Scott’s Last Journey
On 26 January 1912, Scott’s men pass their old blizzard camp and manage to cover 16 miles. For most of the time, they are able to follow their old tracks, and the weather and wind play in their favour, for a change. Scott is nevertheless anxious. The next depot is 60 miles away and the men have only enough food to get there as long as they can cover a good distance every day. “If we get to the next depot in a few marches … we ought to be able to open out a little, but we can’t look for a real feed til we get to the pony food depot. A long way to go.”
On 28 January, they pick up Oates’ pipe, Bower’s fur mitts and Evans’ night boots, which had all been left behind during the pole-ward journey. Three fine days in a row mean that progress is good, but that is the only bright aspect. Living off limited rations, the men are constantly hungry. Their sleeping bags remain damp from the blizzards they encountered a week earlier. It takes them longer than expected to cover the distances needed and they have to cut down on sleep. Then, Wilson strains a tendon in his leg and struggles to walk. Evans dislodges two fingernails on his frostbitten hands and is in agony. Scott worries about both men. “Evans shows signs of losing heart over it. He hasn’t been cheerful since the accident. We can get along with bad fingers but it will be a mighty serious thing if Wilson’s led doesn’t improve.”
They reach the next depot at the end of the month, but the weather turns and progress is slow because Wilson can barely walk and is unable to help man-haul the sledge.
