THE POLAR JOURNEY 537 



miles. At night he was worse and we knew the end had 

 come. 



" Should this be found I want these facts recorded. Oates ' 

 last thoughts were of his mother, but immediately before 

 he took pride in thinking that his regiment would be 

 pleased with the bold way in which he met his death. We 

 can testify to his bravery. He has borne intense suffering 

 for weeks without complaint, and to the very last was able 

 and willing to discuss outside subjects. He did not — 

 would not — give up hope till the very end. He was a brave 

 soul. This was the end. He slept through the night before 

 last, hoping not to wake ; but he woke in the morning — 

 yesterday. It was blowing a blizzard. He said, ' I am just 

 going outside and may be some time.' He went out into 

 the blizzard and we have not seen him since. 



" I take this opportunity of saying that we have stuck to 

 our sick companions to the last. In case of Edgar Evans, 

 when absolutely out of food and he lay insensible, the 

 safetv of the remainder seemed to demand his abandon- 

 ment, but Providence mercifully removed him at this 

 critical moment. He died a natural death, and we did not 

 leave him till two hours after his death. We knew that 

 poor Oates was walking to his death, but though we tried 

 to dissuade him, we knew it was the act of a brave man and 

 an English gentleman. We all hope to meet the end with 

 a similar spirit, and assuredly the end is not far. 



" I can only write at lunch and then only occasionally. 

 The cold is intense, - 40 at mid-day. My companions are 

 unendingly cheerful, but we are all on the verge of seri- 

 ous frost-bites, and though we constantly talk of fetching 

 through I don't think any one of us believes it in his heart. 



" We are cold on the march now, and at all times except 

 meals. Yesterday we had to lay up for a blizzard and to- 

 day we move dreadfully slowly. We are at No. 14 Pony 

 Camp, only two pony marches from One Ton Depot. We 

 leave here our theodolite, a camera, and Oates' sleeping- 

 bags. Diaries, etc., and geological specimens carried at 

 Wilson's special request, will be found with us or on our 

 sledge." 



