Chapter I: Preface

Sir Ernest Shackleton died suddenly; so suddenly that he said no word at all with regard to the future of the expedition. But I know that had he foreseen his death and been able to communicate to me his wishes, they would have been summed up in the two words, “Carry on!”

Perhaps the most difficult part of my task has been the recording of the work of the expedition. It has been to me a very sad duty, and one which I would gladly have avoided had it been possible. The demand, however, for the complete story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last expedition has been so widespread and insistent that I could no longer withhold it.

In the subsequent pages of this book the reader will find recorded the story of the voyage of the _Quest_, the tight little ship that carried us through over twenty thousand miles of stormy ocean and brought us safely back.

I make no claim to literary style, but have endeavoured to set forth a plain and simple narrative.

The writings of explorers vary, but in my opinion they have all one common fault, which is, that they have attempted to combine in one volume the scientific results with the more popular story of the expedition.

This book is for the public. I have sought to eliminate the mass of scientific details with which my journal is filled, to avoid technical terms, and to retain only that which can be easily understood by all.

Of the parts of the narrative that deal with Sir Ernest Shackleton I have passed over very shortly. Pens far more able than mine, notably those of Mr. Harold Begbie and Dr. Hugh Robert Mill, have written of his life and character.

Though I was his companion on every one of his expeditions, I know little of his life at home. It is a curious thing that men thrown so closely together as those engaged in Polar work should never seek to know anything of each other’s “inside” affairs. But to the “Explorer” Shackleton I was joined by ties so strongly welded through the many years of common hardship and struggle that to write of him at all is extremely difficult. Nothing I could set down can convey what I feel, and I have a horror of false and wordy sentiment. I trust, therefore, that those readers who may think that I have dealt too lightly with the parts of the story which more intimately concern him will sympathize and respect my feelings in the matter.

I must take this opportunity of acknowledging my deep feeling of gratitude to Mr. John Quiller Rowett. What the expedition owes to him no one, not even its individual members, can ever realize. There have been many supporters of enterprises of this nature, but usually they have sought from it some commercial gain. Mr. Rowett’s support was due solely to his keen interest in scientific research, which he had previously instituted and encouraged in other fields. He bore practically the whole financial burden, and this expedition is almost unique in that it was clear of debt at the time of its return.

But, in addition to this, I owe him much for his kindly encouragement, his clear, sound judgment, and his unfailing assistance whenever I have sought it. Mrs. Rowett has given me invaluable assistance throughout the preparation of the book and has corrected the proofs. For her kindly hospitality I owe more than I can say, for to myself and others of the expedition her house has ever been open, and we have received always the most kindly welcome. In this connexion I could say a great deal, but it would be inadequate to convey what I feel.

The expedition owes also a debt of gratitude to Sir Frederick Becker, for his encouraging assistance was rendered early in its inception.

To the many public-spirited firms who came forward with offers of assistance to what was considered a national enterprise I must make my acknowledgments. It is regrettable that many of the smaller suppliers of the expedition seized the chance of a cheap advertisement at the time of our departure, but a number of the more reputable firms made no stipulation of any sort, but presented us with goods as a free gift. I can assure them that I do not lightly regard their share in helping on the work, for we were thus enabled to carry in our food stores only the best of products, Sir Ernest Shackleton rigidly eliminating all goods which he felt unable to trust.

To Mr. James A. Cook I owe much for the hard work he has done at all times and for the help which he rendered whilst the expedition was away from England.

To my many other friends who have at one time and another been of assistance I tender my grateful acknowledgments, knowing full well that they will realize how impossible it is for me to thank them all by name.

I must thank Dr. Macklin for the care he took in keeping the official diary of the expedition. This and his own private journal, from which I have freely quoted, have both been invaluable to me.

To “The Boys,” those who stood by me and gave me their loyal service throughout an arduous and trying period, I say nothing—for they know how I feel.

FRANK WILD.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
1. INCEPTION 1
2. LONDON TO RIO DE JANEIRO 16
3. RIO TO SOUTH GEORGIA 44
4. DEATH OF SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON 64
5. PREPARATIONS IN SOUTH GEORGIA 71
6. INTO THE SOUTH 80
7. THE ICE 122
8. ELEPHANT ISLAND 155
9. SOUTH GEORGIA (SECOND VISIT) 173
10. THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA GROUP 199
11. TRISTAN DA CUNHA By DR. MACKLIN 219
12. TRISTAN DA CUNHA (_continued_) ” 243
13. DIEGO ALVAREZ OR GOUGH ISLAND 265
14. CAPE TOWN 287
15. ST. HELENA—ASCENSION ISLAND—ST. VINCENT 294
16. HOME 310
APPENDICES
I.—GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 314
II.—NATURAL HISTORY 328
III.—METEOROLOGY 340
IV.—HYDROGRAPHIC WORK 343
V.—MEDICAL 352
LIST OF PERSONNEL 366
INDEX 367

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Cairn _Colour Frontispiece_
PLATE FACING PAGE
1. Sir Ernest Shackleton in Polar Clothing 4
2. Mr. John Quiller Rowett 5
3. A Diagrammatic View of the _Quest_ 6
4. Sectional Views of the _Quest_ 7
5. The Sperry Gyroscopic Compass 10
6. The Enclosed Bridge of the _Quest_ 11
7. The _Quest_ at Hay’s Wharf 12
8. Kerr (Chief Engineer) Examining the Lucas Deep-sea
Sounding Machine 13
9. The Wireless Operating Room—The Ward Room of the
_Quest_ 20
10. The _Quest_ Passing the Tower of London on her way to the
Sea—The Schermuly Portable Rocket Apparatus 21
11. The _Quest_ in the North-east Trades 28
12. The Tow Net in Use 29
13. A Porpoise which was Harpooned from the Bowsprit 32
14. Query—The Boss Gives Query a Bath 33
15. Landing the Shore Party at St. Paul’s Rocks 48
16. The White-capped Noddy (_Anous stolidus_) on St. Paul’s
Rocks—The Booby (_Sula leucogastra_) 49
17. Commander Worsley Superintending Work in the Rigging
at Rio de Janeiro 50
18. The _Quest_ in Gritviken Harbour 51
19. The Whaling Station at Gritviken 62
20. Sunset on the Slopes of South Georgia 63
21. The Resting Place of a Great Explorer 64
22. The Picturesque Setting of Prince Olaf Station 65
23. Prince Olaf Whaling Station 68
24. A Steam Whaler with Two Whales brought in for
Flensing—Huge Blue Whales at South Georgia 69
25. The “Plan” at Gritviken, with a Whale in Process of
Being Flensed 76
26. Leith Harbour, South Georgia 77
27. Chart of Larsen Harbour—The Entrance to Larsen
Harbour 80
28. An Expedition in Search of Fresh Food—Marr, McIlroy,
Commander Wild, Macklin 81
29. Commander Wild 82
30. A Small Berg—A Curious “Toothed” Berg 83
31. A Lovely Evening in the Sub-Antarctic 86
32. Too Many Cooks—Our First Deep-sea Sounding 87
33. The Western End of Zavodovski Island, showing
Grounded Icebergs 90
34. Sentinel of the Antarctic 91
35. A Typical Scene at the Pack Edge 94
36. Killers Rising to “Blow”—The _Quest_ Pushing Through
Thin Ice 95
37. Loose Open Pack—Loose Pack Ice, with the Sea Rapidly
Freezing Over 96
38. The Midnight Sun 97
39. The Loneliness of the Pack 100
40. An Unpleasant but Necessary Duty—Taking Crab-eater
Seals for Food 101
41. Commander Wild at the Masthead 108
42. Pushing South Through Heavy Pack—The _Quest_ Ploughing
Through Heavy Ice Pack 109
43. The _Quest_ at her Farthest South—Jeffrey and Douglas
taking Observations for Magnetic Dip 112
44. Heavy Pressed-up Pack Ice, the _Quest_ in the Distance
—Commander Wild and Worsley Examining a Newly
Formed “Lead” in the Pack Ice 113
45. The _Quest_ Pushing North Through Rapidly Freezing Ice 114
46. “Watering” Ship with Floe Ice 115
47. Emperor Penguins on the Floe: A Still Evening in the
Pack 118
48. Frozen Spray 119
49. Commander Wild’s Watch: McIlroy, Carr, Wild, Macklin—The
“Black” Watch: Ross, Argles, Young, Kerr, Smith 122
50. Worsley’s Watch: Douglas, Wilkins, Watts, Worsley—
Jeffrey’s Watch: McLeod, Marr, Jeffrey, Dell 123
51. Chipping Frozen Spray from the Gunwales 126
52. The _Quest_ Beset near Ross’s Appearance of Land 127
53. Rowett Island, off Cape Lookout, Elephant Island 150
54. The Kent “Clear-View” Screen—Approaching Cape
Lookout 151
55. Loading Sea-elephants’ Blubber, Elephant Island 154
56. Somnolent Content: a Sea-elephant on Elephant Island—
Ringed Penguins and a Paddy Bird (_Chionis alba_) 155
57. Shackleton’s Last Anchorage—McLeod and Marr clearing
up After a Blizzard 160
58. Sugar Top Mountain, Part of the Allardyce Range, South
Georgia 161
59. A Glacier Face in South Georgia 176
60. A Rocky Outcrop in South Georgia 177
61. Distended Whale Carcasses in Prince Olaf Harbour 178
62. Cape Pigeons (_Daption capensis_) at South Georgia 179
63. The Northern Coast of Drygalski Fiord—Cape Saunders 182
64. The New Type of Whaler—The Black-browed Albatross
or Mollymauk 183
65. A Pair of Adult Wandering Albatross—A Young Albatross 186
66. Gentoo Penguin Feeding its Chick—The Chick after
Feeding 187
67. On the Way to the Cairn—Looking Shorewards from the
Cairn 190
68. Our Farewell to the Boss 191
69. The Settlement at Tristan da Cunha from the Sea—View
of the Settlement from the East 208
70. Landing at Big Beach, Tristan da Cunha—A Tristan
Bullock Cart 209
71. Nightingale Island—Inaccessible Island 224
72. Wireless Pole being erected, Tristan—Carr and Douglas
with Two Tristan Guides, Henry Green and Glass 225
73. John Glass and Family—The Mission House on Tristan
da Cunha 240
74. The “Potato Patches” on Tristan da Cunha 241
75. Tristan Women Twisting Wool—The Tristan Method of
Carding Wool 256
76. Henry Green’s Cottage, Tristan da Cunha—The Oldest
Inhabitant of Tristan da Cunha, Miss Betty Cotton 257
77. View of Gough Island from the Glen Anchorage 262
78. The Apostle, an Acid Intrusive near the Summit of Gough
Island—The Little Glen where the New Sophora was
Discovered 263
79. On the Way to the Summit 266
80. The Glen Anchorage from the Higher Slopes 267
81. The _Quest_ seen through the Archway Rock, Gough Island 276
82. Dell Rocks, at the North-eastern End of Glen Beach 277
83. Lot’s Wife Cove and Church Rocks, Gough Island 284
84. Lot’s Wife, Gough Island 285
85. The _Quest_ Entering Table Bay—The _Quest_ in Dock at
Cape Town 288
86. The Summit of Ascension Island 289
87. The Abandoned Wireless Station on Ascension Island—
Flowering Plants Growing in the Volcanic Ash at
Ascension Island 304
88. Wideawake Plain, Ascension Island—A Wideawake 305
89. Weatherpost Hill, Ascension Island, Looking East 308
90. A View in San Miguel in the Azores 309
91. Booby with Chick—A Booby Chick 316
92. Types of Fish Caught in the Lagoon at St. Paul’s Rocks—
White-capped Noddies at St. Paul’s Rocks 317
93. Gentoo Penguin with Two Chicks—Nesting Ground of the
Mollymauk 320
94. Giant Petrel at Nest 321
95. The Surface of a Glacier, showing Numerous Crevasses 336
96. Sea-elephants in Tussock Grass 337
97. The Island Tree (_Phylica nitida_)—Sea-elephants among
the Rocks 340
98. Commander Worsley taking Observations of the Sun by
Sextant—Hussey (Taking Sea Temperatures), Commander
Wild and McIlroy 341
99. Setting up Kites for the Taking of Meteorological
Observations 348
100. An Apparatus for Bringing Up Specimens of the Sea
Bottom 349

Shackleton’s Last Voyage