THE SEARCH PARTY'S NARRATVE.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13649, 14 February 1913, Page 5

THE SEARCH PARTY'S NARRATVE.

FINDING OF THE HEROES.

THEIR TOMRS AND EPITAPHS

THE iIiANSPOIIT AIIIIANGE-

MKN'IS.

SPLENDID Wu£k BY MULES

Wellington, Feb. 13

Owing to the latene6B; of the season, and tiit; eons<xj/uent i.all iii temperature the surface became like eaud. It is well knoivii in. Polar climates that: ict" crystals, which melt- under the t'fietioji or the when running over uieni at a high temperature, cetwse to elo &o when tlie thercuomt-tor falls to thirty below zero, and become ciiotmg e<-!ge». These lovv temperatures complained of by Captain ISeott a-eco-iint lor the slowness or" his party's progress over the Barrier. The-average distance between the depotg was sixty-hie uu.ee, which, not allowing lor bad woather, 'meant that the party must average over nine miles a day. Tiic lood and fuel in each depot gave full rations at tnis speed for a week.

Tlie best march of tlio southern pnrty on tho Barrier was approximate!}1 nine milts, falling in later stages to at. low as three- miles. This failure to maintain a bigger speed was undoubtedly duetto poor Gates' fad Jag coutution. The constant tax on the energies of the party was rai>idly weakening them, and when they had to lace persistent winds, and .frequent blizzards, tho lioi/eJesg nature of tho outlook was forced upon them, but they never relinquished their gallant struggle-, ami fought on heroically to tho bitter end, as recorded iv the previous despatch. The search party found the' tout on .Novembtfr 10th, 1912, half covered with. snow. The sledge with tho gear w»b completely covered. Tho tent was well spread, and tbe> inner tent in place on poles. The/ bodies were identified, the inner tent placed over them, and a large cairn of ijnow- erected, with a cross placed on top, and the following record left:— "This cross and cairn is erected

over tho remains of Captain R. F. Scott, 0.V.0., R.N.; Doctor E. A. .Wilson, and Lieutenant H. R. 'Bowers, R.1.M., as a slight token to perpetuate their gallant and successful attempt to reach the Pole, This they did on the 17th January, 1912, after tho Norwegians had already done so on 15th December, 1911. Also to commemorate their two gallant comrades Captain L. E. G. Oates, of- the Inniskilling Dragoons, who walked to his death in a blizzard willingly, about, twenty miles south of this place, to try and save his contraries beset by hardship. Also of Petty .Officer Edgar ■ Evans, R.N., who died at the foot of tho Beardmore glacier. 'The Lord gave, and tho Lord taketh away. Blessed be tho Name of theLord?" Dr. Atkinson states that no symptom ■«£-scurvy existed. All the records were ;<SQllected. and the whole search party .proceeded 23 miles south to search for :C'aptain Oates' body. No trace of it was found. Near the site of his departure from his comrades a cross and cairn were o-roctod, and the- following record left ou the cairn :— "Hereabouts died a very gallant gentleman, Captain L. E. G, Oates, Inniskilling Dragoons, who on'their return from the Pole in March, 1912, willingly walked to his; death in a bli'/.vKu'd to try and'e.ayo his comrades beset by hardships," Seven mules, supplied by the Indian Government, were used by tho search party. Their rations consisted of lllbs of oilcoilce' «nd oats in proportion of one of oilcake to two of oats. The sp<cd of their march on an average was hotter than that of the poniss of the previous year, and from tbp. start tho daily marches averaged 14 miles. The surfaces on the outward journey were exceptionally rood, and the mules made good progress without sinking deeply in the deep snow encountered. On the return the men h-nd a _ much heavier task. -Their difficulty in ■connection with the mules was. that they 'would'eat anything except the rations. The food of some of them consisted-of ropo, corn, tea leaves, man bi«cmits, and dog biscuits, and tobacco ash. The woichts hauled by,,tho mules were much heavier than those hauled by tho ponies

'the highest weights at one time Being 760 pounds. Their gear, which had been supplied by the Indian Goifarn-, iKent, showed great forethought, 'and only had to be altered in very* slight ways. Their snow goggles were especially useful, and a comfort to the animals. The harness was breast harness.' Two mules were ©hot on the Barrier, and five returned after doing 350 moled of hard pulling in a temperature falling to 29 degrees below zero. There were two teams of dogs, 11 in each team, and 18 of the 2S$ we're brought down in the first year. All tho stores were brought back ttf the Hopot at Hut Point. The care of the mules devolved mi Chief-Stoker Lashloy, and his constant >■ attention kept them in good order. De* tailed records have been kept shewing the performance of each mule during the winter, and the travelling eeaeon. This will be cent to the Supply and. Transport Department of the Indian Government, who trained the mules for the expedition. The health of the search party was excellent throughout.