Details
ROBERT FALCON SCOTT (1868-1912)
A 4pp. ALS on expedition headed notepaper, 'at sea' 24 September 1901, 8vo bifolium (210 x 134mm.), to 'Dear Ern', describing the voyage ('We left Madeira Augt. 16 for Cape Town'), the performance of the ship ('You know we can't sail very fast. ...In a gale of wind we only make 10 knots so you can imagine we are not much of a clipper in an ordinary breeze. But of course we are designed for strength and not for speed... The ship is simply horrible for rolling. You see we have no keel, the bottom is quite bear of any projections in order to prevent the ice gripping us, so you can guess - being a small ship - what we are like in a long Arlantic Swell.') and commenting on the crew ('We have 8 Merchant Seamen of different ratings, and they are proving a bit of a nuisance. The mixing of Naval men with Merchant men has always proved a failure so far, and I wonder at them trying the experiment again on such a job as this.')
A fine letter, but unfortunately incomplete. The Discovery set sail from Cowes on the 26 August and arrived at Cape Town on 3rd October 1901.
A 4pp. ALS on expedition headed notepaper, 'at sea' 24 September 1901, 8vo bifolium (210 x 134mm.), to 'Dear Ern', describing the voyage ('We left Madeira Augt. 16 for Cape Town'), the performance of the ship ('You know we can't sail very fast. ...In a gale of wind we only make 10 knots so you can imagine we are not much of a clipper in an ordinary breeze. But of course we are designed for strength and not for speed... The ship is simply horrible for rolling. You see we have no keel, the bottom is quite bear of any projections in order to prevent the ice gripping us, so you can guess - being a small ship - what we are like in a long Arlantic Swell.') and commenting on the crew ('We have 8 Merchant Seamen of different ratings, and they are proving a bit of a nuisance. The mixing of Naval men with Merchant men has always proved a failure so far, and I wonder at them trying the experiment again on such a job as this.')
A fine letter, but unfortunately incomplete. The Discovery set sail from Cowes on the 26 August and arrived at Cape Town on 3rd October 1901.