Signy’s Last Journey (continued)
It had been a rugged and wonderful journey that had taken us through some remarkable polar ice-scapes. It gave us all particular pleasure to know that we had been following the footsteps, and beyond, of earlier expeditioners from the 1930’s, men like Stephenson, Bingham and Rymill whose book ‘Southern Lights’ is a classic of polar literature. None of this travel could have been done without the dogs for without them we could never have enjoyed such an adventure.; and now in the crimson glow of a polar summer night we were sledging down the last few miles of North East Glacier to our base at Stonington Island.
It had been a very long day and we had been on the move for over 12 hours before we ran down the glacier ramp into base, picketing the dogs and removing their harnesses for the last time. I had time to ponder what we had done for together we had travelled hundreds of miles over the last four months. We fed the dogs their first meal of raw, and probably rancid, seal and made sure that all was well with them. I reached out to each dog to say thank you and gave my lead dog, and favourite, SIGNY a playful hug before turning towards base to that long awaited bed.
Sometime in those early morning hours before anyone had risen from their sleeping bags SIGNY died. How and why ? and why now ?
She had led my team for the whole distance, perhaps she felt she had done all that was asked of her and it was time to go. What more could I ask? A wonderful summer, a wonderful journey and in a different way, what a wonderful way to go.
John Noble, GA – Stonington 1966 & 1967