A legacy of scurvy

Why did Scott's Antarctic party die?

It was in England I read the story of Oates' life by his niece, I think.

Her story was that in New Zealand Scott's party was warned of the dangers of scurvy.

The leader, no doubt, thought this was an ancient problem so took no material to stave off the danger.

When returning from the South Pole, the first person to die was the powerful seaman recruited for pulling sledges, since they had no dogs like Amundsen.

The next was Oates who created the famous last words when he walked out of the tent into the blizzard: "I will be some time."

I saw his sledge in the museum at Selborne where I read the niece's story.

Finally weakened by scurvy the rest died within the outskirts of the main base; leaving the famous letter which Peter had written to his wife with advice on the son he had never seen.

"Send the boy to a school which teaches natural history.

"They do at some schools.

"Make the boy a strenuous man."

Which she did.

Peter became my good friend, a very powerful man who became the greatest conservationist I have ever known.

He formed the World Wildlife Fund, which has changed today with addition of "nature", since some nations have no word for "wildlife".

He also drew the famous sketch of the panda, the symbol of this great group.

Dr Vincent Serventy Pearl Beach