Endurance Part Five (ch. 1-3)

The men on Elephant Island

The intended path of the James Caird

Land. Sweet, glorious land. The men scrambled on shore and basked in the sun in an effort to dry off their horridly drenched clothes. Warm milk and thick, meaty steaks were quickly cooked for the men; they then quickly set up camp and drifted off into the first real sleep they had experienced in several days. Sadly, the men knew that a crew of a few men would need to be sent back in the boats to search for a more suitable camp site. That crew did not return until late that night with the news of a promising camp site a few miles up shore. The next morning, all the men climbed back in the boats and began the troublesome sail to the new site. Almost instantly after their arrival to the new sight, Shackleton told the crew of the plan for a party of six men to sail to South Georgia Island in the hopes of retrieving a rescue squad. "Finally there was South Georgia, slightly more than 800 miles to the northeast. Though the distance to South Georgia was more than half as far as the journey to Cape Horn, weather conditions made South Georgia the most sensible choice." At this point, the setting of the story begins to play an even more important factor. The men were on land, but this was still a dangerous island to be on, especially if they had to stay the winter. A long and perilous 800 miles away was the crew's best bet for rescue. The men prepared the James Caird for the journey because it was the fastest of the three boats. The preparations lasted for a few days. Shackleton waited for a break in the weather before the set off. Finally, there was a break, and a farewell breakfast was prepared in which a few men exchanged nervous jokes about their journey. The men knew that this could be the last time they ever see each other. After a rough launching, the Caird was able to drift into the open ocean.