Shackleton's Last Voyage: The Story of the QuestWild, Frank
History
Shackleton's Last Voyage: The Story of the Quest
Wild, Frank
Antarctica -- Discovery and exploration -- British; Quest (Ship); Shackleton, Ernest Henry, Sir, 1874-1922
A number of small and very tame mice came out to regard me
curiously; they must have been introduced by the people who built
the huts. One very old one crept up to the warmth of the fire—it
had very shaky limbs and moved slowly and carefully—rather like
a doddery old man. I was taking a great interest in it when
Query came up to me, and catching sight of it sitting in the
fireglow casually bit it, killed it and dropped it. The utter
thoughtlessness and callous cruelty of the act!—and all the time
he slowly wagged his tail, oozing with friendliness and good
nature....
It is probable that anyone visiting this island in January would
find conditions much more pleasant, and to a botanist especially
it should appeal as a fertile field for research.
The early part of the night was fine. All round us was a beautiful
phosphorescence, the sea being covered with waves of flame. Anything
thrown overboard caused ripples and splashes of liquid fire and the
cable was a chain of living light, the whole being accentuated by the
intense blackness of the night.
Whilst passing along the port alleyway I noticed just opposite the
galley a weird luminous glow emanating from two large spots set closely
together. They were like the eyes of a large animal and produced
momentarily a creepy feeling. Closer examination revealed two crayfish
as the source of this phenomenon. The flesh of these creatures is
brightly luminous, and wherever there are chinks in the horny coating
and where it is thin the light shines through.
Towards daybreak of the next morning the wind increased and a strong
swell started running into the anchorage. Not caring to take any undue
risks with such an unpleasant lee shore, I heaved anchor and steamed
out past South East Point, keeping close into the island to enable
Worsley to carry out a series of soundings.
The land along the south side of the island slopes much more gradually
to the summit than it does opposite the Glen Anchorage, and the
vegetation which is the greatest bar to climbers is much less dense.
Getting ashore would be less easy than at the glen. There are places
where in fine weather a boat landing could be effected, but the beaches
are very narrow and unfit for camping on. It would be necessary also
before the slopes are reached to surmount a short steep cliff up which
in many places a man unhandicapped by gear might with comparative
ease find a way, but where the hauling up of camping equipment would
be more difficult. Soundings were carried on throughout the day, and
Worsley and Jeffrey made a rough running survey of the coast, mapping
as accurately as possible the most salient points and headlands. The
wind coming more westerly we returned at night to the Glen Anchorage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account