Point Wild, Elephant Island, Antarctica
Our first sighting of land in Antarctica coincided with the last land seen by the men of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Transantarctic Expedition. This morning Historian Tim Baughman related the thrilling tale. We arrived at Elephant Island after a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage from Ushuaia. They arrived at this same spot on April 24, 1916, sixteen months after departing from South Georgia Island. Their grand and glorious plans were now in shambles, their ship the Endurance lost into the depths of the Weddell Sea. Their only concern was survival. There, at Point Wild, twenty-two of Shackleton’s men waited while The Boss and five others made the classic open boat journey to South Georgia. With The Skipper Frank Worsely, and the Irishman Tom Crean, he made the first-ever crossing of that island to the whaling station at Stromness. On the fourth attempt Shackleton found a boat that could push through the winter ice to affect rescue. We were enthralled by views of the ice that spilled from the interior of Elephant Island, reaching the sea near the site of their camp; I rather suspect that Shackleton’s men had seen quite enough of ice. Their camp consisted of two overturned boats on a narrow spit of land, tucked against a knoll from which they watched, daily, for The Boss’ return. (“Lash and stow, boys; The Boss may be coming today.” Frank Wild.) Return he did, on August 30, 1916, in the Chilean tug the YelchoM. At last, they departed. We, too, departed from Elephant Island, our introduction to the Antarctic, with cocktails and another fine meal in the dining room of the Endeavour. It stood in stark contrast to the hoosh laced with limpets collected from the rocks that was the diet of those earlier visitors to Point Wild. How could they do it? Because they had to. How amazing that the Antarctic called several of these men to return again, in 1921, on Shackleton’s final voyage aboard the Quest! Will the Antarctic gain a similar hold on us?
Our first sighting of land in Antarctica coincided with the last land seen by the men of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Transantarctic Expedition. This morning Historian Tim Baughman related the thrilling tale. We arrived at Elephant Island after a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage from Ushuaia. They arrived at this same spot on April 24, 1916, sixteen months after departing from South Georgia Island. Their grand and glorious plans were now in shambles, their ship the Endurance lost into the depths of the Weddell Sea. Their only concern was survival. There, at Point Wild, twenty-two of Shackleton’s men waited while The Boss and five others made the classic open boat journey to South Georgia. With The Skipper Frank Worsely, and the Irishman Tom Crean, he made the first-ever crossing of that island to the whaling station at Stromness. On the fourth attempt Shackleton found a boat that could push through the winter ice to affect rescue. We were enthralled by views of the ice that spilled from the interior of Elephant Island, reaching the sea near the site of their camp; I rather suspect that Shackleton’s men had seen quite enough of ice. Their camp consisted of two overturned boats on a narrow spit of land, tucked against a knoll from which they watched, daily, for The Boss’ return. (“Lash and stow, boys; The Boss may be coming today.” Frank Wild.) Return he did, on August 30, 1916, in the Chilean tug the YelchoM. At last, they departed. We, too, departed from Elephant Island, our introduction to the Antarctic, with cocktails and another fine meal in the dining room of the Endeavour. It stood in stark contrast to the hoosh laced with limpets collected from the rocks that was the diet of those earlier visitors to Point Wild. How could they do it? Because they had to. How amazing that the Antarctic called several of these men to return again, in 1921, on Shackleton’s final voyage aboard the Quest! Will the Antarctic gain a similar hold on us?
