January 15, 2016

Badass on South Georgia island

After sailing his lifeboat 920 miles from Antarctica to South Georgia Island, Shackleton lands The James Caird before it sinks out from under him, and gets ready to hike 26 miles through the island's interior mountains to reach a whaling station on the other side.  Some of his men can't go, so he parks them by the boat, and writes this in Harry McNish's diary:


May 18th, 1916
South Georgia

Sir,

I am about to try to reach Husvik on the East Coast of this island for relief of our party. I am leaving you in charge of the party consisting of Vincent, McCarthy & yourself. You will remain here until relief arrives. You have ample seal food which you can supplement with birds and fish according to your skill. You are left with a double-barrelled gun.  50 Cartridges,
40 to 50 Bovril sledging rations,
25 to 30 biscuits;
40 Streimers Nutfood.

You also have all the necessary equipment to support life for an indefinite period.   In the event of my non-return you had better after winter is over try and sail around to the [East] coast. 

The course I am making towards Husvik is East magnetic.
I trust to have you relieved in a few days.

Yours faithfully,
EH Shackleton


Then he did this little hike (never before attempted) and got back to them in a couple days.


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