An Epic of Christian Heroism and Good Cheer

Wherever Christian gentlemen admire bravery and loyalty today, the story of Sir Robert Scott and his South Pole expedition will be told. Though it ended in tragedy, it left a thrill of glory. Scott and two of his companions, Wilson and Bowers, were finally found by rescuers asleep in death on the frozen wastes of the Antarctic.

Under Scott’s shoulder were found three notebooks containing his diaries. The party had journeyed on foot 700 miles back by land to the Pole. They had returned to their sixtieth depot and died only eleven miles from another depot. One of the entries begins, “The cold is intense—forty degrees below at midday.

Blizzard as bad as ever. Must be near end—I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it on to the end. We are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.

I do not think I can write more. For God’s sake, look after our families.”

Other diaries were found in the tent and in one was a letter by Scott to Wilson’s wife after Wilson lay frozen in death. “I should like you to know how splendid he was at the end—everlastingly cheerful and ready to sacrifice.” Another entry was a letter to Sir James Barrie, “We are pegging out in a very comfortless spot. Hoping this letter may be found and sent to you, I write a word of farewell.

We are in a desperate state, being frozen, etc. No fuel and a long way from food, but it would do your heart good in our tent to hear our songs and the cheery conversation.

We are very near the end but have not and will not lose our good cheer. We could have come through had we neglected the sick. The great God has called me.”