Captain Scott of The Antarctic
In the twenty first century, it's difficult to understand just how large the world was, barely a century ago, when Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen competed to the first expedition to reach the South Pole. This was Scott's second expedition to the White Continent, and Amundsen's first.
Commander Scott, an officer of the British Royal Navy, did two expeditions to Antarctica, and he was among the first people to set foot on the mainland (indeed, the mainland of Antarctica wasn't directly sighted until the 1820s).
Scott's early career was one of minor distinguishment in the service of the Crown, and with the British Empire at peace under Victoria, Scott was facing the plight of many junior officers: Extreme competition for promotion. After the financial disturbance caused by the death of his father, Scott became the sole source of income for his mother and two unmarried sisters, and took on the command of the Discovery Expedition at the turn of the 20th Century because it offered a fast promotion, getting him to the rank of full Commander.
The Discovery Expedition of 1901-1904, put a crew of 50 people into the Antarctic ice, and with skis and dogsleds, progressed to nearly 500 miles from the South Pole. The expedition was, in many ways, the quintessential Victorian adventure – rather than having expertise in working in cold climates, it was expected that everyone would compensate and improvise.
After the Discovery Expedition returned in 1904, Scott was the toast of London, and a popular hero. He was promoted to the full rank of Post Captain, which solved many of his family's financial issues, and received several awards; for two years, he gave lectures and receptions, while writing up the expedition record. He moved in ever more exalted social circles, while resuming his naval career.
At the failure of the 1907 Shackleton expedition (the launching of which caused a breach between the two men), Scott accepted half pay from the Navy to command the third British Antarctic Expedition, returning to the McMurdo Sound base that Discovery had pioneered, with the express intent to reach the Pole.
Unknown to him, Roald Amundsun of Norway had a two month head start, and though he traveled further, his greater experience with arctic conditions (including using skis and dog-pulled sleds, rather than using human labor to pull them) gave him the edge. When Scott reached the South Pole, he discovered evidence that he'd been beaten there; harsh conditions (and a general lack of preparation) cost Scott and his four companions their lives en route to their ship.
This is an original news article © The Kids Window
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