In the following excerpt, one can easily conclude the author's goal of perseverance that is consistent with the details in the paragraph. Mentioning the year here, tells us the technical development in different industries at the time.
In my opinion, "Choice-A" is the correct. This is because the paragraph demonstrates the untiring spirits of the men on-board with the captain. Well, we must acknowledge the fact that South-Pole is still a very hard choice for any explorer.