Antarctica Exploration – The First Travelers to the Poles
During his homeward voyage to return from the South Pole in 1912, Captain Robert Scott met his very unfortunate demise. Scott and his team of explorers expired as a result of bitter temperatures and lack of food. His tragic end followed the bitter pill of relinquishing the title of first to the South Pole. His attempt at this competition ensured his status as national hero. As a person looking for exciting antarctica cruises you should visit that site.
It is only now, following many years of analysis and research, that the unforgiving nature of the climate of Antarctica is understood, and it’s affects on explorers is realized. Average wind speed is 67 kilometers per hour, and the temperature can get as cold as negative 90 degrees Celsius! Scott most likely faced these conditions but he was not educated in the extent of the dangers.
As a scientist in the Polar Regions, Scott expressed his overwhelming feeling of isolation to his wife in letters he wrote to her. Even today, with the most up-to-date communications equipment, scientists working at the pole often note the same sense of utter isolation. Scott’s death made his wife a widow and single mother to her young son.
His body and letters written for his wife weren’t discovered until many months after he died. The doomed expedition was found only 11 miles from the supply camp. Scott’s wife learned of his demise in New Zealand, where she waited for his triumphant return. You will gain a deeper understanding about great antarctic cruise by checking out that resource.
The letters that Scott left behind gave historians a great deal of information about his expedition. The letters that were written during the first part of his journey spoke of his great health and he loved a hearty meal. The cold didn’t seem to be a problem, as the hot food made up for the bitter cold.
Scott’s position began to change as the trip dragged on and food supplies began to run low. He explained that the weather was getting even more brutal and showed no mercy. When Scott and his men were found, they had only one hot meal and two days worth of cold meals left for the remaining 11 miles, testament to the severe hunger they experienced.
Scott was not a newbie to the exploration field, however he had two strikes against him. On the race to arrive first at the South Pole, Scott was eclipsed by Norway’s Roald Amundsen. Scott and his team arrived at the South Pole on January 18, 1912, while Amundsen arrived almost a month earlier on December 21, 1911.
Scott had already become a true hero in his country before making his last journey due to a previous attempt at the South Pole from 1902-1904. Nearing the end of the 1912 expedition, along with Lt. Henry Bowers and Dr. Edward Wilson, he fought for survival until the very end. Two others, Petty Officer Edgar Evans and Captain Lawrence Oats, had already died.
The team stored supplies a mere twenty miles from a depot. They were almost out of food and fuel. Scott then told his wife in a letter that she could find a new husband in the event of his death. In the same letter, he wrote of temps reaching negative 70, and only a tent to provide protection.
In his final letters, he experienced no remorse at having taken the journey that killed him. In fact, he said it was much better than lounging in comfort at home. Many generations of British youths have been inspired by Scott’s courage and determination.
And this although Scott’s expedition was unable to reach the south pole before Amundsmen’s team, missing the chance by a scant few weeks. He is said to have died on March 29, 1912. Published as “Scott’s Last Expedition,” his journals are available for study.
|
0 Positive Reviews |
|
0 Negative Reviews |
Average Rating:
 |
Leave a Reply