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LAWRENCE EDWARD GRACE OATES (1880-1912)
Autograph letter signed ("L. E. G. Oates") to his brother William, 4 pages, 8°, on "British Antarctic Expedition" headed paper, at sea, 14 August 1910.
Scott's last and fateful Antarctic Expedition in the Terra Nova set sail in June 1910. Life on board during this long, southbound journey is described as happy and carefree: "We are due in to Cape Town on 17th, not a bad passage don't you think, only 17 days over due -- We have had a top hole time. I am signed on the articles as midshipman and have to keep a watch so I am pretty busy ... This mess is the rowdyest [sic] I have ever been in, we sing and shout all meal time, they are an excellent lot of chaps." Oates goes on to mention his plans and ideas for the future, "Bowers', who has change of my watch, great ambition is to go exploring on the upper reaches of the Amazon, mind you, I think if we could afford it that would be a very nice trip for us. I don't expect I shall do much soldiering after this. That chap you met (Campbell) is already talking about a trip to Nova Zembla when we get back and wants me to go."
A second autograph letter signed ("L.E.G. Oates") to his brother William, 2 pages, 4°, on "British Antarctic Expedition" headed paper, 13 November 1910, gives news of his arrival at Quail Island, New Zealand, where, as a horseman, he was given special responsibilties for seventeen Siberian ponies that were joining the expedition party.
"I took over the ponies the other day and am not impressed with them, they are very old for a job of this sort and four of them are unsound, however we shall have to make the best of them." Oates goes on to refer to the other expedition parties in the race to the South Pole "These b----y Norskies coming down South is a bit of a shock to us. I only hope they don't get there first, it will make us look pretty foolish after the noise we have made. The Japs I know have started too so we shall be quiet [sic] a family gathering in McMurdo Sound this winter -- some of our people are feeling pretty pugnacious about the matter." He reminds William of the Nova Zembla trip mentioned in his previous letter "You don't say anything in your letter about the Nova Zembla trip but there is no hurry and we can talk it over when I come home, only I told Campbell you would come."
With a collection of four small albumen print photographs of Titus Oates, three showing him with his horse Gabriel, the fourth with his brother Bryan. (6)
