Yesterday after work I took a walk out to Hut Point, which lies to the west of McMurdo Station. The point is named for the presence of Discovery Hut, built by Robert Falcon Scott for his Discovery Expedition of 1901 to 1904. It was built to serve as a land base for sledging treks on Ross Island and onto the ice shelf. Ernest Shackleton and three companions used the hut in 1909. The hut later served as a supply depot for Scott’s ill-fated trek to the South Pole (Terra Nova Expedition) in 1911-1912, when he and his companions died on their way back to base after reaching the South Pole. They were within 11 miles of a food depot that would have saved their lives, which illustrates Antarctica’s harsh climate. I was unable to go inside (one needs to be accompanied by a guide), but I understand that it is just as it was left almost 100 years ago.
The Discovery Hut was prefabricated in Australia and brought in by ship. Insulation was provided by felt placed between the inner and outer wood plank walls. Apparently, this was insufficient, and the expeditioners preferred to live aboard their ship, which was ice-bound nearby. The hut was heated using seal blubber, which stained the interior walls, the contents of the hut, and probably also the epeditioners’ lungs! The mummified corpse of a seal, presumably brought to the hut to use as a fuel source, still lies outside. It’s extremely well preserved, given that it’s been lying exposed to the elements for over a century. It almost looks like it’s smiling.
On a knoll that overlooks the hut is Vince's Cross, a wooden cross erected in 1902 to commemorate Seaman George T. Vince. He died after falling down a steep slope and into the water during a blizzard.
