Viewing page 22 of 51

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[preprinted]] 35 [[/preprinted]]

[[insertion]] Scott Wilson Bowers Taff Evans Oates Jan 16 1912 Pole [[/insertion]]

[[underlined]] History [[/underlined]] 

Terry fabricates a tale that Evans (the 5th man) was taken along to eat (lowest rank). It was Oates chosen at last moment (Hux). Oates was eaten: Rocks used to kill him carried to end away from scene. Rocks never carried to England (wrong - Huxley p ).
Oates' diary destroyed by mother.
Wilson & Bowers perhaps butchered & hung in tent; Scott never knighted (but Kathleen was) etc. etc.

I think all unlikely except perhaps a final post-diary, post-letter writing episode in tent when Scott went berserk & hacked at corpses. No murder or forethought. Perhaps a reluctance to make it back.

Scott wrote: "These rough notes & our dead bodies must tell the tale..." he did not mean a cannibal tale. My own version is that after he finally stopped writing he went berserk and hacked at corpses.
(Swithinbank was interviewed by Elspeth Huxley)

[[insertion]] Darwin  [/insertion]]
Late in PM we had a long radio talk w. J. Annexstad. He says Bill is camped, with someone from Berg Field Center, at Nunataks. He has 2 tents and is awaiting us there. John was sitting out his 4th day of a storm -- He may come in to McM on the 30th or Jan. 3rd As we fly over him we are to put down & see him. We went to bed in expectation of leaving tomorrow Noon. I have finished many holiday notes but need my address book to mail them. Have a list of ~40 to be done. Had a talk w A. Denton in evening about Tufts, Bob, etc.

No movie tonight. Learned from Ward Cheney that while Bill was here he felt the site a failure for him. 

[[strikethrough]] Jan. [[/strikethrough]] Dec. 28
Wind came up in late evening & flapped our roof all night. I enjoyed listening to it but could not sleep easily. Had to get up ~ 1:30 -- (first time that has happened); put on robe & bunny boots & stood in wind looking at range to N. Sun [[plus/minus sign]] behind clouds but shining enough to pour molten silver over the foothill terraces. A stunningly beautiful sight. By time I reached toilet my robe was plastered w. blowing snow; it brushed off easily, however.