Part II Summary and Analysis

Part II consists of six enumerated chapters. In brief, Part II details how the crew abandon Endurance, salvage stores from her, train the dogs for sledging, repair the boats for a possible ocean voyage, and establish and abandon their first long-term camp upon the ice.

After abandoning ship, the men encamp on a large ice floe nearby. For several days they work at shifting supplies from the wrecked ship to the floe. The sledges, dog teams, and three boats are salvaged as is a considerable store of food. The initial camp is a miserable experience for most of the men and the cold is formidable. The initial plan is to proceed 350 miles northwest to Paulet Island where a known store of food and supplies has been cached previously. To this end, Shackleton insists that all nonessential supplies be abandoned...