This is an interesting day in history for it features three of my historical heroes, three dogged explorers who did much to open up parts of the world unknown at the time. They are Captain James Cook, Sir Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen, and on this day, they were all exploring the Antarctic.
In 1773 Captain Cook was undertaking his Second Voyage of Discovery in command of HMS Resolution accompanied by Captain Tobias Furneaux in command of HMS Adventure. Though he had charted much of the eastern coastline of Australia during his First Voyage, the mythical Terra Australis he sought was supposed to lie further to the south.
During the Second Voyage, Cook and his team were the first to cross the Antarctic Circle on this day in 1773. Later, in Antarctic fog, the two ships became separated and Furneaux made his way to New Zealand before eventually returning to Britain. Cook continued to explore the Antarctic seas, almost encountering the mainland before having to return to Tahiti to resupply his ship. He made a second, fruitless, attempt to find Terra Australis before returning home.
In the case of Robert Scott, he was in command of the Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole. The Terra Nova sailed out to New Zealand from Cardiff in June 1910. In Melbourne Scott left the ship temporarily to raise funds, and here discovered to his surprise that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was also heading for the South Pole, the first indication he’d had that he was effectively in a race to reach it.
Scott rejoined his ship in New Zealand and, having taken on board additional supplies as well as 34 sledge-dogs, 19 Siberian ponies and three motorised sledges, the ship sailed for the south, losing some supplies in a storm and then becoming stuck in pack ice for twenty days before finally landing the explorers for the Antarctic winter of 1911. Scott’s expedition plans were complex and, in some cases, ill-thought out. One of the motor sledges was lost in the ice as it was being landed, the other two were useless and the ponies, six of which died on the voyage, were soon found to be ill-suited to the extreme weather conditions. The expedition members were poorly equipped and were hampered by heavy woollen clothes. Scott’s team were also sometimes unclear as to what his intentions were.
In November 1911, Scott’s team started their march south, with groups travelling at different speeds, some of which dumped stores and returned to base. On 4 January 1912, the last two of the four-man groups had reached 87°34'S and Scott announced that five men would go onwards to the Pole - Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oates and Evans. The other three men would return to base camp.
On 17 January the five men finally reached the South Pole only to find to their very great disappointment that Roald Amundsen had beaten them to it by five weeks. The rest is history: Scott and his four companions died of starvation and extreme cold on the way back to base.
In contrast to some of the muddles and misfortunes that beset Scott’s expedition, Amundsen had carefully prepared for his, having learned much about survival in the Arctic from the Eskimo inhabitants and particularly their clothing and handling of sled-dogs. Setting out on skis with four dogsleds and 52 dogs, some of which would later be used for their meat, Amundsen and his five other colleagues almost effortlessly reached the Pole 35 days before Scott. They left a small tent and a letter proclaiming their accomplishment.
17 January. An accomplishment for Cook in crossing the Antarctic Circle. Devastation for Scott for being late but glory for Amundsen for being early.
.
In 1773 Captain Cook was undertaking his Second Voyage of Discovery in command of HMS Resolution accompanied by Captain Tobias Furneaux in command of HMS Adventure. Though he had charted much of the eastern coastline of Australia during his First Voyage, the mythical Terra Australis he sought was supposed to lie further to the south.
During the Second Voyage, Cook and his team were the first to cross the Antarctic Circle on this day in 1773. Later, in Antarctic fog, the two ships became separated and Furneaux made his way to New Zealand before eventually returning to Britain. Cook continued to explore the Antarctic seas, almost encountering the mainland before having to return to Tahiti to resupply his ship. He made a second, fruitless, attempt to find Terra Australis before returning home.
In the case of Robert Scott, he was in command of the Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole. The Terra Nova sailed out to New Zealand from Cardiff in June 1910. In Melbourne Scott left the ship temporarily to raise funds, and here discovered to his surprise that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was also heading for the South Pole, the first indication he’d had that he was effectively in a race to reach it.
Scott rejoined his ship in New Zealand and, having taken on board additional supplies as well as 34 sledge-dogs, 19 Siberian ponies and three motorised sledges, the ship sailed for the south, losing some supplies in a storm and then becoming stuck in pack ice for twenty days before finally landing the explorers for the Antarctic winter of 1911. Scott’s expedition plans were complex and, in some cases, ill-thought out. One of the motor sledges was lost in the ice as it was being landed, the other two were useless and the ponies, six of which died on the voyage, were soon found to be ill-suited to the extreme weather conditions. The expedition members were poorly equipped and were hampered by heavy woollen clothes. Scott’s team were also sometimes unclear as to what his intentions were.
In November 1911, Scott’s team started their march south, with groups travelling at different speeds, some of which dumped stores and returned to base. On 4 January 1912, the last two of the four-man groups had reached 87°34'S and Scott announced that five men would go onwards to the Pole - Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oates and Evans. The other three men would return to base camp.
On 17 January the five men finally reached the South Pole only to find to their very great disappointment that Roald Amundsen had beaten them to it by five weeks. The rest is history: Scott and his four companions died of starvation and extreme cold on the way back to base.
In contrast to some of the muddles and misfortunes that beset Scott’s expedition, Amundsen had carefully prepared for his, having learned much about survival in the Arctic from the Eskimo inhabitants and particularly their clothing and handling of sled-dogs. Setting out on skis with four dogsleds and 52 dogs, some of which would later be used for their meat, Amundsen and his five other colleagues almost effortlessly reached the Pole 35 days before Scott. They left a small tent and a letter proclaiming their accomplishment.
17 January. An accomplishment for Cook in crossing the Antarctic Circle. Devastation for Scott for being late but glory for Amundsen for being early.
.
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