Читать книгу Polar Exploration. A practical handbook for North and South Pole expeditions онлайн

28 страница из 66

Carsten Borchgrevink and crew of the Southern Cross landed at Cape Adare in February 1899. They built huts and became the first to overwinter on the continent.

1900–1947

In February 1902 Swedish geologist Otto Nordenskjöld and five crew members were left on Snow Hill Island, where they spent two winters. It was during this expedition that the first major sledge journey in Antarctica (some 400 miles) took place. Unfortunately, their ship Antarctic was crushed in the ice pack after the sledging team had been left on the island, thereby creating two separate groups of explorers. Miraculously, the second crew was able to survive the winter and find their way back to Snow Hill Island, where the whole party was rescued in 1903 by an Argentinean relief ship.

In November the same year Robert F Scott, Edward Wilson and Ernest Shackleton struck out for the South Pole. Having left McMurdo Sound and headed south across the Ross Ice Shelf, two months later they found themselves at 82° South suffering from snow blindness and scurvy. Forced to return home, they nonetheless covered 3100 miles.