Brief Biography of Andrew Keith Jack.

(Known as Keith Jack)

Born 9 September 1885 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Died: 26 September 1966

He was educated at Brighton Grammar and Melbourne University where he gained Bachelor and then Master of Science degrees. He was teaching at the Dookie Agricultural College when he volunteered for the expedition.

(Andrew) Keith Jack was a member of the Ross Sea Party, stranded in Antarctica whilst laying down supplies for Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition; an expedition which foundered when Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, was crushed in the ice. Jack kept a detailed diary over the 2 years they were stranded - following the loss of their ship, the Aurora - covering the many days in which they lay store depots beyond the pole from the Beardmore Glacier north to Ross Island.

Keith Jack also took many striking photographs, which were subsequently made into glass slides for use in a magic lantern. His meteorological records, given to Melbourne University in 1960, are important for assessing weather patterns and changes in the Ross Sea region

On his return from the Antarctic in 1917 he volunteered for the AIF but was seconded as a chemist to the Government Cordite Factory at Maribyrnong (later known as the Explosives Factory). Jack was appointed assistant manager in 1940 and was sent to Britain in 1943 as Australian Munitions Representative.

He later served as Chief Safety Officer for the Operational Safety Committee, (Dept. of Supply), 1947-1950.

Page 13

"Wednesday 2nd June 1915 [ As per end of this entry later realised he was a day out and this entry was actually Tuesday 1 June 1915]

Wednesday 2nd June – 4am. Weather much improved. Fairly strong NE wind. Expect however to push off in hour or two after have had some breakfast. Trust sincerely we may mange our task. After good breakfast of pemmican we left Hut Point at 10.45am – rather later than we intended, & after a long pull over a fair but in places much broken and rough surface due to ice pressure we eventually reached C. Evans hut at about 10.30pm. The true distance is 13 miles, not 17 as Skipper had told us previously. On our way we passed to E. of Tent & Inaccessible Island & between them & Razorback, & followed around the ice cliff at the pool of Erebus. Near here we found a flag planted on the sea ice with a note attached to the pole stating that a ladder had been placed for us to scale the ice cliff ½ mile further on. This was a precaution on the part of Stenhouse in case the ice between the flag & C. Evans had gone out, it being more exposed there. Note also explained that a depot had been made on top of cliff. However Skipper decided not to avail himself of depot but to make for the ship. We could not however pick her up in the now dim light (for it had clouded over). We could not even locate C. Evans but ultimately we heard the barking of dogs & so turned in to the land making for a dark spot which fortunately proved to be the hut. We were of course extremely glad..."

Page 14

"to reach here safely (& are) feeling tired for we had had nothing to eat or drink since breakfast with the exception of a stick or two of chocolate and an odd biscuit now & then. We made frequent and short halts, it being too cold to permit of longer ones. At the hut we found four members of the Expedition - Gaze, Smith, Richards and Stevens, all looking well. We were greatly upset to learn that the ship had gone out – broken away from her moorings – in a blizzard on 6th May. This blizzard they informed us was succeeded four days later by the severest one they had experienced & the ship had not returned or been heard of since. It appears the ship had been moored about 30 yards from Shore by means of seven wire hawsers and three chain cables. She was moored stern to land, bow pointing seawards. Two of the cables were fixed to her bow &anchors in the sea & the third to the port side of the stern – anchors on shore. The seven wire hawsers were distributed to prevent the ship swinging as far as possible. Great care was exercised by Stenhouse I believe, in the mooring of the ship, & much time spent in sinking holes in the rock to receive the heavy anchors. The frayed ends of the hawsers 7 the broken end of the cable are to be seen close to the hut. From the way in which the moorings were distributed Richards declares that when the str..."

Page 15

"last to go with the tremendous strain that must have been set up for the wind reached an average velocity of about 76 miles an hour as recorded by the anemometer. This wind together with the fact that the ship was embedded in a large mass of ice would when the ice commenced to move set up an irresistible strain. To make matters worse the vessels engines were more or less dismantled and her boilers empty. Further all her sails had been furled so that she would be completely helpless even did she get free from the ice mass. In addition, the (…) had been rigged which would give additional leverage to the wind. The blizzard the worst so far experienced & what has been the fate of the ship no one knows. From the direction of the wind viz SE, it is probable she has been driven up & across the McMurdo Sound towards the Western mountains somewhere in the vicinity of Granite Harbour. If so she may possibly be sheltering there or she may have been dashed to pieces on the rocks & ice which would accumulate there. Again has she been blown right out to the open sea & made her way slowly back to New Zealand or Tasmania or has she been crushed in the pack ice around the Antarctic Circle? There is still another possibility – that her side or at least part of it has been pulled out by the cables."

Transcript to come.

Page 44

"Friday 19 Nov 1915 p.44

5.45pm - Swing +5.5; snow in sun +5.0 Cloud Str1; Wind 0; Erebus current 0 -

Sastrugi S.

Another good days march of 17 miles. Are camped off N end of White Is & have

about 8 miles or so to go to reach our Petrol Depot. This morning we investigated

the large pressure ridge noted on P.39. Feel more convinced than ever that it was formed as there described. Another point noticed & probably due to the shift in barrier mentioned above is that the fracture ran at an /\ & not along the line of pressure. Both Irvine and self took photos of this great ridge which had a sheer drop on the S side of about 50-70 ft. deep. At the bottom was blue glare ice in great slabs also buckled up, & reminding one strongly of the pressure ice along tide crack of sea ice. We tested the ice however & found it fresh, \not formed from sea ice as it certainly looked like when viewed from above. Another interesting fact was the colour of the sky when viewed from the bottom of the precipice. In contrast to the intense white of the cliff face upon which an intense sun was shining the sky assumed an deep indigo blue – the deepest I have ever observed.

Saturday Nov 20th 1915

6am Swing + 10.0; Max 10.5; Min -10

Snow in sun + 3.5

Wind 10SSW. Cloud Ni or Str 10 dull & overcast

Thick - looking to south

12.15pm Very dull & overcast, blizzard appearance generally

8pm - Blizzarding from SE. Wind changed from E to SE gradually. Snow falling > part of afternoon. Cloud Ni 10 & very dark & heavy.

Swing + 13.5 Snow in shade + 11.0

Have made today absolutely our record march covering 22 geographical miles. Left last nights camp off N end of White Is at 8.30 am but instead of continuing direct on our course to Petrol Depot, we cut across the corner, steering for..."

Page 45

"Observation Hill and cutting close in to end of White Is. For the morning the surface was pretty good & also for a short time after lunch but after this we met the most trying and difficult surface I have experienced. For the greater part of the time we were breaking through a most difficult pie crust surface & sinking practically up to the knees. All day the weather had been most threatening & this was the reason we determined to make Hut Pt. today if possible. Shortly after lunch the snow began to fall & continued up to the time when we landed at Hut Pt. The wind which had been blowing from the E at about 12-15 veered round to the SE about 7pm & a real blizzard set in. Just after leaving our lunch camp we encountered what to my mind was the worst crevasse we have met. We were just off end of snow slope to N end of White Is. & near to pressure ridge fringing shore.

Had passed many small cracks during morning but some proved dangerous, though could distinctly see their origins at pressure ridge on our left. Nevertheless just after getting under way & moving about 10 yards, I burst through snow cap of this very bad crevasse, going down up to my waist. Joyce, Cope & Gaze had all got safely over somehow or other & as I shouted so they halted having observed the further edge of the crevasse just ahead of them. I hauled myself up & inspected chasm from a prostrate position. It was about 3 yards wide & the walls went sheer down without snow ledge of any kind & I could see nothing but darkness below. Man & dog falling down this crevasse would have been absolutely lost. There was only one thing to be done and this was to reach the sledge across which we fortunately did without further mishap. The width of the crack over all from edge to edge was about 5 yards. After this ---- we pushed on through a very bad surface & at last reached Barrier edge at 6.30pm, & finally..."

Page 46

"... gained Hut Pt. at 7.30 – pretty tired & foot sore. Noticeable feature of today’s trip was great resemblance in weather to that of our last day’s trek on last trip. Each day at time of starting was dull & ---- on each the wind was at first E swinging later to SE. Snow fell on each occasion & ultimately a blizzard developed at night though today we had not the slicing N wind with heavy drift which gave us much trouble last time. All afternoon we were practically steering by peep of feeble sun which appeared now & again for all land was obscured. Travelling time was 9 ½ hours today & distance 22 M. Have come back from Bluff in 4 travelling days which must be nearly a record. Our real time was 6 days but 2 full days we were held up by blizzard. For our traveling days we have averaged over 17 M per day.

Sunday 21st Nov 1915 -

Slept in till anout 10.30 AM after our long day yesterday. Nasty stiff breeze from SE. Slight ground drift. Did little but rest today. Weather very threatening. Joyce & Hayward troubled with snow blindness.

8pm Swing + 12.5, Max +18, Min +7.5

Monday 22nd Nov 1915

Again slept pretty late. Richards, Gaze, & self killed seal & hauled carcass & hung up in hut to act as food after sledging. In afternoon Richards & self went to try our luck catching skua-gulls for meat. Tried sticks stones & then adopted fishing tactics which we tried when our party reached Hut Pt. after sledging last year. Made hook of safety-pin, but discarded this in turn for a running knot with which we caught the bird by the legs …"

Page 53

"Mentioned a little time ago that I was waxing poetical - here is a sample after the R.W.Service style -

The Lone South land

Land of the Great White Silence, grim land of

the polar night;

Land of the blighting blizzard, ice fields glittering

bright;

Land where the white fanged mountains,

nameless and cleaving the sky;

Whisper of unknown spaces as the drifting

clouds sweep by -

Clouds all afire like opals in a setting of

burnished gold,

Amethyst, green and purple - Exquisite!

Beauty untold!

Where the endless day continues with

its ceaseless, pitiless glare,

Scorching the sight with its brightness

driving one to despair -

Where the shimmering mirage dances

o'er the billowy Barrier plain

Luring, tempting, enticing, oft-time

too - not in vain-

And the lone sledge trail leads onwards

into the vast unknown

With ever the frost fiend waiting,

waiting to claim his own-

Where the great Antarctic winter

sweeps down with its awful gloom

Week after week of darkness, only the

light of the moon,

Naught save the moon and the swinging

stars agleam in the heavens on high

With the weird auroral streamers

sweeping across the sky-

And yet with it all there is something -

a wild beauty that seems to enthral

A mystery, sadness and stillness and a

heaven sent peace over all.

Wonder what they would say to this at home pretty crude of course but at times you feel as if you can't help trying to put your feelings into a rhyme, rough though it is. at all events don't suppose anyone will ever see this so it doesn't matter much.

[Joyce] cooked for both tents tonight. Thank heaven I finished my weeks cooking night before last, & Hayward now has that pleasure. Will soon have Xmas day round again now, only 3 weeks off, can scarcely realize it. Exactly a year today since I lefyt Melb. to join Expedition. Seems almost impossible. Where shall we be this time next year – at home or looking out for a relief ship? Then again how is the war progressing? –

Sunday Dec 5th 1915 –

8.30 AM. +23.0; +32.0, + 13.0 snow in sun +22.0

Wind 5 N. Calm clear sunny. Cu 2

1.15 pm +28.0; Snow in sun + 26.1

Plume?; wind 5 N. Sign of partial thawing of snow. Cloud Cu over land masses 2. (Esp. over dark land)

6.30pm +26.5. Snow in sun +24.0

Very hot all day. Cloud Cu &b Str Cu over dark land. Erebus plume ? . Wind 0.

Slightly hazy over towards N & E

Sastrugi much interlaced Showing variability of winds in this quarter.

Under way 9.10 – 12.30 pm. Sun very hot all day. In afternoon started at 2.45 & marched till 6.15 doing 14 miles all told & leaving us 25-26 M to do if we are to make Hut Pt. tomorrow – a rather tall order & especially so if the surface is like we had today for it was simply shocking. All day we have been ploughing through deep pie crust snow sinking with each step nearly up to our knees. The dogs too felt it keenly & like us all pretty tired. We are very much nearer White Is. Theis trip than previously & this possibly accounts for the bad nature of the surface owing to the accumulation of drift. Camped for lunch just near the line of the two “Pimples” mentioned in earlier notes. Has been so hot today that I have been traveling in boots underpants, socks and singlet – not another stitch on – not even a hat. Some of the party are starting to feel the effect of sun & wind on lips & face. Snow blindness too is becoming troublesome again. Glad to say have not suffered in any way. Temperature in sun in air at lunch time was + 36.0."

Page 54

Monday Dec 6th 1915 -

6.30 AM

+16.5; +29.0; +11.0 Clear, fine, warm; Cloud Str 1 and low down NE horizon. Wind 0. Slight haze N. Erebus & Terror outlined clearly. Plume (?) invisible. Remarkable development of frost xtls [crystals] on snow that has been disturbed – some reaching over 1 cm in length.

1.15 pm

Swing +24.0; snow in sun +23.0. Very hot; wind 0; cloud Cu along to hor[izon] over dark land value 1. Plume long drawn out NW.

6.30 pm

Swing +20; snow in sun +21.0 Wind 0; Cloud Str Cu over land masses SW. Str to E & NE value 2. Plume thin – Sastrugi interlaced tending N & S. Large snow crystals again noticeable.

Hours today 9.10am – 12.45pm & 2.15pm – 6.15pm. Another hot day though not quite so warm as yesterday. Again we travelled in vest & underpants. Made direct from our camp which lay about opposite middle peak of White Is., for Petrol Depot, which we reached after lunch at 4.30pm. We continued our march until 6.15pm doing in all about 14 ¼ miles for day. Could not reacah Hut Pt. today as hoped – distance 25 miles or so too great. Will get in tomorrow though – weather permitting, in easy march of 12-13 miles. It is beautiful evening, in fact all day the weather has been simply perfect.

Tuesday Dec 7th 1915

6.30 AM +12.0, +22.5; + 4.5. Calm, clear, fine. Wind 6.5. Cloud Str Cu & Str & Cu much as at last reading.

12 noon Swing +22.0 Snow in sun +22.0

Fine warm as at 6.30AM. Cloud Str Cu & Ci with two or three small Whalebacks over Erebus & Terror value 3. Sastrugi N & S direction ie from S to N

7.30 pm Swing + 28.5. Snow in sun +28.0

Wind 10 N. Cloud heavy banks Str to W & N value 4...."

Page 63

Friday Dec 24th 1915

– 6am Fine dead calm few A.Cu + Ci clouds near zenith Cu over land masses value 3. Sunshine and shadow all day. About 9am SW breeze sprang up after a north one of about 10. Latter continued intermittently all day. Sastrugi SW. At 7pm zenith clear horizon as all day. Wind 0

Underway 8:30 am after spending about hour and quarter digging out sledges and tents which were completely snowed up. Took a photo of same, Irvine also took one. Surface was heavy and at 12 noon we halted for lunch. Felt somewhat off colour today so indulged in a cup of tea only. By 1:30 we were on march again and continued until 5.30pm. When we pitched for the night after a very hard pull over a beastly surface. Have done 9 ¾ miles for day – a jolly good pull considering the surface. Xmas eve tonight and a nice place indeed to spend Xmas! What with another stiff pull tomorrow we shall certainly have a very Happy Xmas. Tomorrow night though we should just about reach Bluff Depot.

Saturday 25th Dec 1915 - Xmas Day

7.30 am Swing +23.0 , Wind from SW 12 and slight surface drift. Sky dark to S+W somewhat threatening looking. Erebus and Terror distinct plume invisible. Satrugi SW.

6pm Swing + 24.5; snow in sun + 21.5.

Fresh chilly breeze from SW all day, gusting at intervals and with – at times – considerable low surface drift. Sky overcast at intervals with Cu, SG, A.Str, and Str: dark now GS and SW clear GE Erebus and Terror observed

Xmas day and Xmas day to be remembered indeed. Up as usual at 6am and on track at 8.30am. Surface simply abominable all day sinking whole time well up to ankles and at times almost to knees. Going extremely heavy and slow. Even the sledges are sinking in deeper than previously seen. Halted for lunch at noon and at 1.00 were underway again. At lunch we had a 1/3 mug of lemon juice in honour of the day and drank to the health of "Absent Friends" as we have not altogether forgotten those we left behind us, and much would we give to be there now! What a contrast though! Here in the midst of eternal snows in a waste and barren land - there in the midst of summer and doing everything possible to keep cool."

Jack lists the stores delivered to various depots, indicating that each team makes several journeys.

Pemmican was a very high protein concoction used extensively in the early Antarctic expeditions – also known as ‘hoosh’ and mixed with melted ice into a rather unappetising soup.

Page 11

"Thursday Jan 13th 1916

Pretty cold when we turned out at 6am and shortly after a heavy mist obscured all landmarks. However were able to steer by sun and watch till about 10am the mist suddenly lifted and we were enable to make use of Terror to steer by. We were under way at 7.40 and travelled till 12.10 thus doing 4 ½ hours for the morning. The surface was good for the sledge but the numerous loose hard xtls [crystals] on a hard matrix, rendered a footing difficult. The surface was quite different from that of yesterday. After lunch we were off again at 2pm and were assisted by a SW wind of about 12. Some time before lunch we unfortunately got amongst crevasses and these gave us a good deal of anxiety especially when Cope suddenly disappeared down a very bad one and to a depth well over the length of his harness.

The danger of these lay in that our course was almost parallel with them and in this case both Gaze and myself narrowly escaped following Cope. I managed to stop myself on the brink of the gaping bottomless chasm down which Cope had vanished. Having seen to safety of sledge by slewing it round Irvine (Gaze) and self fixed up a number of loops on a long piece of rope which at the last moment of leaving I had got from Joyce. This I lowered to Cope and when Irvine and self had got a tight hold directed Cope to climb up this improvised ladder. It took a long time to accomplish but eventually we landed him safe at the top again, thankful he was to be there too. Having harnessed up again we immediately started and Cope must nearly attempt the disappearing trick again in the self same crevasse. Fortunately both Irvine and myself hauled so suddenly on the trace that we were able to drag him out before he had got too deep. For a good time after this we were threading our way through very nasty area and needless to say were very much on the qui vive [lookout] though we had failed to see Cope’s special..."

Page 12

"... crevasse. We shortly sighted No 2 depot and made for this and on the way I got my foot into a hole but fortunately no further. Reached No 2 at 4pm, continued marching on Terror for about a ½ mile to avoid cracks, then turned W. and marched till 6pm. Halted and had cup of Bovril and were off again at 6.55 continuing our march till 9pm. Cope’s accident cost us about ¾ hour of time so we have put in for the day a good 9 ½ hours and travelled something like 17-18 miles. Will attempt to make Hut Pt. tomorrow if possible. It will be a long march but I think we should be able to manage it – weather and other conditions being favourable.

Friday Jan 14th 1916

Underway at 8.15am and continued our way till almost quarter to eleven when we reached Petrol Depot. Immediately before breakfast the C[ape] Armitage peninsula was much obscured but this soon cleared. However just about the time when we sighted Petrol Depot (about 9.45) it became very dull and as we reached there the weather became so thick as to obscure all land. The sun was just visible through the mist and with this to aid our steering we left Petrol Depot steering West this being the approximate bearing of C. Armitage which I had previously noted coming along. We continued on this course till 12.15pm when the sun was totally obscured and having no

compass worthy the name we halted for lunch. Very fortunately the mist lifted sufficiently at 2pm. To enable us to see Observation Hill so we immediately set off and continued till about 4pm. When again all traces of land were totally obscured by low rolling black mists from the NW. A little before this we had picked up Safety Camp with the glasses and with the sun and my watch to steer by we were able to proceed in spite of mist. At 5.15pm Safety Camp loomed up slightly on our left and in a few minutes our tent was pitched for refreshment before making our dash for Hut Point. Had the weather remained as it was it would have been impossible to travel further. But again we were in luck’s way because by 8.30 it had cleared sufficiently to enable us to proceed. The light however was difficult and with some trouble….."

Cope, Gaze and Jack arrived at Hut Point after completing their depot laying. They had been sent back from 80° South when their primus stove failed. It was originally intended they go to 81° South. When they arrived they found a sled dog left at the hut had given birth in their absence, forcing them to enter the hut through the window:

"...we landed at Hut Pt. around 11pm and glad we were too to get in. We were welcomed by the bitch we left there appearing at the door and bristling like a she-devil. For safety we entered by the window and later discovered that she had a litter of eight pups snugly hidden in the hut. These we let alone and tethered the bitch outside for the night. After a good square meal of seal meat we turned in for a well earned rest after a long tramp of about 23-24 square miles. During the night the pups must evidently becoming hungry and missing their mother commenced to forage for themselves for there was much pattering on the floor, and on looking out I saw a seething mass of squeaking pups scrambling and fighting at the blubber box - a most amusing sight."

Whilst most of the sled dogs died in the first season of depot laying (Jan-Mar 1915), several litters were born whilst the party was stranded and the men spent time training the pups into dog teams in 1916. Dog teams were used when Wild, Joyce and Gaze made a trip to the Barrier (Ross Ice Shelf).

Drawings by Jack of Mt Erebus erupting.

He described the eruption: "12 March 1916 Erebus eruption looking NE 9pm. At 11pm plume had acquired gradual slope – current from SSE to NNW and level. Wind mainly N changing to E through NNE (I think)"

Tuesday 14 March 1916: During this time (untill July 1916) Jack, Cope, Gaze and Stevens are at Cape Evans. The rest of the Ross Sea Party are completing an arduous trek back from Beardmore Glacier and are then stranded at Hut Point waiting for ice to freeze over.

Jack talks about the seal supply and Cope’s lethargy. On several occasions Jack remarks on Cope’s preference for remaining in bed most of the time...

“The temp of the hut now even in the morning before the fire is lighted is usually about 5-10° below FP [freezing point]. After dinner tonight we three hauled in the flenches of seals… Our supply is becoming quite a respectable one now, but we are doing our utmost to conserve it. Cope still remains in his bed the greater part of his time – some days simply getting up for one meal and then turning in again immediately this is over. He says he is not ill, and if this is so it seems a most unnatural existence.”

Flenches is the blubber cut away from the meat.

Jack and Stevens are working on a scientific program but the weather too bad to get out. The evenings are spent debating politics.

From 20 March 1916: “ Did no outside work today but in afternoon I did some cloud sketches while S. [Stevens] prepared another buzzer to act as alarm.”

From 21 March 1916: “After dinner tonight we had quite an animated discussion on “Labour Party and its Tactics”. Irvine Gaze opposing and we three others supporting labourism. Discussion continued till 11:30pm. It is my watch tonight.”

Jack describes life at Hut Point: they are running low on seals as winter approaches and the seals become more scarce; entering scientific data in register; reading and listening to Melba and Caruso.

12 April 1916: "We are now using fuel much faster than we are obtaining it for it is now eleven days since we killed the last seal, though we have always kept a good look out except when the weather has been too low. Again S. [Stevens] and self put in good time in Register while Irvine Gaze turn to clearing stable…”

13 April 1916: "Finished Du Bary's "15,000 miles in a ketch" last night. In some ways we are in a somewhat similar state as they were but ours is a far worse plight. After dinner I enjoyed gramophone recital deriving intense pleasure from records of Melba, Tetrazini, Caruso etc.etc. Had the machine going for quite 11/2 hours and little these great artists will know of the pleasure they have given to us poor castaways in the frozen south."

"14/4/1916

Bad weather continues, all keeping to hut today. Wind blowing with terrific force as usual & to make matters worse it has been both snowing & drifting considerably today. Devoted all my spare time to compilation of monthly averages in registering them having been allowed to lapse completely since the commencement of the sledging season. All the others had time to keep reading in kitchen.

15/4/16

Furious blizzard continues & again forced to remain indoors. However have got out figs for monthly readings for August 1915.

16/4/16

Blizzard still ongoing. This is proving a furious one indeed. There has been a tremendous amt [amount] of snow drift apparently though it is most difficult to gain any idea as…"

Discussion of the Nebular Hypothesis.

Jack describes his insomnia:

"Forced to remain in bed all day till 5:00pm owing to sleeplessness last night. All sorts disturding thoughts re war, people at home, Hut Pt. party etc. keep coming to one during night and can’t discard them from my mind. And it’s such a loss of time too, having to be in bed in an attempt to get some rest. However will just have to grin and bear it.”

Jack, Gaze and Cope have recently returned from sledging journeys (running from late October 1915 to 15 January 1916). They are still waiting on Joyce, Wild, Richards, Mackintosh and Hayward (Arnold Spencer Smith died on the return from Beardmore Glacier). On the 15th Jack learns that three of the men have perished.

Page 21

"14 July 1916 Friday

Still blowing hard today with both drift & snow. In afternoon Stevens & self wrote up July & have now Register quite up to date except for some "Remarks" for certain days which Stevens will get from his diary - ie days when he was alone

15 July 1916 Saturday

Irvine, Stevens & self went sealing this morning & killed three small ones. In afternoon Stevens turned in for hour or two for he was cook tonight. Gaze too turned in & Cope as usual was in his bag. I was reading & attending to fire. About 5pm the dogs commenced barking but in going out I could see nothing that might be disturbing them & returned... "

Page 22

"... again to hut - In a short time the barking recommenced & on going out I saw with much surprise a sledge party about 100 yards from hut. Rushed back again & shouted to others in hut, then ran over to the new arrivals. Upon my asking where Capt. Mackintosh was they first thought I was joking but when I assured them that I was serious they told me that he & Hayward left Hut Pt. for C. Evans on 8th May. Also learnt that Smith had died of scurvy on the Barrier about 19 miles from Safety Camp after being ill for six weeks. The remaining men of the combined six man party had hauled poor Smith on sledge from 83° S & as we thought at the time encountered very hard..."

Page 23

"... weather. As regarded Capt. Mackintosh & Hayward they have in all probability lost their lives by being carried out to sea on sea ice which was quite new. They left Hut Pt. about 1pm on May 8th with bad weather & high wind threatening. The following day May 9th a note in the meteor~[ological] log at 11am states that ice S. of Glacier Tongue had apparently gone out so they must have been taken with it or lost their way in the snow & drift and then frozen to death. On the Barrier all six men had suffered from scurvy and Mackintosh, Smith and Hayward were down at the one time. Mackintosh volunteered to remain alone at Copes No II Depot while Richards, Joyce & Wild hauled Smith & Hayward some 30 miles. Smith died during this trek in early morning between..."

Page 24

"... 4am and breakfast. At 4 o'clock he was speaking to Wild & did not reply when called for breakfast. He was buried in the snow after a long, painful illness against which he struggled to the last & was ever hopeful. The party pushed on with all speed to Hut Pt., with Hayward, left him there & two days later again set out for Depot II (Cope's) for Mackintosh whom they had depoted there with tent & provisions. He in turn was brought safely to Hut Pt. This party of six men must have suffered great hardships. Fortunately the four dogs they had held out splendidly & had it not been for them the whole party must have perished. It is a most agreeable surprise to see Wild, Joyce & Richards again but the disaster that overtook Mackintosh, Hayward and Smith comes as a shock though..."

Page 25

"... personally I was prepared for almost any news whatever - in fact it seemed very likely that disaster had overtaken the whole party of six men. This is a very disjointed account of the history of Mackintosh party but naturally our thoughts "flighty" at the new state of affairs that has eventuated

16 July 1916

No sleep at all last night, mind probably being upset at the news of the disaster that has overtaken our three colleagues. After getting breakfast this morn. & taking 11am observation, all except Irvine, Stevens & Cope walked on to berg, where we killed a crab eater - a most fortuitous circumstance for we were again just out of this species of seal meat. Several seals were up but we had no steel nor any proper... "

Page 26

"... knives so were unable to deal with them. In afternoon the new party attended to various tasks & I turned in till 5.30, while Irvine cooked dinner though in reality it was my turn. Cope got up for dinner and remained up all day.

17th July 1916

Very rough weather prevailed again today & so we were outdoors only to do anything necessary. Spent most of the time getting hut into order & hearing of the heroic fight our comrades had made on the barrier. Am more convinced than ever of the hardships endured & the heroism displayed by all. When we returned from sledging both last season & this I thought we had suffered considerably but all we encountered pales into insignificance when compared with the suffering of the six comrades we left at 80 °..."

Page 34

"27 July Thursday

Still more or less overcast though wind much less at last! After breakfast brought in load of ice from berg with the dogs & then load of blubber. Saw no seals. Quite distinct light in N. sky & will not now be long before sun reappears. Today will be a memorable one for us because of the death of the dog "Con" who was severely bitten in a fight about three days since. He had lost a considerable quantity of blood and though yesterday appeared to be picking up was worse today and when Gaze went to him after dinner he was dead but still warm. The noble dog was one of Amundsen's and was one of the four which so greatly helped us right through the last arduous sledging season. Con had a character all his own, an ..."

Page 35

"... aristocratic looking dog in appearance, white almost in colour like Samoyeds. Of slight build he was strong and wiry and a great favourite with all and always ready for work. All were sorry to hear of his death. The fatal bite was in hind leg in groin where there was a deep ugly hole. So that probably the forward artery or vein was severed. We lost Hector last year in similar circumstances. In afternoon, did some reading, looked through photographs & at night, spent short time on corrected temperature averages.

Friday July 28th 1916

The high wind still continues in its mad rush of 50-60 MPH though there has been little or no drift & snow today. have now got out all corrected temps up to date though still require to check the graphs. Apart from this..."

Discussion about hypothetical rescue party for Robert Falcon Scott.

Jack's tenacious efforts to take scientific observations in a blizzard.

Jack makes preparations for a journey by Joyce, Wild and Gaze to the Barrier (the Ross Ice Shelf) to retrieve rock specimens and place a cross on Spencer Smith’s grave...

"December 14 1916: “Afternoon occupied cutting inscription on Smith’s cross which to be placed on his grave on Barrier – party leaving tomorrow…..Party has been pretty well occupied getting ready for trip to C[ape] Crozier and to recover rocks from Beardmore left on Barrier last March. Think greatest importance these specimens should be obtained."

15 December 1916: "Beginning now to have more frequently the ship to mind and wonder if relief will be sent this year. Hope so but at same time hope to get a complete set of tide charts before we have to depart, also should like to get as much information from anemometer as possibly can..."

Jack notes that 3150 penguin eggs had been collected at Cape Royds (10 kilometres north of Cape Evans). These would provide food if they were stranded for another year. Wild, Joyce spent time in the hut from Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition (1907-09) in the last few months of 1916.

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"10th January 1917

Hardly know what to write. Relief ship arrived this morn. Had just finished breakfast and Richards went out of hut returning a moment later shouting as he entered door "Come on she's here." Suppose from our faces expressed some doubt for he again said "Yes come on she's here, the ship's here" and with this all hands made a bolt for the door.

The eyes took a moment to accustom themselves to the glare after the gloom of the hut but sure enough there was a ship lying off the Barne Glacier away to the NW, looking at first very like a berg of which there were many in the Sound at the time.

I can't describe our feelings they were too deep. It was not a time for words our hearts were too full for this and I am not ashamed to say that tears of sheer joy forced their way into my eyes in spite of myself. To think that our long wait was over at last and that relief had come - no more blizzards and frost seared feat and hands – no more reeking blubber fumes – no more butchery of innocent seals – no more sledging – it was too good to be true. Was it to be wondered that one should be overcome at a time like this.

It did not take long to decide to go out to the ship which kept cruising slowly along the edge of the fixed ice some six miles off. While a sledge was being packed I climbed the snow slope SE of hut in hope that someone on ship would see the black object moving against white background and thereby know somebody was at the hut. Learnt afterwards no-one had seen me. About 10.30 all the others left with sledge load of gear while I remained to take observations etc…"

Wednesday 10 January 1917: Jack expresses elation at arrival of the Aurora which lies off Barne Glacier (refer to Barne Glacier looking NW from Cape Evans).

Aurora had been refitted for the rescue after much discussion between the Australian, British and New Zealand governments. She was captained by John King Davis (1884-1967) a notable Antarctic navigator. Shackleton was onboard.

Davis had been Chief Officer of the Nimrod, transporting Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition (1907–09) and commanded Aurora during Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-14. He was master of Discovery for the 1929-1930 investigations of Mawson’s British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition.

The Davis Sea and Australia's Davis Station are both named for him. From 1920 to 1949 he was Commonwealth Director of Navigation.