Editing Robert Falcon Scott (section)

== ''Terra Nova'' expedition, 1910–1913 ==
{{main|Terra Nova Expedition}}

=== Preparation ===
[[File:Antarctic expedition map (Amundsen - Scott)-en.svg|thumb|alt=|Scott's and Amundsen's routes to the South Pole]]
Shackleton returned from the Antarctic having narrowly failed to reach the Pole and this gave Scott the impetus to proceed with plans for his second Antarctic expedition.{{sfn|Preston|1999|pp=100–101}} On 24 March 1909, he took the Admiralty-based appointment of naval assistant to the [[Second Sea Lord]], which placed him conveniently in London. In December, he was released on half-pay to take up the full-time command of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, to be known as the [[Terra Nova Expedition|''Terra Nova'' expedition]] from its ship, {{ship||Terra Nova|ship|2}}.{{sfn|Fiennes|2003|p=161}}

It was the expressed hope of the RGS that this expedition would be "scientific primarily, with exploration and the Pole as secondary objects"{{sfn|Crane|2005|pp=397–399}} but, unlike the [[Discovery Expedition|''Discovery'' expedition]], neither they nor the Royal Society were in charge this time. In his expedition prospectus, Scott stated that its main objective was "to reach the South Pole, and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement".{{sfn|Crane|2005|pp=397–399}} Scott had, as Markham observed, been "bitten by the Pole mania".{{sfn|Crane|2005|pp=397–399}}

In a memorandum of 1908, Scott presented his view that man-hauling to the South Pole was impossible and that motor traction was needed.<ref>RF Scott (1908) ''The Sledging Problem in the Antarctic, Men versus Motors''</ref> Snow vehicles did not yet exist however and so his engineer [[Reginald Skelton]] developed the idea of a caterpillar track for snow surfaces.<ref>Roland Huntford (2003) ''Scott and Amundsen. Their Race to the South Pole. The Last Place on Earth.'' Abacus, London, p. 224.</ref> In the middle of 1909, Scott realised that motors were unlikely to get him all the way to the Pole and decided additionally to take horses (based on Shackleton's near success in attaining the Pole, using ponies),{{sfn|Preston|1999|p=107}}{{sfn|Crane|2005|pp=432–433}} dogs and skis, after consultation with Nansen during trials of the motors in Norway in March 1910.<ref>Roland Huntford (2003) ''Scott and Amundsen. Their Race to the South Pole. The Last Place on Earth.'' Abacus, London, p. 262.</ref> Man-hauling would still be needed on the Polar Plateau, on the assumption that motors and animals could not ascend the crevassed [[Beardmore Glacier]].

Dog expert [[Cecil Meares]] was going to [[Siberia]] to select the dogs and Scott ordered that, while he was there, he should deal with the purchase of Manchurian ponies. Meares was not an experienced horse-dealer and the ponies he chose proved mostly of poor quality and ill-suited to prolonged Antarctic work.{{sfn|Preston|1999|p=113}} Meanwhile, Scott also recruited Bernard Day, from Shackleton's expedition, as his motor expert.{{sfn|Preston|1999|p=112}}

=== First season ===
[[File:Robert Falcon Scott in the Cape Evans hut, October 1911.jpg|thumb|alt=Man sitting cross-legged at table, pipe in hand, apparently writing. Much clutter of clothing, books and equipment is in the background.|Scott writing his journal in [[Scott's Hut]] at [[Cape Evans]], 7 October 1911]]
On 15 June 1910, Scott's ship, ''Terra Nova'', an old converted whaler, set sail from [[Cardiff]], South Wales. Scott meanwhile was fundraising in Britain and joined the ship later in South Africa. Arriving in [[Melbourne]], Australia in October 1910, Scott received a telegram from Amundsen stating: "Beg leave to inform you ''Fram'' proceeding Antarctic Amundsen," possibly indicating that Scott faced a race to the pole.{{sfn|Crane|2005|pp=425–428}}

The expedition suffered a series of early misfortunes which hampered the first season's work and impaired preparations for the main polar march. On its journey from New Zealand to the Antarctic, ''Terra Nova'' nearly sank in a storm and was then trapped in [[pack ice]] for 20&nbsp;days,{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=30–71}} far longer than other ships had experienced, which meant a late-season arrival and less time for preparatory work before the Antarctic winter. At Cape Evans, Antarctica, one of the motor sledges was lost during its unloading from the ship, breaking through the sea ice and sinking.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=106–107}}

Deteriorating weather conditions and weak, unacclimatised, ponies affected the initial depot-laying journey, so that the expedition's main supply point, One Ton Depot, was laid {{convert|35|mi}} north of its planned location at 80°S. [[Lawrence Oates]], in charge of the ponies, advised Scott to kill ponies for food and advance the depot to 80°S, which Scott refused to do. Oates is reported as saying to Scott, "Sir, I'm afraid you'll come to regret not taking my advice."{{sfn|Crane|2005|p=466}} Four ponies died during this journey, either from the cold or because they slowed the team down and were shot.

[[File:TerraNova-Ponting.jpg|thumb|[[Terra Nova (ship)|''Terra Nova'']] held up in pack ice, 13 December 1910]]

On its return to base, the expedition learned of the presence of Amundsen, camped with his crew and a large contingent of dogs in the [[Bay of Whales]], {{convert|200|mi|km}} to their east.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=187–188}} Scott conceded that his ponies would not be able to start early enough in the season to compete with Amundsen's cold-tolerant dog teams for the pole and also acknowledged that the Norwegian's base was closer to the pole by {{convert|69|mi|km}}.<ref>Scott's diary, 22 February 1911: "The proper, as well as wiser, course for us is to proceed exactly as though this had not happened. To go forward and do our best for the honour of the country without fear or panic. There is no doubt that Amundsen's plan is a serious menace to ours. He has a shorter distance to the Pole by {{convert|60|mi|-1}}—I never thought he could have got so many dogs safely to the ice. His plan for running them seems excellent. But above all he can start his journey early in the season — an impossible condition with ponies."</ref>
Wilson was more hopeful,<ref>Wilson's diary "As for Amundsen's prospects of reaching the Pole, I don't think they are very good&nbsp;... I don't think he knows how bad an effect the monotony and the hard travelling surface of the Barrier is to animals," cited from Ranulph Fiennes ''Captain Scott'' Hodder and Stoughton, London 2003 p.&nbsp;219.</ref> whereas Gran shared Scott's concern.<ref>Tryggve Gran's diary "If we reach the Pole, then Amundsen will reach the Pole, and weeks earlier. Our prospects are thus not exactly promising. The only thing that can save Scott is if an accident happens to Amundsen." cited from Ranulph Fiennes ''Captain Scott'' Hodder and Stoughton, London 2003 pp. 219ff</ref> Shortly afterwards, the death toll among the ponies increased to six, three drowning when sea-ice unexpectedly disintegrated, casting in doubt the possibility of reaching the pole at all. However, during the 1911 winter, Scott's confidence increased: on 2 August, after the return of a three-man party from their winter journey to [[Cape Crozier]], Scott wrote, "I feel sure we are as near perfection as experience can direct".{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=369}}

=== Journey to the Pole ===
Scott outlined his plans for the southern journey to the entire shore party,{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=407}} leaving open who would form the final polar team, according to their performance during the polar travel. Eleven days before Scott's teams set off towards the pole, Scott gave the dog driver Meares the following written orders at Cape Evans, dated 20 October 1911, to secure Scott's speedy return from the pole using dogs:

{{blockquote|About the first week of February I should like you to start your third journey to the South, the object being to hasten the return of the third Southern unit [the polar party] and give it a chance to catch the ship. The date of your departure must depend on news received from returning units, the extent of the depot of dog food you have been able to leave at One Ton Camp, the state of the dogs, etc&nbsp;... It looks at present as though you should aim at meeting the returning party about March 1 in Latitude 82 or 82.30{{sfn|Evans|1949|pp=187–188}}}}

The march south began on 1 November 1911, a caravan of mixed transport groups (motors, dogs, horses), with loaded sledges, travelling at different rates, all designed to support a final group of four men who would make a dash for the Pole. The southbound party steadily reduced in size as successive support teams turned back. Scott reminded the returning Surgeon-Lieutenant [[Edward L. Atkinson|Atkinson]] of the order "to take the two dog-teams south in the event of Meares having to return home, as seemed likely".{{sfn|Cherry-Garrard|1970|p=424}} By 4 January 1912, the last two four-man groups had reached 87°34′S.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=528}} Scott announced his decision: five men — himself, [[Edward Adrian Wilson|Wilson]], [[Henry Robertson Bowers|Bowers]], [[Lawrence Oates|Oates]] and [[Edgar Evans|E. Evans]] — would go forward; the other three - ([[Teddy Evans]], [[William Lashly]] and [[Tom Crean (explorer)|Tom Crean]]) - would return. The chosen group marched on, reaching the Pole on 17 January, only to find [[Polheim|a tent]] left in place by Amundsen, in it containing a letter dated 18 December. Scott's anguish is indicated in his diary: "The worst has happened&nbsp;[...] All the day dreams must go&nbsp;[...] Great God! This is an awful place".{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=543–544}}

=== Last march ===
[[File:Scottgroup.jpg|thumb|alt=A monochrome image of five men in heavy polar clothing. All look unhappy. The standing men are carrying flagstaffs and a Union Jack flag flies from a half-mast in the background.|Scott's party at the South Pole: Oates, Bowers, Scott, Wilson and Evans.]]
The deflated party began the {{convert|862|mi|km}} return journey on 19 January. "I'm afraid the return journey is going to be dreadfully tiring and monotonous", wrote Scott on that day.<ref>Scott's diary, 19 January 1912</ref> The party made good progress despite poor weather, and had completed the Polar Plateau stage of their journey, approximately {{convert|300|mi|km}}, by 7 February. In the following days, as the party made the {{convert|100|mi|km}} descent of the [[Beardmore Glacier]], the physical condition of Edgar Evans, which Scott had noted with concern as early as 23 January, declined sharply.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=551}} A fall on 4 February had left Evans "dull and incapable,"{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=560}} and on 17 February, after another fall, he died near the glacier foot.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=572–573}} Still needing to travel {{convert|400|mi|km}} across the [[Ross Ice Shelf]], the prospects of Scott's party steadily worsened as they struggled northward with deteriorating weather, a puzzling lack of fuel in the depots, hunger, and exhaustion.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=574–580}}

Meanwhile, back at Cape Evans, the ''Terra Nova'' arrived at the beginning of February, and Atkinson decided to unload the supplies from the ship with his own men rather than set out south with the dogs to meet Scott as ordered.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/antarctica/robert-falcon-scott/9770678/Scott-of-the-Antarctic-could-have-been-saved-if-his-orders-had-been-followed-say-scientists.html "Karen May & Peter Forster on Cherry-Garrard's 1948 postscript"], The Telegraph, accessed 12 October 2014.</ref> When Atkinson finally did leave south for the planned rendezvous with Scott, he encountered the scurvy-ridden Edward ("Teddy") Evans who needed urgent medical attention. Atkinson therefore tried to send the experienced navigator Wright south to meet Scott, but chief meteorologist Simpson declared he needed Wright for scientific work. Atkinson then decided to send the short-sighted Cherry-Garrard on 25 February, who was not able to navigate, only as far as One Ton depot (which is within sight of Mount Erebus), effectively cancelling Scott's orders for meeting him at latitude 82 or 82.30 on 1 March.{{sfn|May|2013}}

On the return journey from the Pole, Scott reached the 82°S meeting point for the dog teams, {{convert|300|mi|km}} from [[Hut Point]], three days ahead of schedule, noting in his diary for 27 February 1912, "We are naturally always discussing possibility of meeting dogs, where and when, etc. It is a critical position. We may find ourselves in safety at the next depot, but there is a horrid element of doubt." On 2 March, Oates began to suffer from the effects of frostbite and the party's progress slowed as he was increasingly unable to assist in the workload, eventually only able to drag himself alongside the men pulling the sledge. By 10 March the temperature had dropped unexpectedly to below {{convert|-40|C}}.{{sfn|Solomon|2001|pp=292–294}}

[[File:Last_Rest_(Grave_of_Scott,_Wilson,_and_Bowers).png|thumb|upright|[[Cairn]] over the tent containing the bodies of [[Edward Adrian Wilson]], [[Henry Robertson Bowers]] and Robert Falcon Scott]]
In a farewell letter to [[Edgar Speyer|Sir Edgar Speyer]], dated 16 March, Scott wondered whether he had overshot the meeting point and fought the growing suspicion that he had in fact been abandoned by the dog teams: "We very nearly came through, and it's a pity to have missed it, but lately I have felt that we have overshot our mark. No-one is to blame and I hope no attempt will be made to suggest that we had lacked support."{{sfn|May|2013|pp=1–19}} On the same day, Oates, whose toes had become frostbitten,<ref>"Oates disclosed his feet, the toes showing very bad indeed, evidently bitten by the late temperatures" Scott diary entry, 2 March 1912. "The result is telling on ... Oates, whose feet are in a wretched condition. One swelled up tremendously last night and he is very lame this morning" Scott diary entry 5 March 1912. "Titus Oates is very near the end"&nbsp;– Scott diary entry, 17 March 1912.</ref> voluntarily left the tent and walked to his death.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=591–592}} Scott wrote that Oates' last words were "I am just going outside and may be some time".{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=592}}

After walking {{convert|20|mi}} farther despite Scott's toes now becoming frostbitten,<ref>"My right foot has gone, nearly all the toes—two days ago I was proud possessor of best feet. These are the steps of my downfall. Like an ass I mixed a small spoonful of curry powder with my melted pemmican—it gave me violent indigestion. I lay awake and in pain all night; woke and felt done on the march; foot went and I didn't know it. A very small measure of neglect and have a foot which is not pleasant to contemplate." Scott's diary 18 March 1912</ref> the three remaining men made their final camp on 19 March, approximately {{convert|12.5|mi|km}} short of One Ton Depot. The next day a fierce blizzard prevented their making any progress.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=594}} During the next nine days, as their supplies ran out, and with storms still raging outside the tent, Scott and his companions wrote their farewell letters. Scott gave up his diary after 23 March, save for a final entry on 29 March, with its concluding words: "Last entry. For God's sake look after our people".{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=595}} He left letters to Wilson's mother, Bowers' mother, a string of notables including his former commander, Sir [[George Egerton (Royal Navy officer)|George Egerton]], his own mother and his wife.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=597–604}}

He also wrote his "Message to the Public", primarily a vindication of the expedition's organisation and conduct in which the party's failure is attributed to weather and other misfortunes, but ending on an inspirational note, with these words:
{{blockquote|We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last&nbsp;... Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|pp=605–607}}}}

Scott is presumed to have died on 29 March 1912, or possibly one day later. The positions of the bodies in the tent when it was discovered eight months later suggested that Scott was the last of the three to die.{{sfn|Huxley|1913a|p=596}}{{sfn|Jones|2003|p=126}}{{sfn|Huntford|1985|p=509}}

In his final journal entry he wrote:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge » Scott's Last Expedition |url=https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/diaries/scottslastexpedition/#:~:text=Thursday,%20March%2029th%201912&text=Every%20day%20we%20have%20been,the%20end%20cannot%20be%20far. |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=www.spri.cam.ac.uk}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.

It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.

R. SCOTT.

For God’s sake look after our people.|source=}}[[File:Cross on Observation Hill, McMurdo Station.jpg|thumb|[[Observation Hill (McMurdo Station)|Observation Hill]] memorial cross, erected in 1913]]

The bodies of Scott and his companions were discovered by a search party on 12 November 1912. [[Tryggve Gran]], who was part of the search party, described the scene as, "snowcovered til up above the door, with Scott in the middle, half out of his {{sic|bagg}}&nbsp;... the frost had made the skin yellow & transparent & I’ve never seen anything worse in my life."<ref>{{cite web |last= Flood |first= Alisonn |title= Antarctic diary records horror at finding Captain Scott's body |url= https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/dec/12/antarctic-diary-finding-captain-scott-tryggve-gran |website= The Guardian |access-date= 15 December 2018 }}</ref> Their final camp became their tomb; their records and personal belongings were retrieved before the tent roof was lowered over the bodies and a high [[cairn]] of snow was erected over it, topped by a roughly fashioned cross, erected using Gran's skis.{{sfn|Huxley|1913b|pp=345–347}} Next to their bodies lay {{convert|35|lb}} of ''[[Glossopteris]]'' tree fossils which they had dragged on hand sledges.<ref>{{Cite book|last= Coyne |first= Jerry |year= 2010 |title= Why Evolution is True |location= New York |publisher= Penguin Group |page= 99 |isbn= 978-0143116646}}</ref> These were the first ever discovered Antarctic fossils and proved that Antarctica had once been warm and connected to other continents.<ref name=":0" />

In January 1913, before ''Terra Nova'' left for home, a large wooden cross was made by the ship's carpenters, inscribed with the names of the lost party and [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson|Tennyson]]'s line from his poem [[Ulysses (poem)|''Ulysses'']]: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield", and was erected as a permanent memorial on [[Observation Hill (McMurdo Station)|Observation Hill]], overlooking [[Hut Point]].{{sfn|Huxley|1913b|p=398}}