A greater disaster overtook the ponies in the return journey, coming from the Barrier on to the sea ice. It suddenly broke up, forming lanes of water, and notwithstanding every exertion to save them, two were lost on the ice and others succumbed to the furious icy gales. The year had been quite exceptional in this respect. There had already been four furious southerly gales. It was not until April 13th that Captain Scott returned to Cape Evans.
The abode for the winter had been carefully planned. The walls and roof had a double thickness of boarding, with sea-weed on both sides of the frames. On the south side Bowers built a long annex to contain spare clothing and provisions for immediate use. On the north was the stable, and a short distance away was a solid block of ice in which two caverns were dug, one for a larder, the other for differential magnetic instruments. Near this cavern there was a hut for absolute magnetic observations, and on a small hill above, on which was a flag-staff, were the meteorological instruments.
The house, below the hill, was on a long stretch of bleak sand, with many tons of provision cases ranged in neat blocks in front of it. The interior was divided into two rooms. Two-thirds of the area was for the 16 officers and members of the scientific staff, the other third for the 9 men[210]. In the officers’ quarters there was a dark room, a space for the physicist and his instruments, a space for charts, instruments, and chronometers, and on the sides the 16 bed-places. Arrangements for light, warmth, and cooking were very satisfactory. The ten surviving ponies were made comfortable in their stables by the Russian lads.
The last day of the sun was April 23rd. Throughout the winter there was much to be done and many calculations to be made respecting the great journey. Everyone was always busy and the daily exercising of the horses was no simple task. Every Sunday divine service was held. There were frequent lectures, generally on subjects connected with Antarctic travelling or scientific work, often illustrated, and always followed by a discussion. So the winter passed, with the most perfect good fellowship. The South Polar Times was again started under the editorship of Cherry Garrard, well aided by Dr Wilson’s admirable illustrations.
Dr Wilson was anxious to visit the emperor penguin rookery in order to secure eggs of the bird at such a stage as would furnish a series of early embryos by which alone the particular points of interest in the development of the bird could be worked out—this penguin being supposed to be the nearest approach to the primitive form. The journey entailed the risk of travelling in the winter and in darkness, for the birds nest in the coldest season of the year, early in July.
The party consisted of Dr Wilson, Lieut. Bowers, and Cherry Garrard, with two sledges and provisions for five weeks. They started on June 27th, 1911, and next day passed round Cape Armitage, and turned in the direction of Cape Crozier. At night the temperature was -56° Fahr. On July 11th, off Mount Terror, the wind from S.S.W. blowing a gale, brought the temperature up in a most extraordinary way to +7° Fahr., with heavy snow-fall. On the 15th they got to a height overlooking the barrier cliffs, with a magnificent view, the whole range of pressure ridges at their feet, looking “as if giants had been ploughing with ploughs that made furrows fifty or sixty feet deep.” The Ross Sea was completely frozen over, except an open lead along the coast. On this height at about 800 ft. they built a stone hut. On the 19th they made an unsuccessful attempt to descend to the rookery and next day the hut was finished. Then at last they effected a descent. Six eggs were collected and three birds were killed and skinned. Returning, the ascent was extremely difficult and hazardous. A heavy gale was blowing on the 22nd from S.S.W. and the tent was blown clean away. They took refuge in the hut, but next day the force of wind had risen to a storm, and the roof of the hut was blown away. At last the wind went down and they all started in search of the tent, which Bowers found a quarter of a mile from the place where it had been pitched, but fortunately undamaged. Without the tent it is doubtful whether any of them would have survived. The return journey in darkness and intense cold was terrible, the bags were saturated and hard frozen. Hut Point was reached on the last day of July, and the home at Cape Evans on August 1st.
Emperor Penguin Rookery, Cape Crozier
Scott wrote:—
“The Cape Crozier party returned after enduring for five weeks the hardest conditions on record. It forms one of the most gallant stories in polar history. That man should wander forth in the depth of a polar winter to face the most dismal cold and the fiercest gales in darkness is something new; that they should have persisted in their efforts in spite of every adversity for five full weeks, is heroic. It makes a tale for our generation which I hope will not be lost in the telling.”