CHAPTER III 

 THE ARCTIC AND THE ANTARCTIC 



THE story of the Northern party of Captain Scott's last 

 expedition is one of the most thrilling chapters in the 

 history of Polar exploration. In January 1912 the 

 party, consisting of six men and with only six weeks' 

 food supply, were landed from the Terra Nova for 

 what was intended to be a short sledging journey. 

 The ship was unable to return to relieve them, and 

 consequently they were compelled to prepare to face 

 the winter with inadequate equipment and provisions. 

 A cave home, in which it was impossible to stand 

 upright, unceasing and nerve-destroying wind, blind- 

 ness from the fumes of blubber lamps, half rations 

 of unpalatable food, and continual frostbites were a 

 few only of the discomforts which had to be endured. 

 The story is fully told by Raymond E. Priestley, 

 in his book "Antarctic Adventure," ' but a short quota- 

 tion will give an idea of the severity of the winter they 

 lived through: "By March I7th our cave was suffi- 

 ciently advanced for Campbell, Dickason, and myself to 

 move in, and we therefore decided to cart over our 

 stuff to the drift and settle down there. We should 

 then be able to camp in the cave for the night and 



1 See Bibliography, 6. 

 44 



