Forwarding Endurance - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

Historical context

Endurance forwarding was the first British forwarding to leave for the the Antarctic since the the United Kingdom since the Norwegian Roald Amundsen had become, with the Expédition Amundsen, the first man to reach the South pole in December 1911. During the previous decade, the United Kingdom had launched three Expédition S to try to become the first nation to send a man to the south pole.

Ernest Shackleton was member of the Expédition Discovery, the first forwarding, and chief at the time of the second, the Expédition Nimrod. It had thus become famous in the United Kingdom and apart from the country as being, during a certain time, the man who had gone more close to the south pole. It had been with its second attempt at a distance of approximately 180 kilometers of the pole before having to go into reverse because of the lack of provisions. However, in January 1912, the captain of the Royal Navy Robert Falcon Scott, first “rival” of Shackleton, would die of cold with the four other men of its team, during their long voyage of return of the south pole after to be beaten only 35 days by Norwegian.

It is in this context that Ernest Shackleton had required to be financed for a voyage which would be the first to carry the Drapeau of the United Kingdom through the Antarctic continent of the south of the Mer of Weddell in the Atlantic Ocean, to the south of the Mer of Ross in the Pacifique while passing by the pole. Only another explorer had tried to carry out this same exploit. In 1911, the German explorer Wilhelm Filchner had led a forwarding to the sea of Weddell, thus discovering the Côte of Luitpold, and at its end more in the south, the Baie of Vahsel (Latitude southern 78°). However, Filchner which cannot successfully install its base on the continent, it was forced to turn over in Europe without to have begun the continental part of the voyage.

The plan of Shackleton provided that its forwarding reaches bay of Vahsel de Filchner, a known territory, from where it would try its own crossing of the continent. The other part of forwarding would build, since the Barrière of Ross, of the deposits of provisioning which would be necessary to finish the transcontinental voyage of almost: 3000 kilometers. The difficulty first was to manage to cross the sea of Weddel which is blocked by the ice-barrier most of the year to unload men and material.

Scientific objectives

In addition to the challenge which represented the first crossing of the Antarctic continent and thus the discovery of new territories on behalf of the United Kingdom, Shackleton envisaged a certain number of scientific work:

on the level of the base established in the Sea of Weddell, a group was to study the fauna so much terrestrial that marinades and to make of the weather statements ;
respectively in the Ground of Graham and in the Enderby Land , two detachments circulating with sledges were to carry out a certain number of observations primarily of geological nature ;
in the Sea of Ross, of the geological investigations was to also be carried out on the Glacier Beardmore in order to better know the history of the continent;
finally, the two boats being equipped to carry out all the types of hydrographic work , the statement of sea-beds along the coasts was also envisaged.

Preparation and financing of forwarding

Shackleton had to strike with several doors to join together the required funds with its company. Among the most important backers, one finds the British government for: 10000 pounds and the industrial rich person James Key Caird for the very important sum of: 24000 pounds. Other benefactors appeared like Janet Stancomb-Wills, girl of a tycoon of the tobacco, and Dudley Docker, of Birmingham Small Arms Company . Other modest contributions are to be announced like those of the royal Company of geography for: 1000 pounds or subscriptions launched in many schools of all the the United Kingdom which had the honor to be able to baptize of their name the sponsored dog.

Shackleton acquired of two ships: the Endurance for its team of the sea of Weddell and the Aurora for the team of the sea of Ross.

To recruit the crews, Shackleton made pass in the newspapers on January 1st, 1914 an advertisement for which it did not accept less than five thousand positive responses. It retained the candidature of fifty six men.

The two teams encountered difficulties in their voyages but the history of that taken along by Shackleton on the Endurance is most known by far.

The forwarding of Ernest Shackleton

Whereas Shackleton still hesitates to install, Winston Churchill requires of him to weigh the anchor. The Endurance thus leaves Plymouth the August 9th 1914, made stopover briefly with Buenos Aires then with Grytviken in South Georgia. It must have patience one month before going southern because the Pack extends very to north this year

The January 10th 1915, they arrive at the foot of the great walls of ice of 30 meters which mask the portion of Antarctic coast of the Ground of Coats discovered and baptized by the last British explorer to have penetrated in this sector, William Speirs Bruce in 1904.

Two days later, they cross the latitude Southern 74° and penetrate in an area until ever explored there in the north of the Côte of Luitpold. Shackleton was to call this part of the littoral lately discovered the Côte of Caird of the name of the silent partner of forwarding, James Key Caird.

The more the ship advances, the more the progression in the pack is done difficult but Shackleton remains trustful. Mid-January, the daily distance crossed by the boat became variable: sometimes the way is blocked by the ice and there is anything else to do nothing but wait but other times the ice are sufficiently fragmented to make it possible to advance out of interstitial water. Periodically, the boat is entirely encircled of ice. Finally forwarding manages to achieve its goal: the latitude 78°Sud.

Towards the January 19th 1915, the Endurance progresses last once before being definitively blocked by the ice. During following weeks, the ice is parcelled out with approximately 180 meters from there and the ice softens punctually around the hull of the boat but the boat remains indeed blocked taken in the ices. The attempts to release it prove all vain.

Drift of the Endurance

As desperate as can appear its situation today, Shackleton was to write later that the immobilization of the boat, at the beginning, was not a source of concern. Although it is completely conscious that the ice surrounding the boat can become a problem, it also knew which he is current for a ship to find taken by the ices in the polar regions but that this one was generally released later. Initially thus, Shackleton has for only regret earlier not to have stopped the race of its boat so as to camp close to a place which would have made it possible to launch terrestrial forwarding next spring.

Such as the situation presents itself, it seems obvious that the current involves the boat towards the west, perhaps even towards north, and indeed that occurs rather quickly. All the time that lasts this drift in the ices, the captain of the Endurance , Frank Worsley, continuous to record displacements of the ship, and while this one derives only from some miles in February, the pack accelerates its drift in direction of north involving with him the Endurance always more far from the Côte of Luitpold. That quickly puts an end to the hopes of Shackleton to cross the continent at the following season.

May 1st, 1915, the Sun rises last once on the Antarctic before the winter and the piece of ice-barrier in which the Endurance is then taken forms only one surface of some square miles. At this moment, Shackleton estimated that the ice would break with the return of the summer or, in the worst case, when the drift of the ice-barrier would have involved the boat in the extreme north of the sea of Weddell. However, as spring approaches then when it is well installed, it becomes obvious that to release the ship of the ices would not be also simple. As the ice breaks, of enormous pieces of ice-barrier move then incorporate themselves with an incredible force which makes vain the efforts of the crew to release the boat.

As from August and during October and September, the men observe that dangerous cracks open in the ice then are closed again. As of July, Shackleton informs the captain Worsley which he regards the Endurance as lost soon. Although this ship was able to resist important pressures like any “polar boat” of the time, its case was desperate. The October 24th, which was regarded as inevitable occurs, the ship is inserted with starboard by the ice-barrier. Pressure of the ice against the side of the ship continuous to go up until the bridge starts to twist and to split themselves; it is at this time that water starts to flow into the ship. The rupture of wood produced terrifying noises that the sailors described thereafter like resembling those produced by “large fireworks or the detonation of guns”. The crew tries without slackening to pump water.

However, at the end of a few days, the October 27th, Shackleton is constrained to give the order to give up the ship, and the crew transfers itself onto the ice, whereas the temperature is of −25 °C, with the huskies, their vivres and provisions and the three lifeboats. In the weeks which follow, the crew continues to try to save all that can the being, in particular the Photographie S and the photographic material which were left in the ship. However, partially flooded and freezes it continuing to work it, it from now on is acquired that the ship is condemned and the November 21st 1915, the Endurance disappears under water with.

Attempts with sledge

Without the whole of the provisions stored on the boat, to continue forwarding as it was programmed is not possible any more and Shackleton informed its men who it is not any more question but of returning to the the United Kingdom. At this time it intends to direct its team towards the island Paulet who had been a refuge of Swedish forwarding Antarctic fifty years earlier.

He thinks that this island is only with 450 km in the west of their position and a completely reasonable distance being given their stock of provisions designed to cross the continent. However, once walk undertaken, this one appear more difficult than envisaged. The relief of the ice around them makes the progression difficult. The surface of the ground does not have large thing of commun run with that of the continent. As the horizontal pressure increased, the ice was raised by forming monticules and some three meters often high peaks. The ground in no way is levelled to trail the boats and the equipment. Moreover, as time is heated and that the current carries them more in north, the pack becomes thinner and is cracked, making this exercise even more difficult and dangerous. To move on the ice increases the risk to see the separate teams. Moreover, if one of the boats is turned over, it is likely to be about it seriously damaged. Shackleton tries by twice advancing its men but the précautionneuse advance appears well too slow. At the time of the one of these attempts, the team progresses only of 18 km after seven days of intense efforts and at this rate/rhythm, it would have taken them 200 days to traverse the distance necessary, one duration for which the provisions would have missed. By twice discouraged, Shackleton gives up its plan and the team assembles her tents to install a new camp on the ice.

The immediate consequence of these a few traversed kilometers was to reduce their stock of provisions. In addition to to have needed more than Calorie S to trail the boats, the team moved away from the place where the men had discharged all that they had been able of the boat in perdition. In front of impossibility of carrying totality on the sledges, much of these provisions had been left on the spot while thus hoping to reduce the weight of the crews. Because of these reduced stocks, the Seal and the Manchot, which before made it possible to vary the menus, become the basic food of the meals, Shackleton trying to preserve the rations for a future use. The fuel which is necessary to heat, cook and quite simply melt the ice to obtain Eau, must be supplemented by Huile of seal. Consequently, when the seals and the penguins start in an unexplainable way to disappear from the landscape, some of the men are alarmed and the food intakes are reduced. Finally the huskies all are cut down.

The voyage in lifeboat towards the island of the Elephant

The April 9th 1916, the men jump in the boats because their camp is seriously threatened by an imminent rupture of the ice-barrier. The breaking of the ices allows a greater mobility on sea and Shackleton, which for some time already prepared at this time, knows where to direct its team. It seems that the best destination is the island of Disappointment to approximately 300 km in the west of their position which, not only is equipped with provisions for possible shipwrecked men, but has also a small church of wood which could be used usefully for the carpenter of forwarding to improve the lifeboats. The other solutions are the island of the Elephant and the island Clarence, both having been with range of sight in March. However, despite everything the advantages discounted by an accosting on these islands, they are at the end of a few out of reach days.

Once installed in the boats and even if the meat of Phoque is not lacking, it proves very difficult to maintain the furnace to cook and dissolve the essential ice to seal their thirst which soon the storm all. Certain nights, the temperature goes down to −20 °C and the men are continuously sprinkled by sea water. Much is then cold and moral group is for the first truly low time. The lack of protection against the environment offered by the boats the met in a situation which they did not known in the preceding camps and Shackleton understands that it does not have an other choice only to lead its men to the refuge nearest. After seven days of navigation they put foot at ground on the island of the Elephant the April 14th 1916.

The voyage of the James Caird

The island of the Elephant is not the ideal place where to await help. The island is inhospitable with its arid extent made up exclusively of rocks, snow and ice. In spite of the relative abundance of seals and penguins on the coasts of the island, it is difficult for the men of the group how long to envisage that can last. The arrival very close to the winter in this area is also a source of concern and during the very first days on the island, the time of the Passage of Drake seems to want to make honor with its terrible reputation. Finally and perhaps even especially, the island is far from the places which forwarding planned to reach and is out of all the known sea routes so that the possibility of seeing a ship or any help is quite thin.

In all logic, Shackleton understands that it is essential to try to set out again immediately and it seems obvious to him that their safety passes by the return to South Georgia, when well even that means to sail more 800 miles (: 1500 km) on the ocean in one of the lifeboats which enabled them to arrive up to now. This voyage in boat, the voyage of the James Caird , remains one of the maritime crossings most exceptional of all times.

Water that Shackleton must face in its seven meters length boat ballasted with a half thunders of rollers and of sandbags are known to be most treacherous of the world. Shackleton wrote later that the strong gales are currency in this water and Worsley wrote that sentences such as “ eight bels ”, indicating winds and a sea of force 8 on the scale of Beaufort, were current. Modern weather reports/ratios confirm that strong gales of 60 with 70 km/h are recorded in the passage of Drake on average 200 days per annum generating of the hollows of approximately seven meters. Sailors often told to have met very large waves in this water and certain sources report that waves of approximately 20 meters are not rare. The meteorologists explain that these extreme climatic conditions are caused by the Force of Coriolis of the average latitudes which, a little more in the south, causes a powerful airstream of is which sails round the Antarctic. The absence of emerged grounds generates an uninterrupted airstream which finds its correspondent in a powerful oceanic current: the bottleneck consisted the Cape Horn and the Antarctic peninsula, to which is added a not very major underwater topography, still amplify these conditions in the passage of Drake as immediately in the east, in the sea of Scotia. Of course, that simply comes to confirm what the sailors know about these areas since centuries and besides the difficulty in crossing the passage of Drake is legendary. The sailors often call these dangerous latitudes the “howling quarantièmes”, “the furious fiftieth ones” and “sixtieth howling” and during the centuries spent, the sailors often quoted the proverb: “under 40 degrees, there is no more law, but under 50 degrees there is no more God. ” The starting position of Shackleton on the island of the Elephant is of 61°S and its destination of 54°S what places its crew on board the James Caird into full in this phenomenon. And in fact, Shackleton gives up carrying vivres for more than four weeks knowing that if they did not touch ground before that, it is that they are lost. It is clear that Shackleton and its small crew are regularly confronted with waves as high as their boat is long and it seems well that on the occasion certain waves were much larger. At midnight, I was with the rudder. Suddenly, towards the south, a clear line in the sky appeared to me. I prevented the others of them; then, after one moment, I understood that clearness in question was not a reflection in the clouds, but the white peak of an enormous wave! After twenty-six years of navigation, I knew the ocean in all his moods, but never I had not met on my road such a gigantic wave. It was a powerful rising which did not have anything commun run with the high capped blades of white, our enemy inlassables.

For this crossing, Shackleton selected the sailors more aguerris to accompany it in , South Georgia John Vincent and Tim McCarthy, as well as the experienced and decorated officer who is Thomas Crean. Shackleton also has recourse to the carpenter of forwarding, Harry McNish, which immediately undertakes to improve the lifeboat chosen by raising its edges, by reinforcing its skittle and by building a made impromptu fabric and wood bridge, the coated whole of oil and blood of seal. The difficult and difficult task of navigation is entrusted to Frank Worsley. To permanently ensure itself to follow the good road is of the most extreme importance because to miss their goal undoubtedly means to condemn the crew. The bad weather conditions, the storms, the stopped horizon and the important hollows complicate the task considerably because to be able to record the height of the moon or the sun above the horizon is essential to be able to determine the position of the boat. That is really possible only four times during the crossing.

The May 8th 1916, after fifteen days, exhausted and made thirsty, the crew is for the island and is already delighted to have achieved this voyage. However, in order to avoid an accosting of night on a coast unknown and not charted, they take again the broad one to wait the morning but at the same time a storm bursts with winds of the force of a hurricane. The crew makes face during nine hours perilous, trying not to sink and avoid the reefs, until they can finally reach the coast on May 10th. Others do not have this chance: Worsley reported later that a vapor of 500 barrels sailing of Buenos Aires towards the South Georgia had met the same storm and that it had sunk

Crossing of the South Georgia

While trying to sail round the island to reach the coast populated in north, Shackleton would have taken the risk of a shipwreck because of the dominant winds. This is why it decided to make accost the James Caird in well sheltered bay of the King Haakon . They are close to the goal but it is still necessary to cross the island by the interior of the grounds, known to be at the time a formed impenetrable ground of snow-covered mountains and glaciers. The vital need join one of the stations whale-boats of the northern coast is the occasion for Shackleton to carry out the first crossing of the South Georgia and that in an impressive way since carried out at a speed that mountaineers senior and equipped would have evil to reach nowadays.

As from the May 19th 1916 with 2:00 of the morning, after having left the three members most exhausted by the crossing in bay of the King Haakon , Shackleton, Worsley and Crean as the crow flies go 36 hours since this bay until Stromness to approximately about thirty kilometers but by borrowing a way which is very safe rectilinear and by having several times to turn back. They improvised cramps by fixing nails at the sole of their boots and took with them the Herminette of the carpenter as a Piolet. Without any other special equipment nor tries, they achieve this mission of the more high importance in mountainous spaces not charted.

While unloading in Stromness, Shackleton and its team are accommodated by the administrator of the station and are lodged in its house. One offered to them later a banquet organized by admiring whalers of their adventurous crossing on the James Caird in an ocean that all knew that too well.

The island of the Elephant

Since the departure of the James Caird of the island of the Elephant and until the end of August 1916, the 22 men remained behind with Frank Wild, the faithful second of Shackleton, to frame them. These men patiently waited the day when Shackleton would be returned from there to help them and fought at the same time against the elements of this inhospitable island for their survival. Shackleton wrote that during the fifteen or so days that it had passed on the island before its departure for the South Georgia, the winds blew between 112 and 145 kilometers per hour, which had finished completing in scraps the tents which had sheltered them so well on the Banquise.

In spite of the fact that they traversed close to: 1500 kilometers towards north from the place where the Endurance was taken in the ices, the temperatures continue to be icy. This is why, to be able to survive, the men remained on the island built a small hut with like roof both turned over remaining lifeboats and brought back stones of the beach to serve as small low walls of support. What there remain tents is bent so as to isolate the structure. With a same aim of snow is piled up around the shelter. The hut holds good in the middle of the blizzards and of the strong gales violent one. Icy time is however preferable with radoucissements because in this last case, the meat of seal stored thaws out and starts to rot. In the same way the insulation due to snow disappears by transforming the interior of the shelter into water puddle pool. Since she camps on the ice, the team always preferred a cold but dry time.

The rescue

One needs four attempts for Shackleton so that it finally succeeds in turning over to the island of the Elephant and to repatriate the men left on the spot. The departure of its first attempt takes place only three days after its arrival with Stromness the May 23rd 1916. After having seen the ship The Southern Sky unutilised in the port, Shackleton is arranged to lead it to the island of the Elephant. The local fishermen are prompt to provide him the required assistance. Unfortunately, as the ship approaches the destination, the rescue squad carried out by Shackleton realizes that the ice-barrier extended during the winter. The Southern Sky was not built to break the ice and Shackleton is obliged to go into reverse direction Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. It is besides at this time, on May 31st, 1916 at the evening, that Shackleton can send a telegram to London to briefly say what it is occurred of its forwarding. It receives the following day a message of the king: Enchanted to know to you arrived healthy and except in the Falkland Islands, and hopes that your comrades on the island of the Elephant will be helped soon. George R.I.

Once acquired the fact that no official help of the the United Kingdom, then into full First World War, can be under consideration before six months, Shackleton continues its efforts in South America: initially with the assistance of a boat provided by the government urugayen, the Instituto de Pesca No 1 , then later on a private ship, the Emma , thanks to the financial aid of the British Allan McDonald; in thanks Shackleton will give its name to a glacier. Each one of these last attempts is thwarted initially by the ice-barrier then by increasingly bad time of the winter season.

However, the August 30th 1916, four months after its departure of the island of the Elephant, Shackleton succeeds in approaching the island and takes on board all the men on a Chilean ship, the Yelcho , ordered by Luis Pardo. The twenty-two men remained on the island are healthy and safe.

The list of the team of the sea of Weddell ( Endurance )

Sir Henry Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), Commander -
Frank Wild (1873-1939), second -
Frank Worsley (1872-1943), captain of the ship -
Frank Hurley (1885-1962), Photographer -
Hubert Hudson (1886-1942), Officer of Navigation -
Lionel Greenstreet (1889-1979), 1st officer -
Thomas Crean (1877-1938), 2nd officer -
Alfred Cheetham (1867-1918), 3rd officer -
Lewis Rickinson (1883-1945), Engineer as a chief -
Alexander Kerr (1892-1964), engineer -
Dr. James McIlroy (1879-1968), Surgery N -
Dr. Alexander Macklin (1889-1967), surgeon -
Robert Clark (1882-1950), Biologist -
Leonard Hussey (1891-1964), Meteorologist -
James Wordie (1889-1962), Geologist -
Reginald James (1891-1964), Physicist -
George Marston (1882-1940), Artist -
Thomas Orde-Lees (1877-1958), storekeeper and Mechanic engine -
Henry “Chippy” McNish (1874-1930), naval Carpenter -
Charles Green (1888-1974), Cook -
Borer Blackborow (1894-1949), store-keeper (Stowaway) -
William Stephenson (1889-1953), Fireman and “driver” -
Albert Holness (1892-1924), Fireman and “driver” -
John Vincent (1879-1941), Sailor ( Whitebait Seaman ) -
Timothy McCarthy (1888-1917), sailor -
Walter How (1885-1972), sailor -
William Bakewell (1888-1969), sailor -
Thomas McLeod (1869-1960), sailor -
Mrs. Chippy , Cat mascot of the ship

Sir Daniel Gooch (1869-1926), a Musher - travelled only as far as South Georgia and thus did not take share with the adventure itself. It will deal with preparing the 69 Chien S of Traîneau of this team.

Five members of the Endurance forwarding whose Shackleton had experience of the polar voyages. They had taken part before in certain forwardings such as Discovery (1901-1904), Nimrod (1907-1909), Terra Nova (1910-1913) and Aurora (1911-1914). Some will take part even in the Expédition Shackleton-Rowett (1921-1922) a few years after the Endurance.

Only four members of the crew of the Endurance did not receive the polar Médaille: Harry McNish, John Vincent, William Stephenson and Albert Holness.

Source

Second team and first deposits of provisioning

The second team, called Ross Sea Party , is carried out by A.L.A. Mackintosh and share of London for Sydney. From there, it must join the Mer of Ross then to cross part of the the Antarctic near the island of Ross to deposit vivres intended for the team of Shackleton which arrives on other side of the continent. Shackleton knows this area well to be there already returned in 1908 at the time of the Expédition Nimrod.

Started from Hobart the December 24th 1914, twelve men of the Aurora unload with Chien S of sledge and provisions the January 21st 1915. These men must bring food and the fuel by sledge to the latitude 80°S during the summer and, once arrived on the spot, build a deposit of food for the team of Shackleton which comes from the Mer of Weddell. The construction of other deposits more in the south until the Glacier Beardmore is planned for the season 1915 - 1916. They hesitate over their site because they have with the spirit the possibility of finding food with the course Crozier but the place really does not lend itself to the installation of shelters.

The January 24th 1915, Joyce, Gauze and Jack leave the boat with part of the provisioning. Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild are dawning in the same way next, follow-ups also by another group of six other men with a sledge with engine on January 30th. Mackintosh uses much the dogs without their leaving the rest necessary, which Joyce announces to him. But Mackintosh worries owing to the fact that Shackleton can need provisioning as of the first year.

The February 20th 1915, they do not reach 80°S. the group of the six is turned over behind at the time of the course, it thus does not remain any more but six men. The men suffer enormously from cold and windy time, of the lack of food, the diseases and the fast death of 16 of the 18 dogs which accompany them.

Storm and loss of contact with the Aurora

The May 7th 1915, a storm towards the Cape Evans breaks the Amarre S of the Aurora . The ship is actuated towards the broad one by a strong wind. Mackintosh and its first group, composed of Joyce, Jack, Cope, Wild and Hayward, are already on the ice-barrier when the Aurora ordered by Stenhouse is carried towards the broad one, which deprives the team of a means of fold and also of the major part of its provisions. The men with ground thus occupy the shelter of the Expédition Terra Nova which is in the vicinity.

In spite of that, they spring towards the Barrière of Ross to achieve their mission and to create the deposits of vivres which must use Shackleton. They reach the Péninsule of Hut Point, where the Hut Point is, a deposit given up by the preceding one Expédition Discovery of Robert Falcon Scott.

The Geologist Alexander Stevens, the Photographer and Chaplain Arnold “Padre” Spencer-Smith, the Australian physicist Richard Richards and Irvine Gaze are left in this shelter for scientific observations, but those are deprived of provisions, personal businesses and clothes, as of the fuel which are necessary for them, because all remained in the ship. Only a little Cookie, the The and the Cacao for stocks was unloaded.

The Aurora is, following the example Endurance , taken in the ices with the broad one. It is only the March 14th 1916 which the ship can take again the sea but it requires important repairs. It then travels towards Port Chalmers in New Zealand with broad of which it is dealt with by tug boat on April 12th. During this time, the ten men with ground are delivered to their own fate.

New deposits of provisions more in the south

The first deposit, the Minna Bluff , which is close to their position, is built in February but the group can only turn over safe from the Expédition Discovery and not directly to that of the Cape Evans. The only way of reaching this larger shelter is to cross to foot the Détroit of McMurdo and that is only possible when the ice is quite cold to prevent that it does not break under the weight of the explorers. The six men must wait one colder period. On their return on June 2nd, they are surprised not to see the Aurora .

Half of the work of provisioning was not supplemented while at the same time the men think that the survival of the team of Shackleton depends entirely on these deposits.

The team is then forced to be satisfied with what remains to him. They manufacture themselves their clothes starting from fabrics of Tente not used, their shoes and their bags of beds with what they have under the hand. The majority of the men are smokers and have only little tobacco, they thus create a “mixture of the shelter” starting from marine grasses, sawdust, sheets of The and Café.

They work inlassablement, not without conflict, by one hard winter to ensure the provisioning and the construction of the deposits all along the barrier of ice until the Glacier Beardmore. They save as much as possible the fuel and food, being limited primarily to meat of seal, only not limited resource.

In September, they try to move provisioning of the Cape Evans safe from the Expédition Discovery but have only little success. Richards and Gaze are also baited to repair the sledge with engine, there too without success. The plan of Mackintosh is to continue without the dogs but Joyce estimates that they are the only hope of success.

October 9th, nine men leave the shelter with four dogs. They have three sledges and try to group them but quickly, they are divided into three small groups.

October 26th, Joyce sees an object on the ice: a Ice axe with a note attached above.

March 19th, 1912.
Cher Sir,
Nous naps left here this morning with the dogs for the “Hut not”. We did not place any deposit on the way. I did not have the possibility of leaving of front note.

This note comes in fact from the rescue squad carried out by Apsley Cherry-Garrard to research from Robert Falcon Scott and its team at the time of their disappearance during the Expédition Terra Nova. That recalls them that no help will be sent to them. Mackintosh requires of the others to give up it and continue. In despair, Joyce, Richards and Hayward advance to seek the food of a deposit to approximately about fifteen kilometers, leaving the invalids on the spot. All the men are touched by the scurvy. Combatant of the winds of almost 130 km/h, the dogs must remain three days without eating whereas the men remain with and the remainders of food for dogs.

Joyce, Richards, Hayward and the dogs, cold and plugged by the strong winds, are forced to camp twice on a course of fifteen kilometers. Surprisingly, they succeed in finding largest of the deposits in spite of the snowstorm. They nourish the famished dogs then themselves with a little Farine of oats. They put back the dogs during one day and repair their jagged tent.

Lastly, after one week, they can turn over with provisions of the deposit but always without any fresh food to counter the scurvy. Wild dealt with very weak Spencer-Smith and of Mackintosh but does not have almost more vivres. Seeing the others returning, Wild leaves the tent and puts its harness to help to draw the sledge. Mackintosh cannot be held upright but slope to outside thank the group for Joyce of their assistance.

The death of Spencer-Smith

The two invalids are placed on sledges for the return voyage. Mackintosh is always very weak and slips of its sledge twice without the group not realizing any. They must thus go into reverse to seek it. Too much weak themselves to continue to transport the two invalids and with collapsing Hayward in its turn, Mackintosh is left in a tent. Joyce, Wild and Richards hurry to reach the Hut Point with Spencer-Smith and Hayward. In 5:45 of the morning on March 9th, Spencer-Smith dies in only a few days of the fresh meat of the shelter. After buryhaving buried it, the four others move towards the site of the shelter and arrive there on March 11th. After being itself nourished of meat of seals, they set out again behind to seek Mackintosh. The five survivors are safe in the shelter of the Expédition Discovery.

The death of Mackintosh and Hayward

Mackintosh, Joyce, Richards, Hayward and Wild survived but are now wedged in the shelter with meat of seal for only food and the fuel. The ice is too thin so that they risk the final voyage of the Hut Point with the Cape Evans. The May 8th 1916, Mackintosh, which can again hold upright, announces that him and Hayward plan to go until the course Evans. They thus leave in spite of the objections their companions and disappear in the hour following wild a blizzard. The others leave to seek them after the storm on May 10th but find only the traces of their sledge at the edge of the broken ice-barrier. Mackintosh and Hayward fell certainly on too thin ice which broke under their steps.

Richards, Joyce and Wild wait until the colder month of June to make the voyage. Their walk on the ice of the Détroit of McMurdo is marked by a lunar eclipse unexpected whereas they hoped to benefit from full moon. When they reach the three others safe from the Expédition Terra Nova, they do not find any boat. They feel very affected by the death of Mackintosh and Hayward after such a fight to survive on the barrier.

Completely being unaware of destiny of Shackleton and its team on the Sea of Weddell and the loss of the Endurance , they live another winter by wondering whether they will be saved one day.

The arrival of Shackleton

In December 1916, after having saved the men remained on the island of the Elephant, Shackleton leaves for the New Zealand where the Aurora was repaired. Shackleton puts the veils for the island of Ross in order to help men of which it does not have a news.

The final relief comes the January 10th 1917 when Richards driving out seals sees a boat at the horizon. It is the Aurora . Shackleton requires immediately how much men survived. He learns whereas three members of the forwarding perished, one during the mission from deposit of vivres - which proves to be an useless success - and two others on the Mer of Weddell.

The survivors are repatriated with Wellington.

An ignored epopee

The men of the team of the Mer of Ross passed on the ice a number of days which remains seldom equalized today. They are the last occupants of the shelters of forwardings Discovery and Terra Nova.

Their sufferings are not easily conceivable with temperatures as low as -45°C, winds of an extraordinary force, the lack of food and water, gelures, blindnesses due to snow, the scurvy, the lack of sleep, the torn tents and clothing and shoes misfits and softened. They supported these pains thanks to their direction of the duty which led them to be deprived of a food for which they had the greatest need to fill the deposits that the forwarding of Shackleton was to use.

Only four dogs survived: Oscar, Gunner, Idiot and Towser; but Con was killed by the other dogs the arrival day before of the help. The three dogs were comfortably placed at the Zoo of Wellington. ^,

On the Péninsule of Hut Point two stations of scientific research are today. The shelters of the team of the sea of Ross exist always, partly reconstituted and protected by the New Zealand which asserts the island of Ross in the Dépendance of Ross. The inscription of Richards on its berth with a list of the missings can be read still there.

The list of the team of the Sea of Ross ( Aurora )

Aeneas Lionel Acton Mackintosh (1879-1916 †), Commander
Joseph Russell Stenhouse (1887-1941), captain of the ship -
Ernest Edward Joyce, Musher and second, accompanied by 18 Dog S of Sledge
Alexander O. Stevens, Geologist and scientific leader
Andrew Keith Jack, Physicist -
Richard “Dick” Walter Richards, physicist -
Arnold Patrick Spencer-Smith (1883-1916 †), Chaplain and Photographer -
Irvine Owen Gauze
Harry Ernest Wild. For this reason one can evoke the tragic destiny between all of Timothy McCarthy which after having survived the crossing on the James Caird was the first to lose the life as of 1917 with the field of honor at the time of a naval action.

In the beginning it was not expected that the sailors and the scientists cohabit so a long time together and one needed important qualities of Leadership so that the situation does not degenerate first of all thanks to Shackleton then with Frank Wild on the island of the Elephant, that it is in the idleness of the drift on the pack that in situation of survival after the loss of the ship. It is notable that during this Shackleton forwarding conquered the regard of certain people who did not know it and who did not hesitate to set out again under her orders at the time of sound last voyage.

Carried out scientific observations, few elements survived. Shackleton has to make strict choices after the loss of the ship and during the sometimes sudden removals on the ice, leaving each time behind him material. However it constantly took care that Hurley preserves a maximum of stereotypes and that each member of its group keeps to himself the newspaper which it held. It lost forever of sight that it would be necessary for him with its return to testify to their adventures. Moreover, even if the researchers who were interested in this forwarding had access to whole or part of the many newspapers held by some of its participants, none of these newspapers was the subject of an integral publication. Such publications would undoubtedly make it possible the public to approach still a little more close what these men lived.

Discusses on the famous advertisement

An often quoted or reproduced advertisement, with alternatives, is associated with the launching of this forwarding:

Men Wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, length months off supplement darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in box off success.

One requires volunteers: for a dangerous voyage. Not very remunerative, cold corrosive, long months of total darkness, permanent danger, chances to return living thin. Assured honor and prestige in the event of success.

Although one generally allots this advertisement to Ernest Shackleton and that it is estimated that it was the subject of a publication in a newspaper of London little time before the beginning of forwarding, some called into question the fact that this text was ever written by Shackleton, would be this only because the text is very provocative and literary in its form.

A certain Web site recently promised 100 dollars with which would be able to find the original advertisement. No gaining appeared and much people suggested that there are great chances that this advertisement never existed. Among these people, advanced the assumption has that the advertisement was created by Julian Watkins, the author of 100 Greatest Advertisements published in 1958, by proposing the fact that although this advertisement is positioned top of the list, it is accompanied by no photography by original as it is the case for the others proposed advertisements.

Another person exhumed a true advertisement, long several paragraphs, that Shackleton had made publish in a number of the Geographic Journal . In any event, this text is associated so much in the collective memory with Shackleton, except for some alternatives, that many works on the explorer mention this advertisement even if they recognize that it is perhaps not authentic.

Posterity

Forwarding left traces in the Toponymie of the Antarctic:

Cliffs Endurance () between the mounts Summerson and Albright.
Dorsal underwater Endurance ().
Coast of Caird () between the end of the Stancomb-Wills glacier and the surroundings of the glacier Beam. Side skirted by Shackleton in January 1915.
Stancomb Split ().
Stancomb-Wills Glacier ().
Language Stancomb-Wills refrigerator ().

Chronological reference marks

Appendices

External bonds

Royal Geographic Society , collection of British photographs of forwardings in the Antarctic.
HMS Endurance Alignment Project , Visitandlearn.co.uk
Trans-Antarctica Forwarding 1914 - 1917 , Coolantartica.com.
Shackleton' S Travels off Endurance , NOVA Online.
Virtual Shackleton , Scott Whodunnit Research Institute (University off Cambridge).
The American Museum off Natural History Site on the traditional exposition in 1999 with the forwarding carried out by Shackleton.

Media

File of forwarding Endurance for Google Earth Guided visit of forwarding thanks to Google Earth.

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