"
"What lots and lots I could tell you of this journey. How much better has
it been than lounging in too great comfort at home."
* * * * *
MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC
The causes of the disaster are not due to faulty organization, but to
misfortune in all risks which had to be undertaken.
1. The loss of pony transport in March 1911 obliged me to start later
than I had intended, and obliged the limits of stuff transported to be
narrowed.
2. The weather throughout the outward journey, and especially the long
gale in 83 deg. S., stopped us.
3. The soft snow in lower reaches of glacier again reduced pace.
We fought these untoward events with a will and conquered, but it cut
into our provision reserve.
Every detail of our food supplies, clothing and depots made on the
interior ice-sheet and over that long stretch of 700 miles to the Pole
and back, worked out to perfection. The advance party would have returned
to the glacier in fine form and with surplus of food, but for the
astonishing failure of the man whom we had least expected to fail. Edgar
Evans was thought the strongest man of the party.
The Beardmore Glacier is not difficult in fine weather, but on our return
we did not get a single completely fine day; this with a sick companion
enormously increased our anxieties.
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