The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-10
CAPTAIN SCOTS NARRATIVE
OF ANTARCTIC EXPERIENCES

AhAhOAi view LealanQ, TUESDAY,
April 2.-Lieut. Pennel, commander Of
the Terra Nova of the British ant
arctic expedition of 1910, which ar
rived here yesterday, brought with
him long and intensely interesting
account of the work and experiences
of the expedition up to January 8
last, written expressly for the New
York Times by Capt Robert F. Scott,
the leader of the expedition.
Capt. SCOTS story is as follows:
BY CAPT. ROBERT F. SCOTT.
McMURDO SOUND, October 80,
1911.-Shortly after the departure of
the depot-laying party from Cape
Evans on January 25, 1911, the sea
ice broke at South Cape and severed
communication with the station. The
depot party, consisting of twelve
men, eight ponies and two dog teams,
occupied till January 80 in establish
ing base camp at the barrier, seven
miles east-southeast of Hut point Ow-
ing to the heavy weights to be trans
ported the main part of the supplies
were left at this camp. The party pro-
ceeded with single loads esst-south-
east twenty-seven miles to a spot
named Corner Camp before turning
south to avoid the crevasses of White
Island. The snow surface proved
very soft, making terribly hard work
for the ponies. A three-day heavy
blizzard at Corner Camp was a furth-
er severe trial to the animals, which
we're not in good condition.
February we proceeded south,
marching by night and resting by
day. The weather was exceptionally
bad, but the surface improved. The
three weakest ponies were sent back,
but these unfortunately were caught
in another bad blizzard and two sue
cumbed. With the remaining ponies
and the dogs we reached latitude 1914
degrees the 10th, when 1 decided, ow-
ing to the condition of the weather
and the animals, to make depot here
and return. We left more than ton
of stores at this point, which we
= named One Ton Camp, and which
should be a great help to us this sea-
son. We returned to our base camp
with dog teams.
Held Up On creVasse Bridge.
While cutting a corner of White Is
land in a bad light the whole of one
dog team fell into a crevasse. Meares,
myself and the isledge were miracul-
ously held up on part of bridge
across the crevasse, along which we
had been travelling, and most of the
dogs hung by their harness. With
great difficulty and after three hours
work we sxtricated the animals. One,
which was badly injured by falling
sixty feet, afterward died.
At Base Camp l found every single
pony well, and, visiting the Hut point,
] received news of the Terra Nova and
FRAN. On February "a, with men on
skis, and a single pony, l started to
take more stores to Corner Camp. On
the outward journey we passed re-
turning ponies going we'll. Returning
from Corner Camp was held up by
a blizzard on the 9th, but reached
Base Camp on the 2Sth. found the
storm had been phenomenal at this
place, raging for three days and caus-
ing enormous accumulations of snow.
Shifts of wind had baffled all efforts
to shelter the ponies with snow walls,
and the animals had suffered very
badly, so 1 decided to retire to Hut
point without delay.
Wilson and Meares, driving dog
teams, reached Hut point in safety.
Oates, Grain and 1 remained to try
and save one pony which had been
badly hit by the blizzard, while Bow
ers, Cherry, Gerard and Cream, with
the four best ponies, set out to follow
the dogs. Nearing Hut point they
found badly working cracks in the sea
ice, and hastily turned and marched
four miles south.
Adrlft on the Ice.
There at a. m. on March the tir-
ed condition of the ponies obliged the
party to camp. At 1880 Bowers,
awakened by noise, found the ice
broken all around the camp and NOV
ing with the heavy swell. One pony
had disappeared from the picketing
line and was not seen again. Hastily
packing their sledges, the party de-
cided to try and work southwest over
the pack ice. With infinite difficulty
the sledges were dragged, the ponies
jumping from floe to floe toward the
barrier.
About noon the party neared the
barrier, but found its ice wall I'M
climbable and the swell churning and
breaking heavy floes against it. In
this dilemma Cream was allowed to
,Ato-..A - ohtafn haIn He Travelled