5$6 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 



had to be dragged on the sledge. The average temperature 

 approximated zero. They were extremely exhausted. 



Scott makes constant reference to the increasing hunger 

 of the Polar Party : it is clear that the food did not com- 

 pensate for the conditions which were met in increasing 

 severity. Yet they were eating rather more than their full 

 ration a considerable part of the time. It has to be consid- 

 ered that the temperatures met by them averaged far below 

 - io°: that they did not absorb all their food: that increased 

 heat was wanted not only for energy to do extra work caused 

 by bad surfaces and contrary winds, but also to heat their 

 bodies, and to thaw out their clothing and sleeping-bags. 



I believe it to be clear that the rations used bv us must not 

 only be increased by future expeditions, but co-ordinated in 

 different proportions of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. 

 Taking into consideration the fact that our bodies were not 

 digesting the amount of fats we had provided, Atkinson sug- 

 gests that it is useless to increase the fats at the expense of 

 the protein and carbohydrates. He recommends that fats 

 should total about 5 ounces daily. The digestion of carbo- 

 hydrates is easy and complete, and though that of protein is 

 more complicated there are plenty of the necessary digest- 

 ive ferments. The ration should be increased by equal 

 amounts of protein and carbohydrates; both should be 

 provided in as dry and pure a form as possible. 



There is no censure attached to this criticism. Our 

 ration was probably the best which has been used : but 

 more is known now than was known then. We are all out 

 to try and get these things right for the future. 1 



Campbell reached Hut Point only five days after we left 

 it with the dog-teams. A characteristic note left to greet 

 us on our return regretted they were too late to take part 

 in the Search Journey. If I had lived through ten months 

 such as those men had just endured, wild horses would not 

 have dragged me out sledging again. But they were keen 



1 Modern research suggests that the presence or absence of certain vitamines makes 

 a difference, and it may be a very great difference, in the ability of any individual to 

 profit by the food supplied to him. If this be so, this factor must have had great influence 

 upon the fate of the Polar Party, whose diet was seriously deficient in, if not absolutely 

 free from, vitamines. The importance of this deficiency to the future explorer can hardly 

 be exaggerated, and I suggest that no future Antarctic sledge party can ever set out to 



