Roald Amundsen’s Sled Dogs: The Sledge Dogs Who Helped Discover the South Pole

628 Pages·2019·14.67 MB·English

by  Mary R. Tahan

MARY R. TAHAN
Roald Amundsen’s
Sled Dogs
The Sledge Dogs Who Helped
Discover the South Pole
Roald Amundsen’s Sled Dogs
Mary R. Tahan
Roald Amundsen’s Sled
Dogs
The Sledge Dogs Who Helped Discover
the South Pole
Mary R. Tahan
Vancouver, BC, Canada
ISBN 978-3-030-02691-2 ISBN 978-3-030-02692-9 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02692-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018960388
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To the memory of Charles Sherry, and the
memory of Ricardo Valverde.
And to the memory of Chow Main, and all
the sled dogs who gave their lives.
Preface
Canine Explorers in the Antarctic
The sled dogs of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition of 1910–1912 are the unsung
heroes of Antarctic history – the key players in the historic discovery of the South
Pole. Without them, Roald Amundsen possibly may not have reached the South
Pole prior to Robert Falcon Scott – perhaps he would not have reached the Pole at
all. Amundsen is the world famous Polar explorer who strategized how to employ
these canine explorers to win the race to the Pole, but the dogs themselves are the
ones who made it happen; they, indeed, are the underdogs in this story. Their pas-
sion to help their fellow human explorers and their sacrifice of life, limb, and body –
especially, sometimes, at the hands of their human companions – have earned them
a place in history. It is my hope that, through the telling of the sled dogs’ story, a
new recognition will be brought to these brave animals, a new awareness will be
created about their accomplishments, and a new consideration will be given to the
role of animals in human history.
This book analyzes how Roald Amundsen used sled dogs to discover the South
Pole in 1911 and is the first to document the complete preparations, use, contro-
versy, philosophy, and internal dynamics involved in this historic discovery, as well
as the first to identify all 116 Polar dogs whom Amundsen hand-selected and trained
for the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition of 1910–1912, tracing them from their ori-
gins in Greenland to Antarctica and beyond and presenting my findings regarding
which of the dogs actually reached the South Pole and which ones returned. I utilize
the expedition members’ own diaries, reports, and letters of correspondence to
explore the strategy, methodology, and personal insights of the explorer and his
crew in employing these canines to achieve their human goal. All mentions of the
dogs by the various men in their journals, reports, and correspondence have been
traced and compiled by me to create an overall picture. Through piecing together
the personal accounts of the men given in the original source material, I was able to
reconstruct the historic events as they relate to the individual dogs. The book’s nar-
rative presents the entire story of how the South Pole was truly discovered using
vii
viii Preface
animals and how deep and profound the differences of perception were regarding
the use of canines for exploration.
There has been vast interest in Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest
Shackleton and their feats in Arctic and Antarctic exploration. This book portrays
how canine explorers aided these humans in scientific discovery and brings animals
into the fold of Arctic and Antarctic exploration, giving recognition to the role ani-
mals played in this important part of human history. In particular, it depicts Amundsen’s
race against Captain Scott and the British Antarctic Expedition through the perspec-
tive of how the Norwegian Expedition employed and relied upon Polar dogs. It traces,
step by step, how Amundsen was able to reach the South Pole using sled dogs and
records how the human explorers felt, treated, and responded to these dogs. In the
book, I name, identify, and track all the sledging dogs and their individual contribu-
tions to the expedition and to the South Pole discovery. This recognition is important
for the understanding of Antarctic exploration history and for the consideration of
human-nature and human-animal relations. Certain comparisons are also made with
Scott’s own use of dogs and ponies and with the British’s and Norwegians’ opposing
and contrasting views and perspectives regarding the use of animals for exploration.
The sled dogs of the Amundsen expedition performed remarkable historical feats
and acts of endurance under the severest of conditions. Had the canine explorers not
been a part of this expedition, the human explorers would not have been able to suc-
ceed in the manner that they did. Amundsen himself stated that the dogs were the
key to his success, and he charged his men with making the dogs their priority, as
the fate of the entire expedition rested on their canine shoulders. The dogs’ heroic
deeds resulted in the first humans successfully reaching the earth’s southern axis,
with no casualties among the humans, the geographical mapping of the globe’s
southern region, and the expansion of human knowledge and understanding regard-
ing our world. With these achievements also came an empowering feeling of mas-
tery over one’s physical surroundings – an empowerment that changed human
history and, sometimes, earth’s environment. The irony is that, at times, nature has
paid the price for humans’ better understanding of it – both during the quest for
discovery and in the wake of the final result. The dogs employed in the discovery of
the South Pole paid that price, in many respects.
Though they were the primary consideration in making the quest for the Pole, the
dogs were also deemed dispensable once they had performed their role. The at best
questionable, and many times ruthless, treatment of the dogs extended from the
ship’s voyage to their work in Antarctica. As the Pole grew ever nearer, with the
dogs diligently pulling the men toward their goal, Amundsen destroyed the loyal
animals who had brought him there. The contention that most of the dogs were
killed out of necessity is not quite accurate. A careful analysis of the events leading
to these killings, a questioning of motive, and a close look at the reasons for con-
suming the dogs are undertaken in this book. Moreover, the dogs’ loyalty, courage,
and endurance in the face of the harshest conditions dealt by nature – and the harsh-
est treatment dealt by humans – are documented in this story. This book tells many
of the trials, tragedies, and adventures that are referenced in the expedition members’
personal diaries but not included in their official published accounts. It brings to
light the complete story regarding the dogs.
Preface ix
Certain animals, in addition to humans, are an important part of this earth and its
history, with an identity and history of their own. They contribute to humankind’s
success and survival. Dogs, in particular, seem inextricably bound to humans, their
lives woven into our lives and our species’ history. They played an important role in
our evolution from hunter-gatherers to farmers and producers, they continue to
serve as protectors of families and communities, and they have taken on new roles
as illness-detectors, searchers, and first responders. In the specific case of the sled
dogs of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition, the sledge-pulling canines performed
much more than their name would indicate. They served unquestioningly and
unflinchingly, performed an integral role in a historic discovery, provided compan-
ionship for the expeditioners, and changed our collective human lives forever. These
dogs had their own important histories, personalities, individualities, and extended
families, which are chronicled in this book. They lived and breathed with a determi-
nation to accomplish visualized goals. And they exhibited a very real capacity to
bond with both humans and members of their own species, as well as to grieve and
mourn the loss of their companions.
Through Amundsen, 116 dogs were brought to the Antarctic continent to work
on their men’s behalf. In turn, the dogs helped the human explorers reach their goal
of discovering the South Pole. Of those who made the actual trek to the Pole, some
returned. A fraction of those who had reached Antarctica returned from the conti-
nent. Ultimately, only a handful survived to return home. In studying the characters
and events of this historical story, it must be kept in mind that these were different
times, with different accepted standards, and widely – indeed wildly – varying
views on life, earth, and nature. Amundsen himself was a very complicated indi-
vidual, with complex motives and ambitions. Still, it says much about human nature.
How the humans worked and dealt with these dogs in the Antarctic, and after the
expedition, speaks volumes about the human condition and the canine spirit.
Although it is generally understood that the dogs were the one significant point
of difference between the Norwegian expedition and the English expedition, few
writings have focused on the dogs themselves. To this day, over a century after the
South Pole’s discovery, the sled dogs’ enormous achievements are not that widely
recognized; their subsequent tragic demise is not known by many; and the necessity
of their deaths has not always been adequately questioned. This book tells their
story and asks these questions. It portrays how immensely vital the dogs were to
Amundsen’s progress, how extensive and intricate their canine community was
within the expedition, and how deeply they were penalized for being in the unfortu-
nate position of existing as Polar dogs during the early twentieth century. It presents
a comprehensive record of their population, highlighting some of the individual
dogs and depicting their relationships with one another and with the expedition
members. It shines a light on a crucial chapter of human-animal cooperation and
accomplishment. And it places a spotlight on those loyal animals who made the
attainment of such a major human goal a reality: the canine explorers – the intrepid
sled dogs of the South Pole.
Vancouver, BC, Canada Mary R. Tahan
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbiblioteket) in Oslo
for access to the Roald Amundsen and South Pole expedition diaries, personal let-
ters, original photographs, and historical documents in the Manuscripts Collection
and for access to the rare photographs in the Picture Collection, with very special
thanks to Research Librarian Anne Melgård for her valuable assistance and transla-
tions of letters, diaries, and documents. I would also like to sincerely thank Librarian
Nina Korbu for assistance and additional translations, Research Librarians and
Curators Guro Tangvald and Jens Petter Kollhøj for assistance with photographs in
the Picture Collection, Curator Harald Østgaard Lund for visual analysis in the
Photo Collection, and film preservationist Morten Skallerud for viewing of original
footage. I have been fortunate to have seen and read firsthand the original diaries
and correspondence of Amundsen, his expedition members, colleagues, and spon-
sors and to have viewed Amundsen’s photos and lantern slides. My work could not
have been completed without the help of these gracious and thoughtful individuals
at this prestigious institution, who kindly made all information accessible to me and
helped me acquire the documents, material, and photographs that I sought and
needed to use in this book in order to tell this story.
My thanks also go to Dr. Jorge Rabassa, Senior Researcher and former Director
of CADIC-CONICET in Ushuaia, Argentina, for recommending and believing in my
book, and to Juliana Pitanguy, Publishing Editor at Springer International Publishing,
for her encouragement and recognition of the significance of the subject matter.
In researching the book, I consulted the archives of many institutions in addition
to the National Library of Norway and wish to also thank the following esteemed
colleagues and organizations: the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in
London, and their helpful staff, including my first contact Tom McEnroe and the
Librarians in the Foyle Reading Room; the Scott Polar Research Institute in
Cambridge, and its Archivist Naomi Boneham; the British Library in London, and
its Manuscripts Librarian Zoe Stansell; the Royal Zoological Society of South
Australia in Adelaide, and its Librarian Silvia Muscardin; the Mawson Centre at the
South Australian Museum in Adelaide, and its Senior Collections Manager Mark
Pharaoh; and the M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark, and its Librarian and Image
xi
xii Acknowledgments
Archivist Henriette Gavnholdt Jakobsen. I wish to also thank the Fram Museum
in Oslo, its Director Geir O. Kløver, and its staff, especially Anders Bache; the Polar
Museum in Tromsø, in conjunction with the Tromsø University Museum, and its
Director Lena Aarekol; and the Vancouver Maritime Museum in British Columbia,
Canada, its Executive Director Joost C.A. Schokkenbroek, Librarian and Archivist
Lea Edgar, and former Director Captain Ken Burton.
My research gave me the opportunity to meet and interview descendants of the
expedition members, and I would like to thank Knut Wisting, grandson of Oscar
Wisting, for our enjoyable and interesting conversations together in Oslo; and I
would also like to thank Mercedes Christophersen, Alejandro Christophersen, and
Jorge Eduardo Christophersen, descendants of the Don Pedro Christophersen fam-
ily, as well as Pía Moreno Campos, for our communications and time together and
for their great kindness in Buenos Aires.
I would like to express my gratitude to Stein Barli, Director of Follo Museum,
for opening up Roald Amundsen’s Home “Uranienborg” in Svartskog especially to
me, not only once but on two separate occasions, for a private tour, and allowing me
to peruse the documents and material in Amundsen’s home office and desk. A thank
you as well to Randi Eriksen, Amundsen Home Guide.
My gratitude also goes to the following scholars for their interest and encourage-
ment: Harald Dag Jølle, Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø; Einar-Arne Driveness,
University of Tromsø; and Roald Berg, University of Stavanger.
And, for their moral support and friendship, I am forever grateful to James
P. Delgado, Meredith Hooper, Tor Bomann-Larsen, Lynne Cox, and Ronnie Smith.
I would like to thank professional translator Elin Melgård for translations of the
expedition diaries, crew diaries, and news articles. And I would also like to thank
my other translators, including Pål Kvarving and Tor Rognmo, for translations of
source material and original diaries.
Working and researching in Antarctica gave me a unique insight into this history,
and I would like to express my thanks to the Dirección Nacional del Antártico
(DNA) – the National Directorate of the Antarctic – in Buenos Aires, its former
Director Dr. Mariano A. Memolli, and former Cultural Director Andrea Juan, for
inviting me to the frozen continent through the artist-in-residence program of the
Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), the Argentine Antarctic Institute. The journey
via ice cutters, Twin Otters, Zodiacs, and Hercules C-130s, as well as extended time
spent living and working on the ice, allowed me to experience the Antarctic conti-
nent firsthand and to imagine the feeling of the unknown that these Polar explorers
felt – humans and canines alike.
A thank you goes as well to Mogens Jensenius, M.D., and Janike Rød, who wel-
comed me in their home and showed me true Norwegian hospitality.
I would like to express my appreciation to Kyle Gribskov, artist and avid reader,
and to Mort Anoushiravani, P.E., Director of Infrastructure, Mercy Corps, for their
continued enthusiasm regarding my work.
And, last but not least, I would like to thank K.A. Colorado, Olga “Rosette”
Tahan, and Catherine Tahan-Corpus, for their constant support and patience during
my long and intense journey to document and tell the untold story of the sled dogs
of the South Pole.