To the heart of ice and snow
Through the storm of endless suffering
For the crown of glory
Faithful to her majesty they would be
On this trail of frozen tears
Where no man had ever dared to breathe
There must end a story of a selfish man on his knees
Bound to fail…
A band of brothers from english shores to icy waters
Men and their dogs, they're dependent on each other
Sledges and whips: Who is the servant, who's the
In this unholy, devastating, godless world?
They are not the only ones who have set for course to
Conquer unknown land
There's a man of great respect from a land not far away
From england
Norway seeks to reach the pole, so a race of death and
Glory has begun
They all aim for victory, and all life's becoming worthless
Carry on...
Orca greets and seagulls cry
As they yearn for flesh to stay alive
Struggle against nature
Every step could be the last in this hell
On their way they built a lair
Is there anyone who wants to return?
On a final journey
And a contract they did sign - obedience
The captain's word is their command
And they never felt such pain before
Crevasses like hell's gates
Opening into the abyss - they could fall
In late december of the year 1911
The race is won, and norway's finally reached the goal
Thirty-four days divide the english and norwegian
Dreams at an end as they all know the crown is last
Eight hundred miles now to get out of this inferno
Humbled and weak they try to make their way back home
Into the sun they march, but winter's coming nearer
Snow-blind and hungry, they are searching for their footsteps
"Great God! This is an awful place, and terrible enough
For us to have laboured to it without the reward of priority
This is the second full gale since we left the pole
I don't like the look of it. Is the weather breaking up?
If so, God help us...
Oates was on his knees, clothing disarranged hands
Uncovered and frostbitten, he with a wild look in his eyes
He was placed onto a sledge and taken to the camp they had set up
He was comatose by the time he was placed in the tent
He died quietly at 12.30 am.
His last words were:
"I am just going outside and may be some time"
He walked out to his death so that he would no longer be a burden to his friends
Who themselves were in worsening physical condition
His feet had been so bad, and the process of putting his boots on
So painful that he didn't go through this torture and walked out to his death in his socks
"We knew that poor oates was walking to his death
But though we tried to dissuade him
We knew it was the act of a brave man and an english gentleman
We all hope to meet the end with a similar spirit and assuredly
The end is not far"
(The last camp was made on march 19th only eleven
Miles from the next depot)
