on their journey back from the pole, scott's team found that food "dumps" were short of supplies, particularly kerosene. kerosene was very important: not just for cooking but for melting ice. once it ran out, they would have no water to drink. one man collapsed and died while walking. oates knew his frostbitten feet could not carry him back to base, and that he might delay his companions and risk their lives. he committed suicide by walking out of their tent into the cold. scott and his remaining two companions died of starvation, thirst, and cold - trapped in the tent by bad weather until their supplies ran out. next spring, the three bodies in the tent were found by a team from the main part of the expedition - who had spent the winter in the expeditions's hut by the sea. scott's letters to his wife, written in the tent when he knew he was going to die, have just (jan 2007) been made public.