Discovery Expedition
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The British National Antarctic Expedition or the Discovery Expedition (1901 - 1904)[1][2] was a British expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott with the purpose of undertaking scientific research and exploration along the coast of the Ross Sea in Antarctica. The name of this expedition was taken from the ship, Discovery which transported the expedition and provided, during the winter of 1902, accommodation while frozen in sea ice at Ross Island.
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[edit] Prior Antarctic (Ross Sea) expeditions
The Discovery Expedition was one of several undertaken in the Ross Sea area of Antarctica during the period 1840 to 1903. These expeditions pursued a mix of survey, scientific and commercial activities. The Southern Ocean around Antarctica was an area of growing commercial importance in the late 1800's due to the rapid expansion of whaling. Private and Government interests sponsored expeditions with a view to establishing bases in Antarctica to exploit the whale and seal populations and to investigate the potential for mineral extraction and processing.
- 1839-1843 James Clark Ross (UK). British Navy survey expedition. Ships: Erebus and Terror. In response to French (Dumont D'Urville) activity to the west, journeyed to the region that lies South East of New Zealand and discovered the Ross Sea, the Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Island.
- 1893-1895 Henryk Bull (Norway/Australia). Norwegian financed whaling expedition. Ship: Antarctic. Landed at Cape Adare.
- 1898-1900 Carstens Borchgrevink (Norway) in a British financed scientific expedition. Ship: Pollux. Landed at Cape Adare and over-wintered. Discovered the Bay of Whales on the southern edge of the Ross Sea
[edit] Discovery expedition members
A partial list of the members of the Discovery expedition follows. Career achievements subsequent to the Discovery expedition are not included.
- Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) UK. Navy Captain. Expedition Leader (1901-1904). Died 29 March 1912. Photograph
- Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912) UK. Chief Scientist and Zoologist. Died 29 March 1912. Photograph
- Henry 'Birdy' Bowers (1883-1912) UK. Navy Lieutenant. Died 29 March 1912. Photograph
- Edgar Evans (1876-1912) UK. Navy Petty Officer. Died 17 February 1912.
- William Lashly (1867-1940) UK. Navy Chief Stoker. Photograph
- Tom Crean (1877-1938) Ireland. Navy Petty Officer. Photograph
[edit] First season
The RRS Discovery sailed from the UK on August 6, 1901. Amongst the crew were Second Lieutenant Ernest Shackleton, Albert Armitage and Dr. Edward Adrian Wilson. On January 3, 1902, the Discovery crossed the Antarctic Circle and on February 3, 1902, the ship sailed into a bay within the Ross Ice Shelf. The next day Scott ascended eight hundred feet (240 m) in a hydrogen-filled balloon. In McMurdo Sound, three prefabricated huts were erected on shore to store supplies and scientific equipment; the ship would serve as the men's living quarters.
On November 2, 1902, Scott led a three man team south to explore for practical routes towards the South Pole and to test techniques for Antarctic travel. By December 30, 1902, they had reached (82° 17’S), about 350 miles from Hut Point. After they made camp, Scott ordered Shackleton to stay with the dogs, while he and Wilson marched several more miles southward. Stunned that he was not allowed to share the glory of the "furthest-south" record, Shackleton never forgave Scott[citation needed].
[edit] Second season
On October 26, 1903, Scott and his nine-man party marched west from Hut Point toward the mountains of Victoria Land. By mid-November, after a grueling climb up the Ferrar Glacier, they had reached the plateau.
- "Before us lay the unknown...What fascination lies in the word! Could anyone wonder that we determined to push on, be the outlook ever so comfortless?"...Robert Falcon Scott
On January 5, 1904, the ships Morning and Terra Nova, loomed in the distance. Scott was ordered to abandon the Discovery if it was still locked in ice at the end of six weeks. On February 14, 1904, the floe suddenly fractured and the ships were able to penetrate the widening channels. Two days later, explosives freed the Discovery.
Scott reached the UK in September 1904. During the following year, he edited his diaries and wrote The Voyage of the Discovery. The 1905 book was a popular and critical success. According to some modern writers, Shackleton seethed in private because of Scott's portrayal of him as a weak man ordered home, however his published correspondence with Scott does not demonstrate this hatred. He vowed he would return to Antarctica to finish what Scott had begun: to stand victorious at the South Pole.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ R. A. Swan, 'Bernacchi, Louis Charles (1876 - 1942)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, ISSN 1833-7538, published by Australian National University, accessed online December 29, 2006
- ^ Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) - The Discovery Expedition 1901 - 1904 CoolAntartica website, accessed online December 29, 2006
[edit] Further reading
- Landis, M. (2003). Antarctica: Exploring the Extreme: 400 Years of Adventure. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1-55652-480-3
- Scott, R. (1905). The Voyage of the "Discovery": Scott's First Antarctic Expedition: v. 1. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 0-8154-1079-4
- Scott, R. (1905). The Voyage of the "Discovery": Scott's First Antarctic Expedition: v. 2. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 0-8154-1151-0
- J V Skelton & D W Wilson. (2001). Discovery Illustrated: Pictures from Captain Scott's First Antarctic Expedition. Reardon Publishing. ISBN 1-873877-48-X
- Ed. Judy Skelton. (2004). The Antarctic Journals of Reginald Skelton: 'Another Little Job for the Tinker'. Reardon Publishing. ISBN 1-873877-68-4 [Hardback] ISBN 1-873877-69-2 [Special Limited Edition]
