Friday, 31 May 1912

Amundsen

Amundsen arrives in Buenos Aires, May 1912. The man immediately to his right is probably Don Pedro Christophersen. [1]

Having recently arrived in Buenos Aires after his lecture tour in Australia, Amundsen met Don Pedro Christophersen for the first time, and the Norwegian community in Buenos Aires gave a banquet for Amundsen and the crew of the Fram. Amundsen presented Christophersen with a large photograph of the mountain he had named after his patron, and made a speech.

He admitted, Hassel wrote of the speech, that "he was an unpleasant man to work with. He's right about that. At the same time, it is remarkable how a frank admission of a fault helps to appease the resentment it causes. Amundsen spoke well. All of it was apparently improvised." [1]


Notes:

[1] Roald Amundsen Bildearkiv, Nasjonalbiblioteket.
[2] Sverre Hassel, diary, [31 May?, 1912], in Dagboksnotater fra Sydpolen, (Skien: Vågemots miniforlag, 1997), p.13.

Wednesday, 1 May 1912

Scott

Atkinson, Cherry, and Dimitri left for Cape Evans. The weather was very bad, making hard pulling for the dogs, and the sun had gone for the winter a few days earlier. "As we neared the Cape," Cherry wrote later, "Atkinson turned to me: 'Would you go for Campbell or the Polar Party next year?' he said. 'Campbell,' I answered: just then it seemed to me unthinkable that we should leave live men to search for those who were dead." [1]


Notes:

[1] Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World, ch.XIII.