442 SHACKLETON ON THRESHOLD OF SOUTH POLE 



could not exist on a land surface, and though this might present 

 difficulties of its own, those which troubled the north polar explorer 

 would not be met. 



There were, doubtless, wide stretches of ice and snow to tra- 

 verse, there was a fearfully low temperature to endure, there might 

 be mountainous elevations to climb and cross, but the lessons learned 

 in the north could be applied in the south, the best kind of Arctic 

 dress could be worn, the sleeping-bag could be used, the dog sledge 

 could be employed, the most easily carried food could be taken, and 

 besides these only pluck and endurance seemed needed to win vic- 

 tory in the great battle with the hostile forces of ice and cold. 



The first step in this work was taken by Borchgrevink in 1900, 

 in his pioneer sledge journey over the southern ice. He was fol- 

 lowed two years later by Captain Scott, whose journey over the ice 

 occupied ninety-four days and covered not less than a thousand 

 miles. With him on this daring excursion was Lieutenant Ernest 

 H. Shackleton, like himself an officer of the British Navy, and a 

 man of inflexible will and courage. An instance of this was shown 

 on the trip in question, in the latter part of which the three men of 

 the party had to take the place of the dogs in pulling the loaded 

 sledges. In this severe work Lieutenant Shackleton ruptured a 

 blood-vessel, which unfitted him for pulling and even for walking. 

 Yet the other two were quite unable to add his weight to the load 

 they already had to drag, and if they were to reach the ship alive 

 he would have to walk. With heroic determination the brave fel- 

 low nerved himself to this painful task, heroically trudging after 

 them on foot, and complaining only that his injury prevented him 

 in taking his part in their work. Of such metal as this heroes are 

 made. 



Shackleton was not long home before the Antarctic problem 

 ' called him again, and he began to prepare for a south polar expe- 

 dition under his own leadership. The experience gained in his 

 former journey was of the greatest value to him and he believed 



