SOSE: geography

'After travelling some 500 km across the ice, Belgrave Ninnis fell into a crevasse. With him fell a tent, most of the remaining food, spare clothing and the best dogs. Although Mawson and Mertz lay 
177at the edge of the crevasse and called out to him for three hours, Ninnis was not heard or seen again. The two men began the five-week journey back to the hut, with provisions for only a week or so.'
Our food and shelter is gone, and our clothes are completely retched. Poor Belgrave, the thought of his death, even though quick, is devastating. We sat there atop the crevasse, yelling down at him and our best sled-dogs, but we only received the bitter cold and wind in return.

'They decided to eat the dogs as each dog collapsed from exhaustion. This decision would end up killing Mertz and almost taking the life of Mawson. According to one theory, the livers of the dogs slowly poisoned the men, causing them to hallucinate and their bodies to slowly rot away. When Mertz died, Mawson was still 160 kilometers from the hut.'
Mertz! Why did you have to die! You were my closest companion, and know i am all alone in this desolate land. I only wish I myself wasn't feeling so sickly, and I could give you a proper goodbye. But I must keep moving, even it kills me, I must reach the hut.

Starving and desperately ill, Mawson inched his way towards the hut. His hair and skin were falling off, his fingers were badly frostbitten and the soles of his feet had peeled away. Forced to crawl at times and to make his own crampons with wood and screws, he eventually made it to ‘Aladdin's Cave’.
I am so hungry and ill, I just about collapsed when I reached the sanctuary of this wonderful, marvelous cave. I am about to go to sleep, so when I set off tomorrow morning, ill have enough energy. I finished re-bandaging my peeling feet, and am still trying to warm my fingers.