At the time I felt a little indignant.  It seemed to me that these men ought to think themselves lucky to be down South at all:  there were thousands who would have like to take their place.  But now I understand quite a lot more than I did then.  Science is a big thing if you can travel a Winter Journey in her cause and not regret it.  I am not sure she is not bigger still if you can have dealings with scientists and continue to follow in her path.

FOOTNOTES: 

   [134] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 604.

   [135] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. pp. 599, 602, 607.

   [136] Scott, Voyage of the Discovery, vol. ii. p. 53.

   [137] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 295.

   [138] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. pp. 432-433.

[139] Ibid. p. 597.

[140] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 362.

[141] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 396.

[142] With Scott:  The Silver Lining, Taylor, p. 240.

[143] F. G. Jackson, A Thousand Days in the Arctic, vol. ii. pp.
380-381.

[144] See p. 179.

[145] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 4.

[146] See pp. 130-134.

[147] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 352.

[148] Ibid. p. 353.

   [149] Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 353.

CHAPTER VII

THE WINTER JOURNEY

Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what’s a Heaven for? 
R. BROWNING, Andrea del Sarto.

To me, and to every one who has remained here the result of this effort is the appeal it makes to our imagination, as one of the most gallant stories in Polar History.  That men should wander forth in the depth of a Polar night to face the most dismal cold and the fiercest gales in darkness is something new; that they should have persisted in this effort in spite of every adversity for five full weeks is heroic.  It makes a tale for our generation which I hope may not be lost in the telling.

    Scott’s Diary, at Cape Evans.

The following list of the Winter Journey sledge weights (for three men) is taken from the reckoning made by Bowers before we started: 

Expendible Stores—­                                        lbs.     lbs. 
‘Antarctic’ biscuit                                           135
3 Cases for same                                               12
Pemmican                                                      110
Butter                                                         21
Salt                                                            3
Tea                                                             4
Oil                                                            60