[30], The small scientific team that departed from England included 41-year-old biologist James Murray and 21-year-old geologist Raymond Priestley, a future founder of the Scott Polar Research Institute. He merely states that "before we finally left England I had decided that if possible I would establish my base in King Edward VII Land instead of [...] McMurdo Sound". British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09. In the event, Arctowski's plans were stillborn.[11]. British Antarctic Expedition 1907–09. [44] By this time Brocklehurst's feet were too frostbitten for him to continue, so he was left in camp while the others advanced to the active crater, which they reached after four hours. [23] The second was a former pupil of David's, Douglas Mawson, a lecturer in mineralogy at the University of Adelaide. Shackleton explained that this was a dash, "half running, half walking", unencumbered by the sledge or other equipment. In a muted ceremony, David took formal possession of the area for the British Empire. Influenced by his experiences on the Discovery Expedition, he had put his confidence in ponies rather than dogs for the long polar march. [44], Shackleton's choice of a four-man team for the southern journey to the South Pole was largely determined by the number of surviving ponies. "[64] On 4 January 1909, Shackleton finally accepted that the Pole was beyond them, and revised his goal to the symbolic achievement of getting within 100 geographical miles of the Pole. [68], The depot was reached on 28 January. Nimrod Expedition 1907-09 . Leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914–17. The task of unloading became, in Riffenburgh's description, "mind-numbingly difficult"[42] but was finally completed on 22 February. On 16 January, these observations showed them to be about 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi) from the Magnetic Pole. After repeated efforts to approach this coast had failed, and with rapidly moving ice threatening to trap the ship, Nimrod was forced to retreat. [79] After traversing the Nordenskjold Ice Tongue and the treacherous Drygalski Glacier they were finally able to leave the coast and turn north-west, towards the Magnetic Pole's approximate location. "I feel I have a sort of right to my own field of work," he wrote, adding: "anyone who has had to do with exploration will regard this region primarily as mine". He also hoped to profit from sales of special postage stamps bearing the cancellation stamp of the Antarctica post office that Shackleton, appointed temporary postmaster by the New Zealand government, intended to establish there. The first of these was Edgeworth David, a professor of geology at the University of Sydney, who became the party's chief scientific officer. See, It eventually required a British government grant of £20,000 to enable Shackleton to repay his guarantors, and it is likely that some debts were written off. That night, in heavy drifting snow, Nimrod passed by them, unable to make out their camp. Expedition voyages: 1: London to Lyttelton 1907. David was influential in securing the Australian government's £5,000 grant. [6] He began looking for potential backers for an expedition of his own; his initial plans appear in an unpublished document dated early 1906. [52] Between 9 and 21 November they made good progress, but the ponies suffered on the difficult Barrier surface, and the first of the four had to be shot when the party reached 81° S. On 26 November a new farthest south record was established as they passed the 82° 17' mark set by Scott's southern march in December 1902. When Ernest Shackleton arrived back in England on 12 June 1903, he found that Scott’s 1901–04 expedition, from which had been virtually sacked, was a controversial subject. In April, believing that he had got the backing of Scottish businessman Donald Steuart,[15] Shackleton travelled to Norway intending to buy a 700-ton polar vessel, Bjorn, that would have served ideally as an expedition ship. On the following day a blizzard held them up, but early on 9 March the climb resumed; later that day the summit of the lower, main crater, was achieved. On 31 January Shackleton forced his own breakfast biscuit on Wild, a gesture that moved Wild to write: "BY GOD I shall never forget. A sledging party, led by Shackleton, reached within 97 nautical miles (112 statute miles or 180 km) of the… [12] This early plan also revealed Shackleton's proposed transport methods, involving a combination of dogs, ponies and a specially designed motor vehicle. 3 - "The Nimrod Expedition" (1907–09) The Nimrod Expedition, or more formally, The British Antarctic Expedition of 1907–09, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton.. We read in wikipedia where the expedition "lacked governmental or institutional support, and relied on private loans and individual contributions." Shackleton himself would be leading the South Pole journey, which had suffered a serious setback during the winter when four of the remaining ponies died, mainly from eating volcanic sand for its salt content. if (document.getElementById('content') && document.getElementById('content').getElementsByTagName('h1').length) { Ernest Henry Shackleton British Antarctic Expedition (1907-09) My South Polar Expedition. [4] He nevertheless declined the opportunity of a swift Antarctic return as chief officer of Discovery's second relief ship Terra Nova, after helping to fit her out; he also helped to equip Uruguay, the ship being prepared for the relief of Otto Nordenskjold's expedition, stranded in the Weddell Sea. [68] As they began the descent they had five days' food at half rations, to last them until the Lower Glacier depot;[68] during the ascent the same distance had taken 12 days. [21], A last-minute gift of £4,000 from Shackleton's cousin William Bell[22] still left the expedition far short of the required £30,000, but enabled Nimrod's refit to be finished. window.onload=function(){ Nevertheless, although the expedition's profile was initially much lower than that of Scott's six years earlier, its achievements attracted nationwide interest and made Shackleton a public hero. [a] A separate group led by Welsh Australian geology professor Edgeworth David reached the estimated location of the South Magnetic Pole, and the expedition also achieved the first ascent of Mount Erebus, Antarctica's second highest volcano. Ernest Shackleton, leader of the 1907 British Antarctic Expedition, was sworn in as a New Zealand postmaster and was supplied with all requirements for the business of a post office. [33] To this Shackleton replied: "There is no doubt in my mind that his rights end at the base he asked for [...] I consider I have reached my limit and I go no further". [27], Shackleton's second-in-command—although this was not clarified until the expedition reached the Antarctic—was Jameson Boyd Adams, a Royal Naval Reserve lieutenant who had turned down the chance of a regular commission to join Shackleton. Shackleton's only choice now, other than abandonment of the expedition's goals, was to break the promise he had given to Scott. [19], By early July 1907 Shackleton had secured little financial support beyond Beardmore's guarantee and was lacking the funds to complete the refit of the ship. [73], Their food worries were now resolved, but they still had to get back to Hut Point before the 1 March deadline. [24][25][e], Shackleton hoped to recruit a strong contingent from the Discovery Expedition and offered his former comrade Edward Wilson the post of chief scientist and second-in-command. [57], As the journey continued, personal antagonisms emerged. }; You are in:   Shackleton Online » Explore the expeditions » Expedition. This knowledge was an open secret among the shore party; Marshall recorded in his diary that he was "glad to see the last of [England] ... whole thing damned disgrace to name of country! [56], Shackleton christened this glacier the "Beardmore" after the expedition's biggest sponsor. [65] The party struggled on, at the borders of survival,[66] until on 9 January 1909, after a last dash forward without the sledge or other equipment, the march ended. At one point, Shackleton asked England to stand down on the grounds that he was ill, but England refused. On 27 February, when they were still 33 nautical miles (61 km; 38 mi) from safety, Marshall collapsed. Ernest Shackleton led the British Antarctic Expedition to Antarctica and established a winter-over hut at Cape Royds on Ross Island. Subject Headings Wild privately expressed the wish that Marshall would "fall down a crevasse about a thousand feet deep". [59] However, Christmas Day was celebrated with crème de menthe and cigars. The routes shown cover the areas explored or surveyed along the eastern coast of South Victoria Land, including the route of the South Magnetic Pole Party, and along the southern coastline of the Ross Sea. The British Antarctic Expedition 1907–09, otherwise known as the Nimrod Expedition, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton. (, The dry valley (snow-free) region of the western mountains had been discovered during Scott's western journey in 1903, but had yet to be properly surveyed. During this delay, second officer Aeneas Mackintosh suffered an accident that led to the loss of his right eye. Apparently Shackleton spotted Joyce on the top deck of a bus as it passed the expedition's London offices, whereupon someone was sent to find him and bring him in. This was not attained, but the expedition's southern march reached a Farthest South latitude of 88° 23' S, just 97.5 nautical miles (180.6 km; 112.2 mi) from the pole. Shackleton's first expedition to the Antarctic as leader had the ambitus goal of becoming he first to reach the South Pole. [28] He would also act as the expedition's meteorologist. [33] Polar historian Beau Riffenburgh believes this was "a promise that should never ethically have been demanded and one that should never have been given, impacting as it might on the entire safety of Shackleton's expedition". Knighted on return. [38], The Barrier (later known as the Ross Ice Shelf) was sighted on 23 January, but the inlet had disappeared; the Barrier edge had changed significantly in the intervening years, and the section which had included the inlet had broken away to form a considerable bay, which Shackleton named the Bay of Whales after the large number of whales seen there. Leader: Ernest Shackleton. [2] Shackleton felt this physical failure as a personal stigma,[3] and on his return to England he was determined to prove himself, in the words of Discovery's second-in command Albert Armitage, as "a better man than Scott". [29] Aeneas Mackintosh, a merchant navy officer from the P&O shipping line, was originally second officer, but was later transferred to the shore party, being replaced as second officer by A. E. In January 1908 he returned to Antarctica as leader of the British Antarctic (Nimrod) Expedition (1907–09).The expedition, prevented by ice from reaching the intended base site in Edward VII Peninsula, wintered on Ross Island, McMurdo Sound.A sledging party, led by Shackleton, reached within 97 nautical miles (112 statute miles or 180 km) of the South Pole, and another, under T.W. Wilson refused, citing his work with the Board of Agriculture's Committee on the Investigation of Grouse Disease. Shackleton, with other concerns pressing on him, felt obliged to concede. See, An Antarctic post office had been established in the South Orkney Islands in 1904 at the Orcadas meteorological station set up by, Three years later, on reaching the South Pole, Amundsen named the same plateau after King Haakon of Norway. Its ship, Nimrod, was less than half of the size of Robert Falcon Scott's 1901–1904 expedition ship Discovery, and Shackleton's crew lacked relevant experience. [4] During the next few years, while nursing intermittent hopes of resuming his Antarctic career, he pursued other options. The site was separated from Hut Point by 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) of sea, with no landward route to the south. Late that evening the ship was moored, and a suitable site for the expedition's prefabricated hut was selected. [94], Several mostly intact cases of whisky and brandy left behind at Cape Royds in 1909 were recovered in 2010, for analysis by a distilling company. document.getElementById('pagetitledynamic').innerText = h1Tag; Mawson led the 1911–13 Australian Antarctic Expedition, and Priestley was part of the Terra Nova Expedition's scientific team. Only two of her 12-person crew survived. However, a strong wind behind them enabled them to set a sail on the sledge and maintain a good marching rate. Shackleton's Lieutenant: The Nimrod Diary of A. L. A. MacKintosh British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 [Stanley Newman, Richard McElrea] on … } This work was hampered by poor weather and by the caution of Captain England, who frequently took the ship out into the bay until ice conditions at the landing ground were in his view safer. [33], The matter was unresolved when Scott returned from sea duty in May 1907. [32], Shackleton's February 1907 announcement that he intended to base his expedition at the old Discovery headquarters was noted by Scott, whose own future Antarctic plans were at that stage unannounced. Shackleton's first expedition to the Antarctic as leader had the ambitus goal of becoming he first to reach the South Pole. When Steuart withdrew his support, however, Bjorn was beyond Shackleton's means. Click For More Products Framed Print (from £44.99) Photographic Print (from £4.99) Poster Print (from £12.99) Jigsaw Puzzle (from £27.99) Canvas Print (from £29.99) Metal Print (from £59.00) Photo Mug (£9.99) Fine Art Print (from £29.99) Mounted Print (from £12.99) … [f], The party turned for home after 73 days' southward travel. The British Antarctic Expedition of 1907–9, led by Ernest H. Shackleton, left Port Lyttelton, New Zealand, in the ship Nimrod on January 1, 1908. [81] Two days later, however, after Nimrod had turned south again, the group was spotted from the ship and was able to scramble to safety, although in the rush to get aboard Mawson fell 18 feet (5.5 m) down a crevasse. 3: Lyttelton to the Antarctic and back December 1908-March 1909. Travel on the glacier surface proved to be a trial, especially for Socks, the remaining pony, who had great difficulty in finding secure footings. Despite Jackson's confused reports of his ponies' prowess, and contrary to specific advice from Nansen, the renowned Norwegian polar traveller, Shackleton decided he would take 15 ponies, later scaled down to 10. [14], Shackleton intended to arrive in Antarctica in January 1908, which meant leaving England during the 1907 summer. Shackleton now aimed to reach Hut Point in 50 days, since according to Shackleton's prior orders Nimrod, having returned to take the expedition home, would depart on 1 March at the latest. For his trail-breaking achievements, Shackleton received a fulsome tribute from Amundsen: "What Nansen is to the North, Shackleton is to the South". Neither Wild nor Joyce was in the Nimrod Expedition's main Erebus party, which consisted of Edgeworth David, Douglas Mawson and Alistair Mackay. French Antarctic Expedition Shackleton - Nimrod - 1907-09 British Antarctic Expedition Charcot - Pourquoi-Pas? [91], The farthest south record of the Nimrod Expedition stood for less than three years, until Amundsen reached the South Pole on 15 December 1911. [74] Hoping that the ship was nearby, they sought to attract its attention by setting fire to a small wooden hut used for magnetic observations. As a means of conserving fuel, Shackleton had arranged with the New Zealand government for Nimrod to be towed to the Antarctic circle, a distance of approximately 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km; 1,600 mi),[36] the costs of the tow being met partly by the government and partly by the Union Steam Ship Company as a contribution to the expedition. Controversy arose from Shackleton's decision to base the expedition in McMurdo Sound, close to Scott's old headquarters, in contravention of a promise to Scott that he would not do so. • Amundsen, Roald (1976). Ernest Shackleton spent three years planning and organising his British Antarctic Expedition. The party had been travelling for four months and were wearing the same clothes in which they had departed Cape Royds; reportedly "the aroma was overpowering". Returning t Ross Island he set up a hut at Cape Royds the expedition ship sailed back to New Zealand leaving a party of fifteen to overwinter. Expedition: British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 (Nimrod) Date: 1907-1909. The party reached the Cape Royds hut "nearly dead", according to Eric Marshall, on 11 March. Fundraising continued in Australia after the ship arrived there; a further £5,000 was provided as a gift from the Government of Australia, and the New Zealand Government gave £1,000. Item Information. Its main target, among a range of geographical and scientific objectives, was to be first to the South Pole. [83] Before this rescue, Nimrod had picked up a geological party consisting of Priestley, Brocklehurst and Bertram Armytage [de; fr], who had been carrying out geological work in the Ferrar Glacier region. Morale was high; as assistant geologist Philip Brocklehurst recorded, Shackleton "had a faculty for treating each member of the expedition as though he were valuable to it". French Antarctic Expedition Shackleton - Nimrod - 1907-09 British Antarctic Expedition Charcot - Pourquoi-Pas? By the end of October they had crossed McMurdo Sound and advanced 60 miles (100 km) up the difficult Victoria Land coast, at which point they decided to concentrate all their efforts on reaching the Magnetic Pole. [47] The most important winter's work, however, was preparing for the following season's major journeys, which were to include attempts on both the South Pole and the South Magnetic Pole. The soaring costs of the expedition and the need to meet loan guarantees meant that he was saved from financial embarrassment only by a belated government grant of £20,000. Condition: New. Frank Wild was second-in-command to the "Boss" on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition and on the short Quest Expedition where he took over command after Shackleton's death in South Georgia in 1922. I & II. A party from Discovery (which had included Frank Wild and Ernest Joyce) had explored the foothills in 1904 but had not ascended higher than 3,000 feet (910 m). 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