“A boat party might make the voyage and be back with relief within a month, provided that the sea was clear of ice and the boat survive the great seas. […] The hazards of a boat journey across 800 miles of stormy ocean were obvious, but I calculated that at worst the venture would add nothing to the risks of the men left on the island.

“I had at once, to tell Wild that he must stay behind, for I relied upon him to hold the party together while I was away, and, should our attempt…end in failure, to make the best of his way to Deception Island in the spring. I determined to take Worsley with me a I had a very high opinion of his accuracy and quickness as a navigator.”

— Ernest Shackleton, South