2nd time in Punta, Shackleton begged the Chilean Government to let him use the Yelcho, a steamer. He wouldn’t give up to save his men. At that time, July 1916, he wrote a poem, shared by Henry Worsley in 2008.
As reported on Explorersweb in 2008, on the eve of recreating Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition, [the late] Henry Worsley wrote on November 4, 2008, “Last week, just after we arrived in Punta Arenas we were invited to a nearby house, which used to belong to a local influential family. In their visitor’s book was an entry from Ernest Shackleton written in July 1916 after the Endurance journey when he was arranging the rescue from Elephant Island. As well as signing the book he wrote a short poem, which you can see below which I doubt many have seen or read before.”
We were the fools who could not rest
In the dull earth we left behind
But burned with passion for the South
And drank strange frenzy from its wind
The world where wise men sit at ease
Fades from our unregretful eyes
And thus across unchartered seas
We stagger on our enterprise
EH Shackleton July 1916
Shackleton-100 Exhibition opened in Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas opened “Shackleton, 100 years” exhibition to honor Ernest Shackleton and Piloto Pardo, the skipper of the Yelcho, who challenged Antarctica’s ice to rescue Shackleton’s crew, reported MercoPress.
Alexandra Shackleton is in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile to open an exhibition dedicated to her grandfather, British Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who became world famous for his resilience, courage and determination in rescuing his stranded crew from the frozen continent, and in which the Chilean navy played a crucial role.
“Shackleton, 100 years” is the name of the exhibition at the Casino Dreams Hotel with a display of historic documents, artifacts, pieces all connected to the great explorer’s presence in Punta Arenas searching for help to rescue his crew after his vessel was trapped by Antarctic ice, close to Elephant Island.
Ms Shackleton is president of the James Caird Society dedicated to Sir Ernest and flew to the south of Chile to attend the opening of the exhibition and to pay tribute to the Chilean navy and the Chilean pilot Luis Pardo, who helped with the successful rescue as skipper of the scout ship, Yelcho.
The exhibition opened on July 7 and runs until August 24, according to radiopolar.com. For the first time, twelve original photographs of Frank Hurley, the photographer the expedition, will be exhibited. The images, which were taken at an early date to the rescue of the crew, were in the hands of the grandfather of photographer Guy Wenborne, wrote the news source. In addition, an original portrait of Sir Ernest Shackleton signed by him will be exhibited. This was found by chance in 1995 in an attic of a house in Punta Arenas. Even interesting poems, inspired by the great journey will be exhibited. A full-scale, seven-meter long replica of the boat, James Caird, is displayed in Dreams’ reception since last April 21.
Previous on Explorersweb/Pythom
Shackleton 1916: The Rescue Attempts
Shackleton’s poem as reported on Explorersweb in 2008
#polar #Antarctica #Shackleton
