Roald Amundsen’s Sled Dogs: The Sledge Dogs Who Helped Discover the South Pole PDF
Preview Roald Amundsen’s Sled Dogs: The Sledge Dogs Who Helped Discover the South Pole
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 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. 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This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland 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.
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