The First People To Explore Antarctica
In 1912 while traveling back from the South Pole
, Captain Robert Falcon Scott suffered a tragic death. Both he and those traveling with him were afflicted with intense cold and starvation, causing their deaths.
Because of his ambition and persistence, and even though he lost the race to the South Pole and perished, he is known as a national hero.
Because of several studies conducted through the years, we now know what types of severe conditions to expect when exploring Antarctica. Antarctica is a place where temperatures dip to minus 90 degrees Celsius during the winter months, and experiences wind speeds that can average 67 kilometres an hour. Captain Scott was undoubtedly in the middle of these brutal settings without understanding or experience of how to handle Antarctica's real hazards.
Scott would write letters to his wife while working in Polar regions to explain exactly how lonely it was in these areas. Even today, with the most up-to-date communications equipment, scientists working at the pole often note the same sense of utter isolation. When Scott died, he left behind his wife and young son.
His body and letters written for his wife weren't discovered until many months after he died. He was no more than 11 miles from safety. Scott's wife was informed of her demise as she awaited his return back in New Zealand.
Historians can learn much by reading the Scott's letters to his wife. When he first began his expedition, Scott told his wife in his letter how great he felt physically and how much he enjoyed a hot meal. Scott made little note of the extreme cold, saying only that the hot meals helped fend off the loss of body heat.
As the expedition went on the food was running low, Scott's mood seemed to change as well. His letters speak of unrelenting, brutal cold. He and his men were only able to consume one hot meal with two days of cold food in order to move another 11 miles.
Scott was one of the brave men of the early age of exploration but it seemed as if his expedition was cursed. He lost the race to be the first person to reach the South Pole to the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. Amundsen had begun his expedition on December 21st of 1911, and Scott's expedition went underway January 18th of 1912.
Before leaving on his final expedition, Scott was a national hero following his first expedition into the Antarctic regions from 1902-1904.
Nearing the end of the 1912 expedition, along with Lt. Henry Bowers and Dr Edward Wilson, he fought for survival until the very end. Captain Lawrence Oats and Petty Office Edgar Evans weren't so lucky.
The expedition had to begin rationing provisions only 20 miles from a supply depot. Now, they had hardly any meals or fuel left.
Scott then told his wife in a letter that she could find a new husband in the event of his death. In the same letter, he wrote of temps reaching negative 70, and only a tent to provide protection.
In his final letters, he experienced no remorse at having taken the journey that killed him. He even mentioned that he preferred it to relaxing at home. For generations now, Scott's courage and determination have served as an inspiration for British youths.
And this although Scott's expedition was unable to reach the south pole before Amundsmen's team, missing the chance by a scant few weeks. Captain Scott passed on 29 March 1912. Published as "Scott's Last Expedition," his journals are available for study.
by: John Chambers
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