THE SEARCH JOURNEY 483 



this place. It led to the sledge, many feet down, and had 

 been rigged there as a mast. And on the sledge were some 

 more odds and ends — a piece of paper from the biscuit 

 box: Bowers' meteorological log: and the geological speci- 

 mens, thirty pounds of them, all of the first importance. 

 Drifted over also were the harnesses, ski and ski-sticks. 



Hour after hour, so it seemed to me, Atkinson sat in 

 our tent and read. The finder was to read the diary and 

 then it was to be brought home — these were Scott's in- 

 structions written on the cover. But Atkinson said he was 

 only going to read sufficient to know what had happened 

 — and after that they were brought home unopened and 

 unread. When he had the outline we all gathered together 

 and he read to us the Message to the Public, and the 

 account of Oates' death, which Scott had expressly wished 

 to be known. 



We never moved them. We took the bamboos of the 

 tent away, and the tent itself covered them. And over them 

 we built the cairn. 



I do not know how long we were there, but when all 

 was finished, and the chapter of Corinthians had been read, 

 it was midnight of some day. The sun was dipping low 

 above the Pole, the Barrier was almost in shadow. And the 

 sky was blazing — sheets and sheets of iridescent clouds. 

 The cairn and Cross stood dark against a glory of burnished 

 gold. 



Copy of Note left at the Cairn over the Bodies 



November 12th, 19 12. 

 Lat. 79 50' S. 



This Cross and Cairn are erected over the bodies of 

 Capt. Scott, C.V.O., R.N. ; Dr. E. A. Wilson, M.B., 

 B.A. Cantab. ; Lt. H. R. Bowers, Royal Indian Marines. 

 A slight token to perpetuate their gallant and successful 

 attempt to reach the Pole. This they did on the 17th 

 January 1 9 1 1 after the Norwegian expedition had already 

 done so. Inclement weather and lack of fuel was the cause 

 of their death. 



