CAPTAIN SCOTT'S JOURNALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 55, 5 March 1914, Page 8

CAPTAIN SCOTT'S JOURNALS.

» * ON VIEW AT THE MUSEUM j -.rrom Our Special Correspondent.l t LONDON. January 21. Captain .Scoii and -his companions Tojc-hnl the rioirth I'ole two yeans ago last Saturday. January 17. .Liid lor the anniversary of rheir achievement the British Museum arranged For the exhibition of the journals of Captain Scott, which have been deposited in the Museum "by Lady Scott. The exhibit consists of nine Uirgc volt.mis that wen; written either ou 'board ship, or in winter quarters, and the six small volumes used on the eli-dging journeys. The matter in the larger volumes includes Ihi; diary. Urn various c-jlcul.ition.- us to lhe food necessary for the slcd-ging journey-, and the orders given to lhe different, parlies. The smaller volumes <'oniiiin the account-; of tlir Wedging •expeditions. Three of (hem jre those which'were carried hy Captain Sen: I in -bis wallet, aud were found with him a! Hie end. A portion of the diary for January 17. which is exhibited, describes the arrival at the l'olc under \fry different conditions from those which iliad been expected. Tlie manuscript is in pencil. An even grciti-r intercut atlaches to the last pa-", bearing Captain Scott's «io7iature. .rati the words adder! liy way of post-/ript. "For Cod's sake look after our people." Another )>oTti..ii of the diaries of special interest iri the message to the public boginnini; with (lie words. "Tbe causes of the disaster are not due tv faulty organisation, hill to misfortune in all'risks which bad to be undertaken." iind concluding with the message to the country, "Purely a jrro-.d, rich country like ours will see thai those who are dependent upon us arc properly provided for.—R. Scott. 2."itJi Uareh. 1012." Apart from the matter contained, the most interesting feature of tho diaries is tlie extraordinary evenness of the writing tint, is maintained almost to the last. In the concluding pages the handwriting trnds to get somewhat larger, and there is less firmness in the concluding postscript than in the rest ~f 'lie volumes. The message to tlie public is written at the end of one ot" the volumes, aid i- without erasure, in the firm, small writing characteristic of the (Lane* throughout. The diaries themselves are without rival.; in the Museum ■ unction, the majiuscripts most resembling them being the copy of iii last moisagc sent by Cciiera! Gordon at Khartum. As a matter re.la.ttng to Arctic or Antarctic explora'.iou. there is uot much of -rea* interest, in Uie Aluacum. T'r.err arc Rome o- the Franklin relics in the Efchr...giaphieat department, but the inanuV%£* , Trfa V' m - to *° l " W>ioration «*«• almost txciusively to the John

Franklin expedition. A curious manuscript dated 1912. however, shows that even 3UO years ago there were those who regarded Polar exploration as useJess the documents boin<r beaded: A disunion on the North-West Passage, arguing that it would be useless v discovered' 1 Captain Scott's journals, which are only deposited with the authorities, will", it is said, probably eventua.lv become the property OI tne Trustees of the Museum.