Century-old butter found in Scott's Antarctic hut

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 12/16/09 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

WELLINGTON (AFP) – Two blocks of butter have been found intact after nearly a century in an Antarctic hut used by British explorer Robert Falcon Scott on his doomed 1910-12 expedition, a report said.

Television New Zealand reported that conservators found the two blocks of New Zealand butter in bags in stables attached to the expedition Hut at Cape Evans in Antarctica.

The extreme cold of the polar region has preserved the hut and expedition equipment inside, but recent signs of deterioration had prompted the Antarctic Heritage Trust to launch a preservation project.

The trust's Lizzie Meek said the butter was a "treasure find".

"It's quite amazing how strong the smell is after nearly 100 years," Meek said at the hut. "I'm not sure I'd want it on my toast."

Scott used the Cape Evans hut as a base for his expedition to the South Pole, which he and four others reached on 17 January, 1912. ..

[NormsRevenge]

Parkay!

[NormsRevenge]

This undated composite image from NASA shows Antarctica. Two blocks of butter have been found intact after nearly a century in an Antarctic hut used by British explorer Robert Falcon Scott on his doomed 1910-12 expedition, according to a report. (AFP/HO/File)

[SIDENET]

It was delicious.

[SIDENET]

"It's quite amazing how strong the smell is after nearly 100 years,"

[Dixie Yooper]

Robert Scott. First explorer to discover Norwegians at the South Pole.

[BenLurkin]

Must be a really old picture — that was when there was still ice there.

[randita]

A good book on Scott’s expedition is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Worst_Journey_in_the_World.

For Amundsen’s side of the story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Place_on_Earth

[hinckley buzzard]

Arrgh. Unfair. Yeccch.

[JoeProBono]

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks!

I’m glad some here take threads like this seriesly. 8-)

FR is a great historical brain tickler and educator.

I can’t imagine being stuck in the middle of nowhere with ice and snow all around for hundreds of miles.

Kind of like being in Copenhagen about now. ;-)

[Charles Henrickson]

Also found, this photo from the expedition:

[Charles Henrickson]

Little-known fact: After his Antarctic expedition, Scott went on to conquer the Sahara.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

And it STILL tastes better than cheese made by the government!

[Hot Tabasco]

Two blocks of butter

I can't believe it's not butter! it's Parkay!

[TheVitaminPress]

"It's quite amazing how strong the smell is after nearly 100 years," or 500.

From The Vitamin Press

[concentric circles]

You can keep the butter. I’ll have my toast dry and wash it down with a dram of the McKinlay whisky, left behind by Shackleton under the floor boards of his hut near the coast in 1909 after turning around 75 miles short of the south pole. I’m perfectly willing to share, there are two cases, just enough to get us through the winter.

[concentric circles]

You can keep the butter. I’ll have my toast dry and wash it down with a dram of the McKinlay whisky, left behind by Shackleton under the floor boards of his hut near the coast in 1909 after turning around 75 miles short of the south pole. I’m perfectly willing to share, there are two cases, just enough to get us through the winter.

[BerryDingle]

Did he take Joan Rivers down there with him?

[Kartographer]

He is a picture from 'Honest' Al Gore's new movie in which he retraces the Scott Expedition's route to the south pole.

[elli1]

So neat photos of Scott's hut and Shackleton's hut here: Abandoned Antarctic Huts