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Title: Shackleton's Last Voyage The Story of the Quest Author: Frank Wild Release Date: February 27, 2019 [EBook #58973] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHACKLETON'S LAST VOYAGE *** Produced by Tim Lindell, Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) Transcriber’s Note: Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. There is a possible missing word on page 135 in the sentence: “One has to be economical these hard times.” On page 291, “Groote Schur” should possibly be “Groote Schuur”. SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE Photo: Wilkins THE CAIRN SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE. The Story of the Quest. By Commander FRANK WILD, c.b.e. From the Official Journal and Private Diary kept by Dr. A. H. MACKLIN With Frontispiece in Colour, numerous Maps and over 100 Illustrations from Photographs CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne 1923 First Published May 1923. Second Edition June 1923. Reprinted November 1923 Printed in Great Britain To THE BOSS “Yonder the far horizon lies, And there by night and day The old ships draw to port again, The young ships sail away. And go I must and come I may, And if men ask you why, You may lay the blame on the stars and the sun And the white road and the sky.” Gerald Gould vii PREFACE Sir Ernest Shackleton died suddenly; so suddenly that he said no word at all with regard to the future of the expedition. But I know that had he foreseen his death and been able to communicate to me his wishes, they would have been summed up in the two words, “Carry on!” Perhaps the most difficult part of my task has been the recording of the work of the expedition. It has been to me a very sad duty, and one which I would gladly have avoided had it been possible. The demand, however, for the complete story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last expedition has been so widespread and insistent that I could no longer withhold it. In the subsequent pages of this book the reader will find recorded the story of the voyage of the Quest, the tight little ship that carried us through over twenty thousand miles of stormy ocean and brought us safely back. I make no claim to literary style, but have endeavoured to set forth a plain and simple narrative. The writings of explorers vary, but in my opinion they have all one common fault, which is, that they have attempted to combine in one volume the scientific results with the more popular story of the expedition. This book is for the public. I have sought to eliminate the mass of scientific details with which my journal is filled, to avoid technical terms, and to retain only that which can be easily understood by all. Of the parts of the narrative that deal with Sir Ernest Shackleton I have passed over very shortly. Pens far more able than mine, notably those of Mr. Harold Begbie and Dr. Hugh Robert Mill, have written of his life and character. Though I was his companion on every one of his expeditions, I know little of his life at home. It is a curious thing that men thrown so closely together as those engaged in Polar work should never seek to know anything of each other’s “inside” affairs. But to the “Explorer” Shackleton I was joined by ties so strongly welded through the many years of common hardship and struggle that to write of him at all is extremely difficult. Nothing I could set down can convey what I feel, and I have a horror of false and wordy sentiment. I trust, therefore, that those readers who may think that I have dealt too lightly with the parts of the story which more intimately concern him will sympathize and respect my feelings in the matter. I must take this opportunity of acknowledging my deep feeling of gratitude to Mr. John Quiller Rowett. What the expedition owes to him no one, not even its individual members, can ever realize. There have been many supporters of enterprises of this nature, but usually they have sought from it some commercial gain. Mr. Rowett’s support was due solely to his keen interest in scientific research, which he had previously instituted and encouraged in other fields. He bore practically the whole financial burden, and this expedition is almost unique in that it was clear of debt at the time of its return. But, in addition to this, I owe him much for his kindly encouragement, his clear, sound judgment, and his unfailing assistance whenever I have sought it. Mrs. Rowett has given me invaluable assistance throughout the preparation of the book and has corrected the proofs. For her kindly hospitality I owe more than I can say, for to myself and others of the expedition her house has ever been open, and we have received always the most kindly welcome. In this connexion I could say a great deal, but it would be inadequate to convey what I feel. The expedition owes also a debt of gratitude to Sir Frederick Becker, for his encouraging assistance was rendered early in its inception. To the many public-spirited firms who came forward with offers of assistance to what was considered a national enterprise I must make my acknowledgments. It is regrettable that many of the smaller suppliers of the expedition seized the chance of a cheap advertisement at the time of our departure, but a number of the more reputable firms made no stipulation of any sort, but presented us with goods as a free gift. I can assure them that I do not lightly regard their share in helping on the work, for we were thus enabled to carry in our food stores only the best of products, Sir Ernest Shackleton rigidly eliminating all goods which he felt unable to trust. To Mr. James A. Cook I owe much for the hard work he has done at all times and for the help which he rendered whilst the expedition was away from England. To my many other friends who have at one time and another been of assistance I tender my grateful acknowledgments, knowing full well that they will realize how impossible it is for me to thank them all by name. I must thank Dr. Macklin for the care he took in keeping the official diary of the expedition. This and his own private journal, from which I have freely quoted, have both been invaluable to me. To “The Boys,” those who stood by me and gave me their loyal service throughout an arduous and trying period, I say nothing—for they know how I feel. FRANK WILD. viii ix x xi CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1. Inception 1 2. London to Rio de Janeiro 16 3. Rio to South Georgia 44 4. Death of Sir Ernest Shackleton 64 5. Preparations in South Georgia 71 6. Into the South 80 7. The Ice 122 8. Elephant Island 155 9. South Georgia (Second Visit) 173 10. The Tristan da Cunha Group 199 11. Tristan da Cunha By Dr. Macklin 219 12. Tristan da Cunha (continued) By Dr. Macklin 243 13. Diego Alvarez or Gough Island 265 14. Cape Town 287 15. St. Helena—Ascension Island—St. Vincent 294 16. Home 310 Appendices I.—Geological Observations 314 II.—Natural History 328 III.—Meteorology 340 IV.—Hydrographic Work 343 V.—Medical 352 List of Personnel 366 Index 367 xiii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The Cairn Colour Frontispiece Plate FACING PAGE 1. Sir Ernest Shackleton in Polar Clothing 4 2. Mr. John Quiller Rowett 5 3. A Diagrammatic View of the Quest 6 4. Sectional Views of the Quest 7 5. The Sperry Gyroscopic Compass 10 6. The Enclosed Bridge of the Quest 11 7. The Quest at Hay’s Wharf 12 8. Kerr (Chief Engineer) Examining the Lucas Deep-sea Sounding Machine 13 9. The Wireless Operating Room—The Ward Room of the Quest 20 10. The Quest Passing the Tower of London on her way to the Sea—The Schermuly Portable Rocket Apparatus 21 11. The Quest in the North-east Trades 28 12. The Tow Net in Use 29 13. A Porpoise which was Harpooned from the Bowsprit 32 14. Query—The Boss Gives Query a Bath 33 15. Landing the Shore Party at St. Paul’s Rocks 48 16. The White-capped Noddy (Anous stolidus) on St. Paul’s Rocks—The Booby (Sula leucogastra) 49 17. Commander Worsley Superintending Work in the Rigging at Rio de Janeiro 50 18. The Quest in Gritviken Harbour 51 19. The Whaling Station at Gritviken 62 20. Sunset on the Slopes of South Georgia 63 21. The Resting Place of a Great Explorer 64 22. The Picturesque Setting of Prince Olaf Station 65 23. Prince Olaf Whaling Station 68 24. A Steam Whaler with Two Whales brought in for Flensing—Huge Blue Whales at South Georgia 69 25. The “Plan” at Gritviken, with a Whale in Process of Being Flensed 76 26. Leith Harbour, South Georgia 77 27. Chart of Larsen Harbour—The Entrance to Larsen Harbour 80 28. An Expedition in Search of Fresh Food—Marr, McIlroy, Commander Wild, Macklin 81 29. Commander Wild 82 30. A Small Berg—A Curious “Toothed” Berg 83 31. A Lovely Evening in the Sub-Antarctic 86 32. Too Many Cooks—Our First Deep-sea Sounding 87 33. The Western End of Zavodovski Island, showing Grounded Icebergs 90 34. Sentinel of the Antarctic 91 35. A Typical Scene at the Pack Edge 94 36. Killers Rising to “Blow”—The Quest Pushing Through Thin Ice 95 37. Loose Open Pack—Loose Pack Ice, with the Sea Rapidly Freezing Over 96 38. The Midnight Sun 97 39. The Loneliness of the Pack 100 40. An Unpleasant but Necessary Duty—Taking Crab-eater Seals for Food 101 41. Commander Wild at the Masthead 108 42. Pushing South Through Heavy Pack—The Quest Ploughing Through Heavy Ice Pack 109 43. The Quest at her Farthest South—Jeffrey and Douglas taking Observations for Magnetic Dip 112 44. Heavy Pressed-up Pack Ice, the Quest in the Distance—Commander Wild and Worsley Examining a Newly Formed “Lead” in the Pack Ice 113 xiv 45. The Quest Pushing North Through Rapidly Freezing Ice 114 46. “Watering” Ship with Floe Ice 115 47. Emperor Penguins on the Floe: A Still Evening in the Pack 118 48. Frozen Spray 119 49. Commander Wild’s Watch: McIlroy, Carr, Wild, Macklin—The “Black” Watch: Ross, Argles, Young, Kerr, Smith 122 50. Worsley’s Watch: Douglas, Wilkins, Watts, Worsley—Jeffrey’s Watch: McLeod, Marr, Jeffrey, Dell 123 51. Chipping Frozen Spray from the Gunwales 126 52. The Quest Beset near Ross’s Appearance of Land 127 53. Rowett Island, off Cape Lookout, Elephant Island 150 54. The Kent “Clear-View” Screen—Approaching Cape Lookout 151 55. Loading Sea-elephants’ Blubber, Elephant Island 154 56. Somnolent Content: a Sea-elephant on Elephant Island—Ringed Penguins and a Paddy Bird (Chionis alba) 155 57. Shackleton’s Last Anchorage—McLeod and Marr clearing up After a Blizzard 160 58. Sugar Top Mountain, Part of the Allardyce Range, South Georgia 161 59. A Glacier Face in South Georgia 176 60. A Rocky Outcrop in South Georgia 177 61. Distended Whale Carcasses in Prince Olaf Harbour 178 62. Cape Pigeons (Daption capensis) at South Georgia 179 63. The Northern Coast of Drygalski Fiord—Cape Saunders 182 64. The New Type of Whaler—The Black-browed Albatross or Mollymauk 183 65. A Pair of Adult Wandering Albatross—A Young Albatross 186 66. Gentoo Penguin Feeding its Chick—The Chick after Feeding 187 67. On the Way to the Cairn—Looking Shorewards from the Cairn 190 68. Our Farewell to the Boss 191 69. The Settlement at Tristan da Cunha from the Sea—View of the Settlement from the East 208 70. Landing at Big Beach, Tristan da Cunha—A Tristan Bullock Cart 209 71. Nightingale Island—Inaccessible Island 224 72. Wireless Pole being erected, Tristan—Carr and Douglas with Two Tristan Guides, Henry Green and Glass 225 73. John Glass and Family—The Mission House on Tristan da Cunha 240 74. The “Potato Patches” on Tristan da Cunha 241 75. Tristan Women Twisting Wool—The Tristan Method of Carding Wool 256 76. Henry Green’s Cottage, Tristan da Cunha—The Oldest Inhabitant of Tristan da Cunha, Miss Betty Cotton 257 77. View of Gough Island from the Glen Anchorage 262 78. The Apostle, an Acid Intrusive near the Summit of Gough Island—The Little Glen where the New Sophora was Discovered 263 79. On the Way to the Summit 266 80. The Glen Anchorage from the Higher Slopes 267 81. The Quest seen through the Archway Rock, Gough Island 276 82. Dell Rocks, at the North-eastern End of Glen Beach 277 83. Lot’s Wife Cove and Church Rocks, Gough Island 284 84. Lot’s Wife, Gough Island 285 85. The Quest Entering Table Bay—The Quest in Dock at Cape Town 288 86. The Summit of Ascension Island 289 87. The Abandoned Wireless Station on Ascension Island—Flowering Plants Growing in the Volcanic Ash at Ascension Island 304 88. Wideawake Plain, Ascension Island—A Wideawake 305 89. Weatherpost Hill, Ascension Island, Looking East 308 90. A View in San Miguel in the Azores 309 91. Booby with Chick—A Booby Chick 316 xv xvi 92. Types of Fish Caught in the Lagoon at St. Paul’s Rocks—White-capped Noddies at St. Paul’s Rocks 317 93. Gentoo Penguin with Two Chicks—Nesting Ground of the Mollymauk 320 94. Giant Petrel at Nest 321 95. The Surface of a Glacier, showing Numerous Crevasses 336 96. Sea-elephants in Tussock Grass 337 97. The Island Tree (Phylica nitida)—Sea-elephants among the Rocks 340 98. Commander Worsley taking Observations of the Sun by Sextant—Hussey (Taking Sea Temperatures), Commander Wild and McIlroy 341 99. Setting up Kites for the Taking of Meteorological Observations 348 100. An Apparatus for Bringing Up Specimens of the Sea Bottom 349 1 Shackleton’s Last Voyage CHAPTER I INCEPTION After the finish of the Great War, which had employed every able-bodied man in the country in one way or another, Sir Ernest Shackleton returned to London and wrote his famous epic “South,” the story of the Imperial Trans- Antarctic Expedition. Before it was finished he had again felt the call of the ice, and concluded his book with the following sentence: “Though some have gone, there are enough to rally round and form a nucleus for the next expedition, when troublous times are over, and scientific exploration can once more be legitimately undertaken.” For many years he had had an inclination to take an expedition into the Arctic and compare the two ice zones. He felt, too, a keen desire to pit himself against the American and Norwegian explorers who of recent years had held the foremost position in Arctic exploration, to win for the British flag a further renown, and to add to the sum of British achievements in the frozen North. There is still, in spite of the long and unremitting siege which has gradually tinted the uncoloured portions of the map and brought within our ken section after section of the unexplored areas, a large blank space comprising what is known as the Beaufort Sea, approximately in the centre of which is the point called by Stefansson the “centre of the zone of inaccessibility.” It was the exploration of this area that Sir Ernest made his aim. In addition he felt a strong desire to clear up the mystery of the North Pole, and for ever settle the Peary-Cook controversy, which did so much to alienate public sympathy from Polar enterprise. It is characteristic of him that before proceeding with any part of the organization he wrote first to Mr. Stefansson, the Canadian explorer, to ask if the new expedition would interfere with any plan of his. He received in reply a letter saying that not only did it not interfere in any way, but that he (Stefansson) would be glad to afford any help that lay in his power and put at his disposal any information which might prove valuable. Sir Ernest’s plans were the result of several years of hard work with careful reference to the records of previous explorers, and his organization was remarkable for its completeness and detail. The proposed expedition had an added interest in that the whole of his Polar experience was gained in the Antarctic. It met with instant recognition from the leading scientists and geographers of this country, who saw in it far- reaching and valuable results. The Council of the Royal Geographical Society sent a letter which showed their appreciation of the importance of the work, and expressed their approval of himself as commander and of the names he had submitted as those of men eminently qualified to make a strong personnel for the expedition. Sir Ernest Shackleton was fortunate in securing the active co-operation in the working out of his plans of Dr. H. R. Mill, the greatest living authority on Polar regions. The scheme, however, was an ambitious one, and was likely to prove costly. The period following the end of the war was perhaps not a suitable one in many ways to commence an undertaking of this nature, for Sir Ernest had the greatest difficulty in raising the necessary funds. In this country he received the support of Mr. John Quiller Rowett and Sir Frederick Becker. Feeling that the work of exploration and the possible discovery of new lands in what may be called the Canadian sector of the Arctic was likely to be of interest to the Canadian Government, he visited Ottawa, where he was in close touch with many of the leading members of the Canadian House of Commons. He returned to this country well pleased with his visit, and stated that he had obtained the active co-operation of several prominent Canadians and received from the Canadian Government the promise of a grant of money. He was now in a position to start work, and immediately threw himself into the preparation of the expedition. He got together a small nucleus of men well known to him, including some who had accompanied him on the Endurance expedition, designed and ordered a quantity of special stores and equipment, and bought a ship which cost as an initial outlay £11,000. Dr. Macklin was sent to Canada to buy and collect together at some suitable spot a hundred good sledge-dogs of the “Husky” type. It would be impossible to convey an accurate idea of the closely detailed work which is involved in the preparation for a Polar expedition. Much of the equipment is of a highly technical nature and requires to be specially manufactured. Everything must be carried and nothing must be forgotten, for once away the most trivial article cannot be obtained. Everything also must be of good quality and sound design; and each article, whatever it may be, must function properly when actually put into use. 2 3 4 At what was almost the last moment, whilst preparations were in full swing, the Canadian Government, being more or less committed to a policy of retrenchment, discovered that they were not in a position to advance funds for this purpose, and withdrew their support. This was a great blow, for it made impossible the continuance of the scheme. In the meantime the bulk of the personnel had been collected, some of the men having come from far distant parts of the world to join in the adventure, abandoning their businesses to do so. Some of us, knowing of the scheme, had waited for two years, putting aside permanent employment so that we might be free to join when required; for such is the extraordinary attraction of Polar exploration to those who have once engaged in it, that they will give up much, often all they have, to pit themselves once more against the ice and gamble with their lives in this greatest of all games of chance. Yet if you were to ask what is the attraction or where the fascination of it lies, probably not one could give you an answer. Photo: F. & A. Swaine SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON IN POLAR CLOTHING Photo: F. & A. Swaine MR. JOHN QUILLER ROWETT Sir Ernest Shackleton received the blow with outward equanimity, which was not shaken when, with the decision of the Canadian Government, the more timorous of his supporters also withdrew. Always seen at his best in adverse circumstances, he wasted no time in useless complainings, but started even at this eleventh hour to remodel his plans. Nevertheless, the situation was a very difficult one. He had committed himself to heavy expenditure, and what weighed not least with him at this time was his consideration for the men who had come to join the enterprise. At this critical point Mr. John Quiller Rowett came forward to bear an active part in the work, and took upon his shoulders practically the whole financial responsibility of the expedition. The importance of this action cannot be too much emphasized, for without it the carrying on of the work would have been impossible. Mr. Rowett had a wide outlook which enabled him to take a keen interest in all scientific affairs. Previous to this he had helped to found the Rowett Institute for Agricultural Research at Aberdeen, and had prompted and given practical support to researches in medicine, chemistry and several other branches of science. His many interests included geographical discovery, and he saw clearly the important bearing which conditions in the Polar regions have upon the temperate zones. He saw also the possible economic value of the observations and data which would be collected. His name must therefore rank amongst the great supporters of Polar exploration, such as the brothers Enderby, Sir George Newnes and Mr. A. C. Harmsworth (afterwards Lord Northcliffe). Mr. Rowett’s generous action is the more remarkable in that he was fully aware in giving this support to the expedition that there was no prospect of financial return. What he did was done purely out of friendship to Shackleton and in the interests of science. The new expedition was named the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition, and announcement of it was received by the public with the greatest interest. As it was now too late to catch the Arctic open season, the northern expedition was cancelled, and Sir Ernest reverted to one of his old schemes for scientific research in the South, which again met with the approval of the chief scientific bodies. This change of plans threw an enormous burden of work not only upon Sir Ernest, but also upon those of us who formed his staff at this period, for we had little time in which to complete the preparations. Dr. Macklin was recalled from Canada, for under the new scheme sledge-dogs were not required. The programme did not aim at the attainment of the Pole or include any prolonged land journey, but made its main object the taking of observations and the collection of scientific data in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic areas. The proposed route led to the following places: St. Paul’s Rocks on the Equator, South Trinidad Island, Tristan da Cunha, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale and Middle Islands, Diego Alvarez or Gough Island, and thence to Cape Town. Cape Town was to be the base for operations in the ice, and a depot of stores for that part of the journey would be formed there. The route led eastward from there to Marion, Crozet and Heard Islands, and then into the ice, where the track to be followed was, of course, problematical, but would lead westwards, to emerge again at South Georgia. 5 6 By courtesy of Illustrated London News A DIAGRAMMATIC VIEW OF THE QUEST 1. Crow’s Nest with Gyro-compass; 2. Mark Buoy; 3. Sperry Gyro- compass; 4, Hydrographic Room; 5. Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Quarters; 6. Clear View Screen; 7. Kipling’s “If”; 8. Semaphore; 9. Range Finder; 10. Standard Binnacle; 11. Meteorological Screen; 12. Gyro-compass; 13. Wireless Room; 14. Life-boat Deck; 15. One of two Life-boats; 16. Mark Buoy; 17. Water Tank; 18. Kelvin Sounding Machine; 19. Surf Boat; 20. Stowage for Stores and Specimens; 21. Sleeping Accommodation for Naturalist and Photographer; 22. Windlass; 23. Dark-room; 24. Chain- locker; 25. Lucas Sounding Machine; 26. Stores; 27. 15-ton Water Tank; 28 and 29. Stores; 30. High-power Wireless Room; 31. Coal Bunkers; 32. Boiler; 33. Galley; 34. Avro; 35. Main Engines; 36. Engine Room; 37. Ward Room. By courtesy of Illustrated London News SECTIONAL VIEWS OF THE QUEST 1. Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Quarters; 2. Sperry Gyro-compass Hydrographic Room; 3. Entrance to Dark Room; 4. The Hydrographic Room; 5. The Galley; 6. Ward Room; 7. Bath Room under the Bridge (Starboard side). From South Georgia it led to Bouvet Island, and back to Cape Town to refit. From Cape Town, the second time, the route included New Zealand, Raratonga, Tuanaki (the “Lost Island”), Dougherty Island, the Birdwood Bank, and home via the Atlantic. The scientific work included the taking of meteorological observations, including air and sea temperatures, kite and balloon work, magnetic observations, hydrographical and oceanographical work, including an extensive series of soundings, and the mapping and careful charting of little-known islands. Search was to be made for lands marked on the map as “doubtful.” A collection of natural history specimens would be made, and a geological survey and examination carried out in all the places visited. Ice observations would be carried on in the South, and an attempt made to reach and map out new land in the Enderby Quadrant. Photography was made a special feature, and a large and expensive outfit of cameras, cinematograph machines and general photographic appliances acquired. The Admiralty and the Air Ministry co-operated and materially assisted by lending much of the scientific apparatus. Lieut.-Commander R. T. Gould, of the Hydrographic Department, provided us with books and reports of previous explorers concerning the little-known parts of our route, and his information, gleaned from all sources and collected together for our use, proved of the greatest value. It was decided to carry an aeroplane or seaplane to assist in aerial observations and to be used as the “eyes” of the expedition in the South. Flying machines had never before been used in Polar exploration, and there were obvious difficulties in the way of extreme cold and lack of adequate accommodation, but after consultation with the Air Ministry it was thought possible to overcome them. The machine ultimately selected was a “Baby” seaplane, designed and manufactured by the Avro Company. One of the first things done by Sir Ernest Shackleton in preparing for the northern expedition had been the purchase of a small wooden vessel of 125 tons, named the Foca I. She was built in Norway, fitted with auxiliary steam- engines of compound type and 125 horse-power. She was originally designed for sealing in Arctic waters, the hull was strongly made, and the timbers were supported by wooden beams with natural bends of enormous strength. The bow was of solid oak sheathed with steel. Her length was 111 feet, beam 23 feet, and her sides were 2 feet thick. Her draught was 9 feet forward and 14 feet aft. She was ketch-rigged, and was reputed to be able to steam at seven knots in still water and to do the same with sail only in favourable winds. At the happy suggestion of Lady Shackleton she was re-named the Quest. Sir Ernest received what he considered the greatest honour of his life. The Quest as his yacht was elected to the Royal Yacht Squadron. Perhaps a more ugly, businesslike little “yacht” never flew the burgee, and her appearance must have contrasted strangely with the beautiful and shapely lines of her more aristocratic sisters. 7 8