Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration

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Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration Page 39

by David Roberts


  hut kits, 125

  Hut Point, 45, 46, 48–49

  Hyde Park Corner, 127, 248, 306

  “Hypervitaminosis A in the Antarctic in the Australian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–1914” (Cleland and Southcott), 224–25

  hypsometers, 26, 68, 215

  ice age, 43

  ice axes, 50, 51, 52, 55, 66, 67, 68, 135, 175, 209

  icebergs, 108, 109, 110, 121, 250, 252, 287

  ice blink, 110

  icefalls, 24

  ice masks, 146

  Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, see Endurance expedition

  inclinometer, 59, 68, 70, 83

  Inferno (Dante), 196

  “In Memoriam,” 264, 266

  International Geophysical Year of 1957–58, 301

  Inuit, 110, 225

  “Its Society for the Prevention of the Blues, The,” 127

  japara, 173, 210

  Jappy (dog), 19, 23

  Jarvis, Tim, 308–12

  Jeffryes, Norma, 278, 291

  Jeffryes, Sidney, 258–62

  cooking of, 256, 270, 280, 282

  dementia of, 260–62, 268–82, 291–94

  depression of, 259–60, 262

  firing of, 280

  homecoming of, 291–94

  hygiene issue and, 268, 278–79

  radio and, 203, 246, 247, 255, 256, 270, 273–78, 280

  resignation offer of, 270, 279, 280

  Jeffryes Glacier, 294

  Jensen, H. J., 42

  John Bull (dog), 19

  Johnson (dog), 211, 212

  Jones, Sydney, 189–92, 250–51, 298

  Jupiter, magnetic field of, 59

  K2, 139

  Kaiser Wilhelm Land, 190

  kangaroo jerky, 309

  Kennedy, Alexander, 112, 113, 121

  on crevasses, 166

  in Eastern Coastal Party, 193–200

  getting lost of, 168

  kerosene, 175

  Khayyám, Omar, 233

  King Edward VII Land, 48

  Kipling, Rudyard, 129, 164

  knives, 215, 226, 241, 305

  Koehler, Réné, 300

  lakes, meltwater, 198–99

  Lansing, Alfred, 300

  Laseron, Charles “Joe,” 97, 98, 99, 117, 141–46, 177, 298

  on Aurora’s approach, 251

  on Basilisk, 131

  on Close, 130, 159–60

  on dinners, 141

  on Hodgeman, 138

  on Hurley, 142, 149, 159–60

  on Mawson, 128, 151, 188, 304

  in missing goods retrieval, 124

  on Murphy, 143–44, 149

  on second wintering over, 205

  in supporting party, 170, 172

  on tent pitching, 173–74

  on Wild, 164

  on wind and snow, 132

  on wind-walking, 134

  on wintering over as domestic idyll, 149

  Law, Phillip, 225, 249

  leaders, leadership, 17, 22–23, 39

  Davis as, 203, 204

  Madigan as, 161, 170–71

  Mawson as, 17, 39, 78, 82, 124, 160–61, 163, 303–4, 307

  McKay’s ultimatum and, 73–74

  Murphy as, 143

  Wild as, 111, 118, 163, 165–66, 169, 171, 188, 189

  Leane, Elizabeth, 266–67

  Lecointe, Georges, 156, 262

  London, 19, 94, 263, 288, 299, 306

  London Daily Mail, 288–89

  Losumbuno, 41

  Lucky Depot, 175

  Lysaght, Gerald, 89

  Mackay, Alistair:

  diary of, 60, 62, 66, 67, 68, 70, 72, 73, 74

  in Erebus climb, 50–56

  in relief party, 81–82

  in South Magnetic Pole team, 57–72, 83, 111, 171

  ultimatum of, 73–74

  Macquarie Island, 97–100, 102–8, 162, 298

  Ainsworth’s chapters on, 170

  Clyde refugees on, 102–3

  communications and, 103, 106, 111, 131–32, 203, 252–53, 256, 259, 273, 275, 278, 280, 281–82

  flying fox constructed on, 106, 116

  geography and geology of, 300

  Hurley’s self-inflicted traverse of, 103–5, 147, 148

  safe anchorage in, 103

  madeira, 117

  Madigan, Cecil “Madi,” 113, 135–38, 149, 248, 254, 263, 281–84, 303

  death of, 152, 153, 297

  depression of, 271–72

  in Eastern Coastal Party, 161, 170–71, 178–82, 208, 283

  frostbite of, 147

  Jeffryes’s dementia and, 260, 262, 272, 279

  in last sledging journey, 282–84

  as leader, 161, 170–71

  Mawson criticized by, 151–53, 160, 171, 257–58

  nickname of, 130, 152

  as Rhodes scholar, 151, 204, 257, 271–72, 297

  selected for second wintering over, 202–5

  on Whetter, 156

  in World War I, 297–98

  Madigan, David, 151–53, 156, 257–58, 272, 281, 297

  Madigan Nunatak, 238

  magnetic fields, 59, 131

  magnetic poles, 58–59

  see also South Magnetic Pole

  magnetograph house, 131, 146–47

  Main Base, see Cape Denison

  maps, mapping, 93, 170, 189, 190, 255

  Mars, 59, 184

  Marshall, Eric, 44, 54–58, 79–81

  Mary, Queen of England, 274

  Mary (dog), 211, 212

  Mawson, Douglas, 17–45, 202–49, 251–312

  AAE diary of, 20–23, 26, 29, 30, 33, 36, 37, 133, 136–37, 144–45, 149–50, 153–58, 210, 212, 214–24, 227–29, 232–35, 240, 241, 245, 247, 249, 254–62, 268–70, 272, 281–84, 287

  AAE expedition narrative of, see Home of the Blizzard, The

  AAE of, see Australasian Antarctic Expedition

  Adelie Blizzard and, 262–67

  on Aladdin’s Cave, 178–79

  aloofness and reserve of, 17, 85

  appearance of, 17, 44, 85, 90, 94, 245, 302

  background of, 15, 38–39

  in BAE (Shackleton expedition), 15, 43–45, 49–72, 82–86, 93, 109, 111, 171, 263, 289, 307

  BAE diary of, 60–65, 67–74

  in BANZARE, 301–2

  Cape Adare expedition planned by, 88–89, 91

  at Cape Denison, 18, 112–13, 116, 124, 125, 128–40, 143–58, 244–49, 252–85

  close calls of, 229–36, 305, 311–12

  commercial motivation of, 91–92, 180

  cooking of, 128, 221, 223, 229, 270

  on crevasses, 25

  dangerous role assumed by, 33

  David’s reconciliation with, 82

  Davis’s note from, 171, 188, 202–3

  Davis’s quarrel with, 301, 303

  death of, 153, 224, 304–5

  as Dux Ipse, 151–52, 258, 272

  education of, 39–40, 43

  endurance and capacity to withstand pain of, 17, 72, 124, 221

  engagement of, 17–18, 90–91

  fragile psychological state of, 256, 262

  frustrations and despair of, 132

  fundraising of, 89, 91, 93, 94

  get-rich-quick schemes of, 84–85, 87

  health problems of, 31, 42, 70, 72, 211, 225–29, 235–38, 243, 248–49, 262, 271, 304

  Hillary’s view of, 312

  homecoming of, 287–88

  on huskies, 21, 30, 210, 212, 257

  on icebergs, 109

  international tour of, 86–89

  irritability of, 152, 154–55, 157–58

  Jarvis’s recreation of, 308–12

  on Jeffryes, 258–62, 268–70, 276, 277, 293

  Jeffryes’s letters to, 268–69, 271, 279, 280, 293

  K. Scott’s alleged affair with, 295

  last sledging journey of, 282–84

  as leader, 17, 39, 78, 82, 124, 160–61, 163, 303–4, 307

  lecture tour of, 290
, 297, 298, 299

  marriage of, 289–90

  mentor of, 39–40, 41, 43

  in missing goods retrieval, 124

  neglect of, 18, 294, 299–301

  in New Hebrides expedition, 41–42

  on night watchman, 149–50

  Paquita’s correspondence with, 18, 86, 106–7, 150, 299

  pessimism of, 137, 139

  poetry and, 129, 233

  private cubicle of, 125, 155, 158, 163

  prophecy about, 39

  in relief party, 81–82

  religious beliefs of, 232–33

  salary of, 40, 43, 87, 90–91

  as scientist, 18, 26, 32, 36, 55, 56, 58, 67–68, 71, 83, 91–93, 255, 278, 286, 300–301

  Scott compared with, 17, 18, 303, 307

  Scott’s meeting with, 87–88

  seasickness of, 44, 56

  speed expectations of, 26

  teaching of, 15, 40–41, 43, 84, 297, 300

  team divided by, 18–19

  team’s criticism of, 151–53, 171, 257–58

  temper of, 22

  walking problems of, 227–29

  watch of, 228

  weakness of, 236–38

  Wild compared with, 163, 166, 188

  Wild’s letter for, 196

  see also Far Eastern Party

  Mawson, Francesca Delprat “Paquita,” 17–18, 42, 90–91, 94, 223, 249, 294–98, 304, 307

  appearance of, 85

  biography by, 305

  marriage of, 289–90

  Mawson’s correspondence with, 18, 86, 106–7, 150, 299

  Mawson’s radio communications with, 253–54

  Mawson’s reunion with, 288

  pregnancy and childbirth of, 294, 298

  Mawson, Robert, 38, 39, 84

  Mawson, William, 38, 39

  Mawson Centre, 267, 306

  Mawson (TV program), 308–12

  Mawson of the Antarctic (P. Mawson), 305

  Mawson’s Will (Bickel), 300

  McGregor, Alasdair, 101

  McKinley, Mount, 156

  McLean, Archibald “Dad”; “Gee Whiz”; “Crusty,” 127, 129, 130, 203–6, 208, 252–56, 262–71, 277, 279–83

  Adelie Blizzard and, 262–68

  birthday of, 144

  dead penguin in bed of, 142

  in Eastern Coastal Party, 179–82

  Jeffryes’s dementia and, 261, 262, 269–71, 277, 279

  penguin wager of, 280, 281

  in search party, 205–6, 240–42

  selected for second wintering over, 203–5

  in World War I, 298

  McMurdo Sound, 47–49, 60–61, 75, 78, 81, 110, 121

  BAE denied base in, 45, 47–48, 87

  Camp Denison compared with, 138

  Medical Journal of Australia, 224–25

  medicine, 22, 232, 271

  Melbourne, 288–91, 293, 304

  Melbourne Cup, 148

  memorial cross, 285

  mental illness:

  in Belgica expedition, 156, 262, 271

  of Jeffryes, 260–62, 268–82, 291–94

  Mertz, Xavier “X,” 15–17, 19–37, 117, 149, 161, 179, 180, 203, 208–26, 241, 258, 309

  AAE application of, 94–95

  appearance of, 16–17

  on booming sound, 33

  bunkmate of, 127

  on Christmas, 215–16

  clothing of, 210, 216–17, 218, 226

  death of, 223–26, 246, 248, 251, 264, 266, 285, 289, 290, 296–97, 302, 305, 307

  diary style of, 17, 21

  German of, 16, 129

  in huskies’ transport, 19, 94, 131

  in hut construction, 127

  Mawson’s concerns about, 217–20

  Mawson’s interest in preserving the diary of, 234, 296–97

  Mawson’s letters to father of, 225, 296–97

  Mawson’s visit to family of, 290, 296–97

  nickname of, 16, 130

  on Ninnis’s death, 36–37

  pilot role of, 23

  radio masts and, 154

  singing of, 34

  skiing of, 23, 31, 33, 145, 209, 210, 267, 307

  skills of, 16

  weakening and torpor of, 217–23, 289, 310

  Mertz Glacier, 24, 25, 28, 32, 180, 207, 228–29, 236

  “Message to the Public” (Scott), 234

  messman, 139, 140

  meteorites, 184

  meteorology, meteorological stations, 50, 139, 196, 254

  Midsummer Day, 175, 214–15

  Midwinter’s Day, 56, 144, 260

  minerals, mining, 39, 43, 92, 180, 265

  missionaries, 41, 42

  Moyes, Morton, 166, 169, 196–201

  as hut caretaker, 193, 194, 196–97

  “Where Is Harrisson?” memo of, 197–98

  Murchison, Mount, 282–83

  Murphy, Herbert Dyce, 128, 132, 149, 170

  background of, 143

  as raconteur, 143–44

  music, 56, 129, 144, 145, 279

  mutton, 103, 106, 140

  Nansen, Fridtjof, 83, 129, 295

  nationalism, Antarctica and, 45, 71, 91, 92, 175, 301

  natives, of New Hebrides, 41, 42

  Navy, U.S., 198–99

  Near Eastern Party, 161, 170, 177

  Nebraska, 87, 89

  Netherlands, 296

  New Georgia Gazette, 263

  New Guinea, 84–85, 297

  New Hebrides expedition (1903), 41–42

  New Year’s, 199, 217

  New Zealand, 43, 44, 81, 102, 108, 158, 217, 276, 302, 303

  nicknames, coining of, 130

  night watchman, 139–40, 149–50, 159–60

  Nimrod (ship), 48–49, 57, 74–82, 110, 307

  South Magnetic Pole party and, 60, 63, 69, 70, 71, 74–79, 93

  Nimrod expedition, see British Antarctic Expedition

  Ninnis, Belgrave “Cherub,” 15, 17, 19–37, 161, 179, 203, 258, 306

  appearance of, 16

  close calls of, 25, 27, 99

  death of, 35–37, 208–9, 211, 215, 216, 224, 230, 231, 233, 246, 248, 251, 264, 266, 285, 290, 296, 305, 307, 308, 309

  as eloquent diarist, 16

  Gray’s esteem for, 98–99, 117

  health problems of, 31, 34

  huskies’ transport and, 19, 94, 95, 99, 112, 131

  Mawson’s visit to family of, 290, 296

  nickname of, 16, 130

  radio masts and, 154

  on separations in AAE, 117–18

  snowblindness of, 22

  stoicism of, 22, 31

  Ninnis Glacier, 28, 30, 32, 180, 213

  Nordenskjöld, Otto, 129

  Northern Party, 75

  North Magnetic Pole, 58–59

  North Pole, 156

  Northwest Passage, 58, 263

  Norway, 301

  Norwegian whaling expedition, 40

  Oates Land, 108

  “Ode to Tobacco” (doggerel), 264

  oil, 92

  seal and penguin, 102

  Operation Highjump, 199

  opium tablets, 232

  oranges, 186–87, 241

  Oxford University, 151, 204, 281, 297

  Pacific islands, 39, 41–42

  pack ice, 250, 251

  Parry, William Edward, 263

  Pavlova, Anna, 19, 306

  Pavlova (dog), 19, 20–21, 131, 211–12, 213, 215

  pemmican, 52, 172, 214, 217, 239, 243, 309

  penguins, 105, 115–16, 155, 179, 229, 255, 280, 281

  breeding grounds of, 138

  dead, 142

  eggs of, 191

  meat, 65, 66, 71, 74, 76, 77, 130, 140, 165, 181, 204, 205

  oil of, 102

  petrel, 191

  Pharaoh, Mark, 266–67, 306–7

  photography, 71

  of blizzards, 133–34

  darkroom for, 127

  gear discarding and, 215, 226

  Hurley and,
100–102, 105, 127, 133–34, 137, 146, 302

  of Wild, 164

  Piastre (horse), 148

  piblokto, 95

  pilot role, 23

  pineapples, 187, 241

  planets, magnetic fields of, 59

  Plymouth, 86

  poetry, 129, 233, 264–66

  doggerel, 176–77, 264–65

  polar explorers:

  Mawson’s taxonomic analysis of, 154

  see also specific people and expeditions

  ponies, Manchurian, 57, 58, 79

  Precambrian era, 43

  Priestley, Raymond, 44

  Princess Elizabeth Land, 308, 309–10

  puffometer, 152

  Quaife, W. T., 41

  Queen Mary Land, 273–74

  Queensland, 291, 292

  radio, radio masts:

  in Antarctica, 131–32, 133, 147–48, 153–54, 203, 205, 252–56, 258–62, 266, 270, 273–78, 280, 281–82, 301–2

  atmospheric disturbances and, 256, 259

  in Macquarie Island, 97, 103, 106, 252–53, 256, 259, 273, 278, 280, 281–82

  Radium Extraction Company, 84–85

  raisins, 217, 238

  rations, AAE, 19, 23, 32, 35, 172–73

  dogs as, 37, 210, 214

  Far Eastern party return and, 206, 210, 214, 217, 224, 235, 309

  loss of, 37

  most precious, 141

  planning of, 29–30

  of Western Party, 185, 186

  rats, 104

  reading, 31, 196, 199, 256, 260, 281

  out loud, 129

  refugees:

  Clyde, 102–3

  Elephant Island, 118, 302

  reindeer fur, 20

  religion, Mawson’s beliefs and, 232–33

  Rhodes scholars, 151, 204, 257, 271–72, 297

  Riffenburgh, Beau, 99–100, 158, 160, 163, 225, 257, 300–301, 305

  Rooty Hill, 39

  rope, 209, 215, 311

  rope, alpine, 35, 36, 195, 199

  BAE and, 50, 67, 68

  Mawson’s return and, 235, 236, 241

  rope, harness, 231, 232, 233

  Ross, James Clark, 58, 59, 83

  Ross Ice Shelf, 48, 121, 122, 123

  Ross Island, 49, 61, 108

  Hut Point on, 45, 46

  Ross Sea, 19, 45, 48, 59, 64, 65, 88, 111

  Endurance expedition and, 274, 289

  Nimrod in, 75

  round-house box, 140

  Royal Fusiliers, 296

  Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 47, 87, 274, 290, 295, 296

  Royal Navy, British, 41, 47

  Rubáiyát (Khayyám), 233

  rubber plantation, 84–85

  Russian geologists, 184

  safety lines, 36, 311

  St. George’s Hospital, 127

  Sandell, Charles, 280

  Santo Island, 41

  sastrugi, 21, 30, 64, 178, 238, 282, 283

  in Erebus, 51, 52

  Sawyer, Arthur, 148, 259

  science, 18, 26, 36, 162, 200, 255, 278, 286, 300–301

  BAE and, 50, 55, 56, 67–68, 83

  as Mawson motivation, 91, 92–93

  Shackleton’s lack of interest in, 50, 59, 92

  Scott, Kathleen, 294–95

 

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