THE LAST YEAR AT CAPE EVANS 



BY SURGEON E. L. ATKINSON, R.N. 



CHAPTER I 



IN writing the record of the second year I must give all credit 

 to A. Cherry-Garrard. It is entirely from his diaries and from 

 the official diary kept by him that these records are compiled. 

 To make matters clear it would be as well to go over the events 

 after the return of the first Southern Party. It consisted of A. 

 Cherry-Garrard, C. S. Wright, Petty Officer Keohane, and my- 

 self. They returned to Cape Evans on January 28, 1912. The 

 orders then were for two dog teams to proceed as far south as 

 possible, taking into consideration the times of return of the 

 various parties, and in order to hasten the return of the final 

 party. The dog teams were in no manner a relief expedition 

 and were simply meant to bring the last party home more 

 speedily. 



On our return to Cape Evans the ship had not as yet been 

 communicated with. Indeed communication was not established 

 until February 4, owing to bad sea ice intervening. 



On February 9 we started landing stores from the ship, and 

 in this all hands were employed. 



On February 13, the sea ice having started to break up in 

 the south bay, I judged it advisable to make a start with the two 

 dog teams for Hut Point, 15 miles to the south of Cape Evans, 

 a journey across sea ice. It was from this point that the Barrier 

 could be reached and the return of the Southern Party hastened 

 by the dog teams. The two dog teams, Demetri, the Russian 

 boy, and myself were kept at Hut Point by bad weather until 

 February 19. On the night of the I9th the weather began to 

 abate. At 3.30 A.M., while we were in our sleeping-bags, Petty 

 Officer Crean reached the hut and brought in the news of Lieu- 

 tenant Evans' breakdown beyond Corner Camp. Crean had 



