And Not To Yield.
This cross was borne on a sledge over the frozen sea to Hut Point, and thence carried by Atkinson, and those who had taken part in the search for Captain Scott, to the top of Observation Hill, which is in full view of Cape Evans, and also of Captain Scott's original winter quarters in the Discovery Expedition. The cross overlooks also his resting place: The Great Ice Barrier.
As there is nothing to cause this wooden cross to rot, it will remain standing for an indefinite time.
We left a year's stores for a dozen people at Cape Evans and re-embarked the remainder of our possessions.
The collections and specimens were carefully stowed in our holds, and then we took the ship to Cape Royds and Granite Harbour, where geological depots had been made by Priestley, Taylor, and Debenham.
Finally we revisited Evans Coves, and secured the ship to a natural wharf of very hard sea ice, which stretches out some distance from the Piedmont.
Priestley here secured his party's geological dump, and while he was away the remainder of the expedition in little relays visited the igloo where Campbell and his party spent the previous winter. Concerning the igloo, the following are my impressions, taken from my diary: