At the Cape Evans camp, the realization that the five members of the Pole party were not going to return took hold by early April, but throughout the long Antarctic winter the crew of Terra Nova could do nothing but wait. The following spring, a search team found the Pole party’s tent. The bodies of Scott, Wilson, and Bowers were interred beneath a cairn of ice, but their scientific records, as well as 35 pounds of geological specimens that Scott had refused to abandon even at the end, were recovered. His journals were also brought back.

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Despite losing the race to the Pole, Scott did perhaps achieve part of Sir Clements’ mission after all, by demonstrating that Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another and meet death with as great a fortitude as ever in the past.

This article was written by Bruce Heydt and originally appeared in the June/July 1999 issue of British Heritage.

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