THE POLAR JOURNEY 497 



forward from 87 32' were all grown men, chosen from a 

 body which was largely recruited on a basis of youth. Four 

 of them were men who were accustomed to take responsi- 

 bility and to lead others. Four of them had wide sledging 

 experience and were accustomed to cold temperatures. They 

 were none of them likely to get flurried in emergency, to 

 panic under any circumstances, or to wear themselves out 

 by loss of nervous control. Scott and Wilson were the most 

 highly strung of the party : I believe that the anxiety which 

 Scott suffered served as a stimulus against mental monotony 

 rather than as a drain upon his energy. Scott was 43, Wilson 

 39, Evans 37, Oates 32, and Bowers 28 years old. Bowers 

 was exceptionally old for his age. 



In the event of one man crocking a five-man party may 

 be better able to cope with the situation, but with this 

 doubtful exception Scott had nothing to gain and a good 

 deal to lose by taking an extra man to the Pole. That he 

 did so means, I think, that he considered his position a 

 very good one at this time. He was anxious to take as 

 many men with him as possible. I have an impression that 

 he wanted the army represented as well as the navy. Be 

 that as it may, he took five men : he decided to take the 

 extra man at the last moment, and in doing so he added 

 one more link to a chain. But he was content ; and four 

 days after the Last Return Party left them, as he lay out a 

 blizzard, quite warm in his sleeping-bag though the mid- 

 day temperature was - 20 , he wrote a long diary praising 

 his companions very highly indeed " so our five people are 

 perhaps as happily selected as it is possible to imagine." 1 

 He speaks of Seaman Evans as being a giant worker with 

 a really remarkable headpiece. There is no mention of 

 the party feeling the cold, though they were now at the 

 greatest height of their journey ; the food satisfied them 

 thoroughly. There is no shadow of trouble here : only 

 Evans has got a nasty cut on his hand ! 



There were more disadvantages in this five-man party 

 than you might think. There was 5I weeks' food for four 

 men : five men would eat this in about four weeks. In 



1 Scott's Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 536. 



2 K 



