Tending Sir Ernest´s Legacy: An Interview with Alexandra Shackleton

NOVA: How do you think your grandfather felt when South Georgia appeared on
the horizon?


Shackleton: When they saw South Georgia for the first time, and he realized
that Worsley had accomplished his miracle of navigation, he felt huge relief,
but sadly that was tempered instantly by the fact they could not land. There
was a lee shore, and they were very nearly driven onto the reefs and sunk. It
took two days of agonies of thirst before they could actually land.


While they were struggling to land, Worsley said he felt this almost detached
resentment that no one would ever know what they had accomplished. They would
just be sunk as if they had been sunk at the beginning of the journey.


NOVA: Even today that journey is seen as nothing short of miraculous.

Shackleton: Yes. They had accomplished what many regard as the greatest small
boat journey in the world, 800 miles across the stormiest seas in the world
in a little boat not even 23 feet long-all the while encountering
extremely harsh weather and suffering gales, privations of thirst, hunger,
and everything. It was a colossal achievement, and when they saw the black
peaks of South Georgia, they felt huge relief and happiness.


NOVA: Was the Endurance expedition the greatest achievement of his life?

Shackleton: I think so, because against almost impossible odds he brought his
27 men home safely. The boat journey to South Georgia was an epic in itself,
and climbing across the uncharted, unmapped island of South Georgia with no
equipment was remarkable. To this day, no one has ever beaten his record of
30 miles in 36 hours.


NOVA: Some have complained that there was a certain amateurishness to the
Endurance expedition. Do you accept that?


Shackleton: I don´t think there´s such a thing as a perfect expedition; I
don´t think Endurance was. Mistakes were made, but it´s hard to think of an
expedition where mistakes were not made. I think the difference between
Ernest Shackleton and explorers before and since is that he learned from his
mistakes. For instance, he was a member of an expedition sometime before his
first as leader during which they suffered terribly from scurvy. There was
not much known about it then, but on his expeditions thereafter few suffered
from it, because he was aware of the importance of eating fresh meat.


NOVA: What did your grandfather think were the most important qualities for a
polar explorer to possess?


Shackleton: Well, he actually listed them. In order of priority, he said
first optimism, secondly patience, third imagination (with which he coupled
idealism), and fourthly, courage. He thought every man had courage.