An occasional showcase for quirky and unusual cartographic pieces
An occasional showcase for quirky and unusual cartographic pieces
At first sight this map appears to be a typical polar map similar to so many published by the Royal Geographical Society meticulously noting the tracks of the early 20th century explorers. Closer examination reveals that this map in fact details two tragic deaths and graphically illustrates one of the greatest feats of determination and endurance of the entire "Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration".
The attempted sledging across and the mapping of King George V Land depicted here was just one of the aims of the Australasian Expedition of 1911-14. This ambitious expedition set out to achieve the first careful scientific survey of Antarctica from Oates Coast to Queen Mary Coast. The plan was to use three land bases, linked with a ship by radio (an Antarctic first), to cover the maximum possible ground. Despite being beset with tragedy and appalling weather, the expedition managed to achieve many of its aims, a tribute to the courage and resolve of its leader, Douglas Mawson.
Mawson established his main base for exploration at Adelie Land at the edge of the D'Urville Sea. Dispatching a number of expeditions, he himself, accompanied by Lieutenant Ninnis and Dr Xavier Mertz set out to explore the windswept King George V Land. Mawson's three-man party left Main Base on November 10, 1912. By the end of November they had made it across the heavily crevassed Mertz Glacier and were now facing the "tumultuous and broken" Ninnis Glacier where progress "amid rolling waves of ice" was slow. For three days, from December 6 to the 9th, the party remained trapped by a 70 mph blizzard. Each day's progress or lack of it is meticulously marked on the map.
On December 14th, Dr. Xavier Mertz, ahead on skis, signaled that he had spotted another snow-covered crevasse. Mawson made it across easily but Mertz cried out as Ninnis suddenly disappeared. Mawson turned around and was horrified to see Ninnis, the sledge and all the dogs gone. Rushing to the edge of the crevasse, the men stared down into a deep, gaping hole where, on a ridge some 150 feet below, was a dog, whining, its back apparently broken. Beneath that was only the abyss. Mertz and Mawson called into the depths for over three hours. They gathered all the rope they had but still could not even reach as far as the dog. They were in serious trouble as Ninnis's sledge, pulled by the six fittest dogs, had carried most of the indispensable supplies, including the tent, most of the food and spare clothing. The remaining sledge carried only 10 days of rations for the two men and nothing for the six dogs...they were 315 miles from Main Base.
They still had a spare tent cover, the cooker and some kerosene. But they had laid no depots on the outward journey as they expected to take an easier route back to Main Base. A crude tent was devised by draping the remaining tent cover over skis and sledge struts. The dogs were fed worn-out finnesko, mitts and rawhide straps. On December 15 the weakest dog was killed to feed to the others and the men. This pattern was continued over the next 10 days until the final dog collapsed. Although the meat was tough and stringy, every scrap was eaten, including the paws which were stewed. By Christmas Day they were still 160 miles from Main Base. Most days they covered only 6 miles but on December 30 they managed 15. The next day Mertz asked to come off the dog-meat diet and try a small portion of their remaining sledging rations.
On January 1, 1913, he developed stomach pains and the next day his strength was nearly gone. They rested on January 5 and the next day they tried to forge on. Dr. Mertz finally agreed to be hauled on the sledge by Mawson...by this time Mertz even had to be helped in and out of his sleeping bag. One hundred miles southeast of Main Base, on January 7, Mertz became delirious and died.
Then on January 17 Mawson found himself dangling in a crevasse at the end of his 14-foot harness. Delirious and exhausted, Mawson struggled to pull himself out, only to reach the lip and fall back in. Mawson wrote, "My strength was ebbing fast; in a few moments it would be too late. The struggle occupied some time, but by a miracle I rose slowly to the surface. This time I emerged feet first...and pushed myself out...Then came the reaction, and I could do nothing for quite and hour". By now it was taking Mawson two hours to set up camp at the end of each day. On January 27 a blizzard brought him to his knees but on the 29th, his food nearly gone, he spotted a snow cairn.
It had been built by McLean, Hodgeman and Hurley who had been out searching for the party. The cairn was only a few hours old as Mawson consumed the food and read an attached note declaring the AURORA was waiting and Aladdin's Cave was only 23 miles distant. Mawson arrived at the cave at 7 p.m. on February 1, but the weather closed in and trapped him for another week. Eventually, he set out in spite of the conditions and reached Cape Denison in time to see a departing speck on the horizon...the AURORA. Luckily for Mawson, six men had remained behind in case of the increasingly unlikely event of there being any survivors from the Eastern Sledging Party.