Monday, 6 March 1911

Amundsen

A man and dogs with loaded sledges, probably in 1911. [1]

"[We] did 13 miles with greater difficulty than hitherto," Johansen recorded, "and it goes very sluggishly; it nearly didn't go at all the last part of the way. The Chief's dogs are the worst, they don't take any notice of thrashing any more, just lie down in their tracks, and it is a terrible performance to get them going again." [2]

Temperatures were around 30° C. (-22 F), and the dogs' feet were sore, out of shape from the long voyage south.

"I have decided only to take the depot to 82 deg. S.," Amundsen wrote tersely. "It will not pay to push on further." [3]


Notes:

[1] Roald Amundsen Bildearkiv, Nasjonalbiblioteket.
[2] Hjalmar Johansen, diary, [7 March, 1911], quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.352.
[3] Roald Amundsen, [diary? date not given], quoted by Roland Huntford in Scott and Amundsen (New York : Putnam, 1980, c1979), p.352.