Shackleton's Heroes (31 page)
Read Shackleton's Heroes Online
Authors: Wilson McOrist
Richards concludes with an explanation as to why he made the notes: âI have written this down more to keep my mind occupied than anything else, putting on paper the thoughts passing through my mind. And now it's too cold on the fingers so I'll stop.'
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28 February was the sixth day of waiting for Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild. They had little food left.
Spencer-Smith:
At the most two very scratch meals to come.
A flat calm at 8 p.m. last night continued until about midday today and then to our great disappointment everything became obscured and so no help arrived. But the Bar. is rising and we are not downhearted yet. God's in His Heaven!'
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Wild: âAnother day gone & also all the scraps. The weather was clear this morning but blizzarding again a bit now and beaten Scott's record.
â
We have had an eleven day blizzard and are only nine miles from depot.'
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We have some insight to Mackintosh's thoughts at this time. On this day, 28 February 1916, he wrote a long note, possibly fearing that he might soon die. He explained their plight, and that he was not 100 per cent confident that help would come. He attempts to exonerate himself from any blame, writing in positive terms on their efforts and in particular Wild's behaviour. He acknowledges that he and Spencer-Smith succumbed to scurvy before the others, because of a lack of fresh food.
His words have an eerie similarity to some of Scott's last letters, and in particular to a short note Scott wrote titled âMessage to the Public'. As he lay dying in his tent in March 1912, Scott wrote up his journal, plus a number of letters; to his mother, his wife, Wilson's wife, Bowers's mother, Admiral Sir L. Beaumont, and Sir J. M. Barrie amongst others. In âMessage to the Public' he wrote that it was misfortune, not any fault on his part, that caused his expedition to fail. Scott stated that his logistical planning had âworked out to perfection' but the loss of pony transport which resulted in a late start, the poor weather and the soft snow were events that they could not overcome.
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This is Mackintosh's long note:
I have this record in the event of anything happening to this party. Today we have finished the last of our food. A blizzard has been blowing 11 days. With the exception of 1 day when the wind fell light where horizon could be discerned as well as land around the Bluff.
We were left here 4 days previously in order that Messrs Joyce, Hayward & Richards could travel with dogs & light sledge to Bluff Depot more easily returning to us with food of which there is a plentiful supply at the Bluff.
We now expect from that succour to reach us anytime from today in which case we will be saved from starvation & these lines unnecessary.
Yet I take precaution to leave this should I later become too weak & the cold make it harder to write.
Smith & myself are struck with scurvy â the former being helpless & weak. I am able to stand about yet becoming more feeble daily. Wild has signs of scurvy but is able to move his hands & feet & with a meal could travel, & this I am afraid cannot be the same for Smith & self.
We have not given up hope yet by any means, we trust in our comrades. We argue, say â talk cheery today and anyone coming along would imagine to be some picnic party.
(This was similar to Scott, who in one of his final letters wrote: âIt would do your heart good to be in our tent, to hear our songs and the cheery conversation as to what we will do when we get to Hut Point.'
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)
Now it may be wondered what has brought us to our present position. Briefly & I feel glad to say it has not been through any lack of organisation.
(Again, this was like Scott, who wrote: âThe causes of the disaster are not due to faulty organisation.'
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We have done the work we came down to do, this laying of a depot at Mt Hope, 82°, 81°, 80° for Sir Ernest Shackleton.
(Scott: âIt will be known that we have accomplished our object in reaching the Pole.'
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We made splendid progress homeward travelling as much as 10 miles a day & this with Smith on sledge. We filled up with a fortnight's provisions at 80° as our own experience had worried us against this region. Instead of doing the trip in a week
we have had 17 days getting to within 9 miles of our own Bluff depot on 18 Feb since which date we have been camped.
With the exception of Smith we were all able to travel until the blizzard came upon us when we laid up 6 days after that period when we made a fresh start. I had to admit defeat owing to my inability to stand the strain. It is laying up that is making me weaker, legs black & blue, gums swollen & black.
The above roughly explains how we left here Wild who could have gone on preferred to remain & help us, the good unselfish fellow that he is.
It must be explained that with the exception of the first trip from Bluff we have had no fresh food since 9 October hence the disease has taken a stronger hold on us than the other party who had the opportunity of reaching Hut Point.
But I leave it on record all have done their duty nobly & well. This is all I can say & if it is God's will that we should here give up we do so in the true British fashion my own tradition holds us in power to do.
(Scott: âWe have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last ⦠which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman.'
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Scott finished his âMessage to the Public' note with: âSurely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for.'
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Mackintosh finished with: âGoodbye friends. I feel sure our people, my own dear wife & children will not be neglected.'
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(Scott's final journal entry was: âFor God's sake look after our people.'
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In addition to this note, Mackintosh also wrote a letter, to his brother George. Once again, the words and sentiments expressed in this most personal letter are strikingly similar to Scott's final letters to his friends.
28 Feb: 1916. The Ice Barrier â My dear old George
Well, old man, it's come to this â at least it looks like it. That I have to say farewell to my kith & kin, to peg out on this god-forsaken hole, with youth and hope cast aside.
However I pray for my own ideas. I had visions that all would go well with us when I returned having accomplished something, to have kept my beloved darlings in comfort & worthy to the state of life they ought to be brought up in instead of the drudgery & hand to mouth existence we lived, but now it seems I did not know
when I was well off! Ah! Well, dear George, I have not time or is it a place here to write much, so must be brief. You have ever been too good to me. I know you will have a watchful eye on my ones. I feel sure too that they will not be neglected by those who know us. Good luck to you. May you meet as loving & dear a soul as I now lose â God keep you â is the last wish & farewell from your brother
Aeneas
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These were Mackintosh's final written words that have survived. His main expedition journal, which he started in October 1915, has never been found.
On the morning of 29 February the weather cleared, enough for Richards to spot the other party's tent. He recalled that in the morning they rolled up their sleeping bags and sat inside the tent. From time to time they would go outside the door to have a look and then one time he âsaw this little dark spot to the south'. In Richards's mind they had âaccomplished something that at times had seemed to us to be quite impossible'.
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It took them a few hours to reach the others' camp, where Wild and then Mackintosh came out of the tent. In an interview in 1976 Richards tells us about Wild. When Wild heard them coming he came out of the tent, put on his canvas harness and walked out to meet Joyce, Richards and Hayward. He then tied his harness onto their sledge and helped them pull it the last short distance. Richards tells us that Wild did this without any emotion or fanfare. He simply wanted to give them a hand in.
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Richards knew that Wild, Spencer-Smith and Mackintosh might have had a day's food when they were stopped by the blizzard, because he, Joyce and Hayward had one day's food left. So these three men had now been without food for a number of days. Richards believed that nine out of ten men would have simply stood at the door of the tent and said âThank God', but not Wild.
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Richards said later: âWe had had three days of food by then while he had just about been out of food for six days. Several of us broke down and cried at his action.'
Richards says he never forgot how he felt at this time, and he even became overcome with emotion in an interview when relating Wild's actions, and this was sixty years after the event. Richards thought that Wild's action was incredible, something he could not put a name to. He simply described it as âcourage or just spirit'.
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Spencer-Smith's condition had not improved. Richards thought he might not have even survived because he was so weak when they had left him six days before.
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Mackintosh tried to walk ahead while the others lifted Spencer-Smith up onto a sledge.
Joyce: âIt cleared up a little to the south about 8 o'clock, when Richards sighted something black to the north of us, but could not see properly what it was. After looking round sighted camp to the south, so we got under way as soon as possible.'
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Hayward:
Weather slightly better @ 6 o/c AM we started preparations for getting under way. We were overjoyed on the weather clearing considerably to see the camp, apparently not very far ahead, the going was very heavy & it took us considerably longer than we had anticipated to reach it.
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Joyce sets the scene:
Got up to the camp about 12.45, when Wild came out to meet us. We gave him a cheer, as we fully expected to find all down. He said he had taken a little exercise every day; they had not any food left.
The Skipper then came out of the tent, very weak + as much as he could do to walk. He said, âI want to thank you for saving our lives'.
I told Wild to go + give them a feed + not to eat too much at first in case of reaction, as I am going to get under way as soon as they have had a feed. So we had lunch.
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Hayward noted that Spencer-Smith was in poor shape:
We were pleasantly surprised to see Wild appear at the rear of the tent & he came out a little way to meet us as we approached the Skipper managed to stagger out
& of course was very thankful at his deliverance & thanked us accordingly. Smith seems very bad. However no time was lost in preparing them a feed, all of us feeling very grateful at our altered condition.
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Richards: âPicked up party after striking camp ⦠and thank the fates all are alive â Wild in good condition considering.'
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Hayward:
Smith was in a hole 2 feet deep where he had been lying & I can assure you that it was as much as we could do by our united efforts, owing to our weakened condition to lift him onto the sledge.
We impressed upon the party the vital necessity of getting under way without undue delay, & they were all anxious to assist in this immediately on finishing lunch, the Skipper was encouraged to go ahead as far as possible with the aid of a stick whilst we were stowing sledges (we had brought back with us the sledge we depoted at the Bluff).
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Joyce: âThe Skipper went ahead to get some exercise, and after an hour's digging out got everything ready for leaving. When we lifted Smith we found he was in a great hole which he had melted through. This party had been in one camp for twelve days.'
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Hayward continues the story:
Overtaking the Skipper who altho' struggling gamely could hardly stand. We put him in his bag on the back sledge & what is more we were able to haul the whole load much to our surprise, we feeling certain that it would mean relaying, the dogs are pulling splendidly now they are on the home trail.
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There were now four men and four dogs hauling the two sledges, with Spencer-Smith on the first and Mackintosh on the rear sledge.
Camping was now more difficult, as the fitter men had to first erect Mackintosh's tent and carry Spencer-Smith inside before attending to their own tent and feeding the dogs. In reality there were now three men down with scurvy, three other very weak men also with scurvy but not so serious. They were within 76 miles of Hut Point. Their next goal was to reach the Minna Bluff depot (again), 6 or 7 miles away. Not surprisingly Wild and Spencer-Smith's diary entries that day were full of joy.
Wild:
Full belly once more. Saw the others at 12.30 and they got up to us about 2.10. We had a feed & started on our way again. I am not so weak as I thought I should be thank goodness. We had to put the Skipper on the sledge. Luckily they brought a spare sledge from the Bluff as there is Smith and he on now.
I think seeing them was the most welcome sight I have ever seen.
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Spencer-Smith concluded his notes with a Latin quote: âGod giveth the increase':
Blew and drifted all night and most of morning. Hard pressed â but at 12.30 Wild looked out of a peep-hole and saw black speck which was the other party â and now we are bursting with thankfulness and food.
Joyce & Co. have had a terrible time: travelling at every possible moment they were on their last legs when they got to the depot (about ten miles). The dogs were splendid â they actually barked on route when they saw bamboo ahead: and in the evenings they did not bark for sugar, as if they knew that there was none for them.
We have had the closest of close calls â âDeus datincrementum'.
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