Endurance Part VII and Epilogue

Stromness Whaling Station: first sign of civilization in
17 months for Shackleton and two other men

     After two days of rest, Shackleton decided him and two other men would attempt to cross the rugged land and find help. It was deemed impossible, but they had no other choice since their boat's rudder had been torn off when it hit they rocks. They set out and encountered many problems, having to retrace their steps multiple times. When Shackleton heard a steam whistle, he thought it was too good to be true, but looking down from a mountain peak he saw a whaling station. For the first time in seventeen months, they saw civilization. Shackleton asked one of the men working to take him to who was in charge, who they said was Thoralf Sorlle. Shackleton said he knew Sorlle so they went to meet him. Everyone believed that the Endurance had been lost in the Antarctic along with her entire crew so when Sorlle saw that it was Shackleton, he was overwhelmed.

Success is a journey; set a destination

     The men bathed and ate before planning a rescue for the other 22 men still on Elephant Island. For three months they attempted to break through the ice to no avail. Four months after the Caird left, on August 30, after three tries with three different boats, Shackleton was finally able to reach Elephant Island. The men were giddy with excitement and nothing, not even food, could distract them from the joyous moment of seeing that ship on the horizon. All 28 men had survived for over 20 months in the harshest climate here on earth and, even though they didn't accomplish what they set out to do, they still felt like they won. I imagine they must have had a sort of epiphany when they realized they had actually accomplished much more than what they set out to do because of the unfortunate situations they were in.

     My favorite part of the entire novel was when Shackleton and his two companions had to slide down the side of a mountain because climbing would have taken too long. They did not know what was awaiting them at the bottom or if they would even survive such a risky plunge. By doing this, the three men most definitely gave the phrase "taking a leap of faith" a whole new meaning and I found it very inspiring.

"So he suggested they slide...They seemed to hang poised for a slit second, then suddenly the wind was shrieking in their ears and a white blure of snow tore passed...They screamed-not in terror necessarily, but simply because they couldn't help it...They were breathless and their hearts were beating wildly. But they found themselves laughing uncontrollably...and they felt that special kind of pride of a person who in a foolish moment accepts an impossible dare-then pulls it off to perfection."

     This story gave me, as well as Shackleton and his men I'm sure, a new appreciation for nature and all of God's creation. It also gave me hope to see that, even in the worst situation, we are capable of surviving even the harshest climate on earth given the right amount of determination, courage, and a sense of adventure.

Endurance Part VI: Ch. 4-6

     All six men had to hurry in order to get the boat stabilized without the anchor. They made some progress throughout the night and by the morning, they saw that they were about halfway to South Georgia. Unfortunately, their sleeping bags had become so smelly and rotted that they threw two of them overboard and they only had enough good drinking water to last them another week. The sun came out for two days so they were able to dry out some of their items at least a little. However, on May 6, a huge gale threatened to sweep them off course and they were almost sunk by a huge wave that hit the boat, filling it with water. The men had to continually bale and pump water out just to stay afloat. They see a huge albatross flying over them and feel mocked by its grace and beauty even in the terrible storm.

An albatross flying through a storm

     I noticed that one of the men is definitely a flat character throughout the novel. McCarthy is still extremely optimistic even when the odds were so turned against them. He started out this way when he first stepped on the Endurance and now, so close to their destination but still so far away, he still comments on how beautiful the sun is when it decides to make an appearance. Something else I admire is the whole crews' determination and will to survive. I would imagine that it would have been much easier to just give up but they keep fighting and are still sure they will make it.

"But sufficiently provoked, there is hardly a creature on God's earth that ultimately won't turn and attempt to fight, regardless of the odds...They were possessed by an angry determination to see the journey through-no matter what...and now, by God, they deserved to make it."

     When they were finally close enough to see land, another heartbreaking discovery was made. They could not land due to reefs that could have torn the boat apart. Their hopes sunk as they tried to work out another route and still land safely. Yet again the wind picked up and tried to throw them into the reefs. It took everyone to keep the boat facing the wind and not be blown backward. Finally, 522 days after they first sailed from South Georgia, the men found a safe passage and landed on a small beach. Exhausted but extremely proud of themselves, they found a stream of fresh water and drank.

Endurance Part VI: Ch. 1-3

     Part 6 is the account of the journey Shackleton and the five other men with him made as they sailed toward South Georgia. The ice proved to be a problem more than once and the there clothing was not intended for the wetness they encountered; it is hard to decide who had a worse time: the men on land or the men in the boat. For the first time in the entire novel, Shackleton begins to show some doubt in his decisions and his ability as leader of this expedition. He also shows nervousness during this voyage that has not been present before.

"As for the journey itself, he seemed strangely doubtful...The truth was that he felt rather out of his element...It gave Shackleton a feeling of uneasiness. He now faced an adversary so formidable that his own strength was nothing in comparison, and he did not enjoy being in a position where boldness and determination count for almost nothing, and in which victory is measured only in survival."

     Concrete details have been apparent throughout the novel, but especially during this trip made to South Georgia. Each latitude and longitude, the miles they have travelled, and the temperature recorded are examples of concrete details that are definite proof of the journey. In six days, they had travelled almost one-third of the way, but they were already wishing it was over. They had to anchor when a strong gale threatened to blow them off course and the boat kept accumulating ice that had to be chipped off multiple times. The sleeping bags began to rot and the weather was so bad they could not get a view of where they were. Just when things seemed as bad as they could be, a huge swell picked up the boat and snapped the line to the anchor.

Endurance Part V: Ch. 5-6

     Even after so long of waiting to be rescued, the men on Elephant Island don't stop searching and hoping for the ship that will save them. Since their future is looking so grim, duties have been allowed to slack and men have been permitted to keep more to themselves. Oddly enough, the lack of civilized organization led to very few arguments and no one cared any longer what position another had held before being marooned. The weather became the determining factor in the men's moods and thoughts of real food became their motivation to get back home since they were tired of penguin and seal meat. A make-shift operation had to be performed to amputate one of the men's toes that had been attacked by frost bite. The only real time of sorrow was when their depleting store of tobacco ran out.

"...and there followed a period of depression that amounted almost to mourning. But the desire to smoke was so strong that before long experiments were begun to find a substitute."

     The way the men used what they had to make their conditions as livable as possible reminds me of a small village that has to work its way up to become a civilization and eventually a city. It almost seems possible that, given the time and necessities, the men could have made that small piece of island habitable.

     When three months had passed with no sign of relief, the men gave up trying to sound optimistic. This is evident when one of the men writes in his journal: "There is no point in deceiving ourselves any longer."

Endurance Part V: Ch. 1-4

     Shortly after landing on what is actually Elephant Island, the men realize they cannot stay on that part of the island and unfortunetly have to move again. The next morning they move a few miles around the island but find out that this part is not any better. Shackleton decides it's time to take five men to South Georgia in search of rescue. After preparing one of the boats and storing it with enough provisions to last six weeks, the six men sail once again into the icy see.

     The 22 men who are left on the island know that being rescued is their only hope. For the first time in the book, all of the men begin to question their chances of survival and try to do their best to hang on until hope arrives. The mood in this part of the book turns desperate as the men turn to converting their remaining boats into a hut since there is no other shelter. They begin to get impatient and everyone was well aware that only the strongest men were going to survive another month. Despite all of that, the men had to stay confident and not give in to the harsh conditions.

"On this score, their general feeling, at least outwardly, was confident. But how else might they have felt?  Any other attitude would have been the equivalent of admitting that they were doomed. No matter what the odds, a man does not pin his last hope for survival on something and then expect that it will fail."

     One month and one day after Shackleton had left the island, the rest of the crew had to face the harsh reality that a rescuse was not going to be probable before winter if at all. All they can do now is prepare for the winter and pray for a miracle.

Endurance Part IV: Ch 1-5

     At this point in the book, all three boats and the former crew of the Endurance are fighting to stay alive while navigating their way through treacherous ice, looking for land. Twice they try to make camp only to have the floes break apart on them and sending them once again out into the sea. The men are cold and the majority of them are frostbitten from trying to row the boats to safety. They have been without drinkable water or ice for over five days and their thirst is leading to sea-sickness. When they are within just a few miles of shore, a strong current has them fighting just to stay in their current position. Thinking it will raise their chances of getting ashore, one boat breaks off from the other two during the night. Finally, after six days of being in the boats and 497 days of being at sea, all three boats and all 28 men landed on what they assumed to be Clarence Island.

     The term irony is used many times in this part of the book when the men realize that the water rushing into their boats was actually warmer than the air and therefore more comfortable to sit in. Also, after the boats were separated, one was afraid the other two had not made it. As they were searching for a place to tie up along the coast, they spotted the other two boats and thought it ironic that the only reason they had been reunited was because there was no safe place to land:

"By some incredible coincidence, the Docker's inability to find a suitable place to land had reunited her with the rest of the party. Had there been a haven somewhere in those 14 miles behind her, the two groups might now have been miles apart, each assuming the other had been lost."

     I can no longer fathom at all what these men must have been feeling and experiencing at this part of the journey. So far, nothing has gone according to plan and they were all on the brink of death. I believe it was a miracle that they have lasted this long and I respect and honor the strength and determination it must have taken to survive.

Endurance Part III: Ch. 4-6

     Food continues to become more scarce and the men start to blame Shackleton for not letting them kill seals when they had the chance. When Shackleton tells them that one of the remaining dog teams must be killed, the crew reacts indifferently, showing that now they have given up their sense of civilization to focus solely on survival. It is hard to imagine not caring about killing my pets, but it just proves how harsh it was being stuck on an ice floe with no control or means of survival for half a year.

     On March 23, Shackleton spotted land. They were estimated to be about 57 miles away from the island, but the ice made it impossible to try to take the boats there; even with help so close, they were still at the mercy of the floe as it carried them ever closer to land. They shot and killed an 11-foot seal for blubber and killed the remaining dog team for food. When two cracks threaten to break apart the floe, the crew quickly move to a more stable part of the ice. They spot land again and promising signs of open water. It is at this time that Worsley uses an adage that is very true in this situation:

"...plus a black eater sky to the northwest, the presence of the swell, and a high temperature of 34 degrees, led Worsley to remark: 'It certainly looks promising.' But then he added: 'Hope tells a flattering tale.'"

     Things started looking up when they caught another seal on McLeod's birthday, but things soon turned bad again when they realized that they were going to pass by land and head straight into open sea. The "emotional roller coaster" that the men had to have been going through must have been exhausting, not to mention the physical toll it was taking on them. I think it was a crazy idea to start an expedition like this in the first place, but i also value their courage, determination, and sense of adventure.

     When their ice floe (which they had named Patience Camp) began to break into smaller and smaller pieces, Shackleton gave the order to prepare the boats. Everyone hurried to get them ready while there was a break in the ice and open water to go through. As they sailed away from Patience Camp, the ice began to close again, creating a feeling of hurried fear for the need to survive.