lesson32AntarcticExpedition 　　TheRacetothePole 　　On1June,1910,CaptainScottleftLondontobeginhisAntarcticexpedition.Onhisway,hereceivedatelegramfromtheNorwegianexplorerRoaldAmundsen:"I'mgoingSouth."SotheracetotheSouthPolewason! 　　Duringthepolarsummerof1910-1911,bothteamsorganisedfooddepotsinpreparationfortheirexpeditionsthefollowingyear.Thencamethetotaldarknessofthepolarwinter.ScottandAmundsenwaitedimpatientlyforthefirstsignsofspring. 　　Amundsenwasthefirsttoleave,on15October,1911.Hehadteamofdogspullingthesledgesandallhismenwereonskis.Becauseofthis,hemaderapidprogress. 　　Scottlefton1Novemberandsoonhadproblems.First,histwomotorsledgesbrokedown,andthentheponiesbegantohaveseriousdifficultieswiththesnowandthecold.Afterawhile,Scottandhismenhadtopushthesledgesthemselves. 　　AmundsenreachedthePoleon14DecemberandputaNorwegianflagthere.Thenhepreparedforthereturnjourney. 　　ScottfinallyarrivedatthePolewithfourcompanionson17January.TheyweredevastatedwhentheysawtheNorwegianflag.Scottwrotebitterlyinhisdiary: 　　"Well,wehavenowlostthegoalofourambitionandmustface800milesofhardpushingandgoodbyetomostofourdreams." 　　Thereturnjourneywasoneoftheworstinthehistoryofexploration. 　　Themenweresonexhaustedandwererunningoutoffood.Theweatherconditionswereterrible.Scottstartedtorealisetheirdesperatesituation:"Amongstourselvesweareverycheerful,butwhateachmanfeelsinhisheartIcanonlyguess.Puttingonourshoesinthemorningisgettingslowerandslower." 　　Despitethis,ontheirwaybacktheyfoundtimetolookforrocksandfossils.Theycarried20kilosofrocksallthewaywiththem.Later,theserocksprovedthatatonetimeinthedistantpastAntarcticawascoveredbyplants.However,disastersoonstruck.EdgarEvanshadterriblefrostbiteanddiedafterabadfall. 　　ThenexttogowasCaptainOates,whowashavinggreatdifficultywalking.Scottrecordedhisdeath:"Hesaid,'IamjustgoingoutsideandImaybesometime.'WeknewthatpoorOateswaswalkingtohisdeath,butthoughwetriedtostophim,weknewthatitwastheactofabravemanandanEnglishgentleman.Weallhopetomeettheendwithasimilarspirit,andcertainlytheendisnotfar." 　　Scottandtwocompanionscarriedonandgotwithinelevenmilesofoneoftheirfooddepots.Butthenaterriblestormstartedandtheycouldnotleavetheirtent.Scottspentsomeofhislasthourswriting.HewrotealetterfullofsadnesstohiswifeKathleen:"TomyWidow,Icouldtellyoulotsandlotsaboutthisjourney.Whatstoriesyouwouldhavefortheboy..Butwhatapricetopay." 　　Scott'sfinaldiaryentrytoldthestoryoftheirend:"Thedepotisonly11milesaway,butIdonotthinkwecanhopeforanybetterthingsnow.Wearegettingweakerandweakerandheendcan'tbefar.Itseemsapity,butIdonotthinkIcanwritemore." 　　ThenewsofScott'sdeathshockedtheworld.HehadfailedtowintheracetothePole,buttheremarkablecourageshownbyCaptainScottandhismenmadethamintoheroes.