Stacking the Deck
While the 97 Greenland dogs were being held on the Island of Flekkerö (Flekkerøy), the crew of the Fram, anchored off Christianssand (Kristiansand), was busy making modifications to the ship in order to welcome their new passengers (Amundsen 1912). Under Roald Amundsen’s orders, the second-in-command Thorvald Nilsen and the ship had made its way from the southern part of Kristiansand, and closer to Fredriksholm, on August 6, and preparations for the dogs were in full swing (Nilsen 2011).
Olav Bjaaland and Jørgen Stubberud were in charge of laying a false deck – a second tier of planed wooden boards constructed across the entire length of the ship and raised a few inches above the fixed deck – that would keep the dogs’ paws cool from the burning sun and dry from the rainwater and ocean spray. The floor panels were built so as to allow water to run off underneath the dogs, thus also providing air circulation and ventilation to keep them further cool. The panels were also made each individually removable, so as to enable a thorough cleaning of the area where the dogs would reside (Amundsen 1912; Hansen 2011).
Other crewmembers nailed large wooden boards to the inside of the fore section’s iron railings, covering up the mesh wire netting so that the dogs could have shade and shelter from the wind.
The rest of the crew installed chains in any surface that would hold them – rails, barrels, poles, and other sites – all around the main deck and bridge, in order to secure the dogs. “There could be no question of letting [the dogs] go loose – to begin with, at any rate,” until they “knew their masters” and became acclimated to their environment, according to Amundsen (1912, vol. 1: 105).
In addition to making the ship ready and creating these new accommodations for the dogs, the crew also loaded on board the “many hundred bundles of dried fish” that would be used as dog food (Amundsen 1912, vol. 1: 104). Amundsen did not specify if any of this, indeed, was provided by the Greenland Trading Company’s Inspector Jens Daugaard-Jensen, who had been so very concerned about providing enough fish in time. Amundsen mentions in his book that the fish had been supplied by Fritz G. Zapffe and two other firms. The dogs’ fish was loaded onto the Fram by the crew, along with all the sledging and ski equipment (Amundsen 1912; Stubberud 2011).
Amundsen, too, was busy, although not always in such a productive manner. He was avoiding questions he overheard from the crew – questions of curiosity about the mysteries of this expedition: Why were they carrying so much coal and lumber now rather than loading it in San Francisco? Why were they taking with them a large and elaborate house rather than a simple observation hut for the ice? And, most significantly and frequently asked, why were they picking up the dogs here instead of in Alaska, closer to the North Pole – especially when this meant making the poor dogs travel twice through the heat of the tropics, once on the way down south and once on the way back up – in effect, forcing them to circumnavigate the globe (Amundsen 1912, vol. 1: 102)? According to Helmer Hanssen, one of the two expert dog drivers, the reasoning given that Greenland dogs were the best dogs to take with them, was sufficient enough to satisfy some (Hanssen 1936). But the questions persisted.
It was at this time that Amundsen decided to take two more officers into his confidence, ones who could help Lt. Thorvald Nilsen “parry troublesome questions” and help the crew keep their “anxieties” at bay; Lieutenants Kristian Prestrud and Hjalmar Fredrik Gjertsen were brought in on the secret and made to sign an “undertaking of secrecy” agreement, as had Nilsen previously (Amundsen 1912, vol. 1: 103). The crew members were all required to sign confidentiality contracts and agreements relinquishing all authority to Amundsen, but the three officers who knew the secret about the South Pole were asked to sign an additional agreement. Amundsen wanted to make doubly and triply sure to safeguard his secret.
It was also at this time, during the last week of July and the first week of August, while in Kristiansand, that Amundsen first heard from a highly politically connected, respected, and wealthy ex-countryman named Peter “Don Pedro” Christophersen, who would prove to be a savior in Amundsen’s life and career. The kindly elder gentleman, who now lived in Argentina, had cabled to Amundsen offering him funding and supplies for his voyage if the Fram docked at Buenos Aires before swinging around Cape Horn on its way to “the North Pole” 1 (Amundsen Letters of Correspondence; Amundsen 1912, vol. 2: 329). Amundsen respectfully replied pro forma and politely thanked the elder statesman and businessman. He did not conceive how Don Pedro Christophersen would prove to be vitally beneficial in the future. Amundsen’s mind, at this time, was primarily on loading his dogs and priming his men.
The dogs about to be loaded onto the Fram were actually even more numerous than the second-in-command Thorvald Nilsen had anticipated – and he was one of the few in which Amundsen had confided regarding the South Pole. Writing in his diary 5 months later, upon reaching Antarctica, Nilsen would reveal that he had estimated that only 50 dogs would be brought on board in Norway and ended up taking 97 dogs on the ship (Nilsen 2011). This originally estimated number of 50 dogs agrees with the initial number of 50 that Amundsen had originally ordered from the Royal Greenland Trading Company prior to doubling that amount as a safety measure to ensure victory at the South Pole (Author’s Research).
In addition to the 97 dogs soon to come on board, 3 new crewmembers had now been added to the ship’s complement as well: Sverre Hassel and Adolf Lindstrøm, who had been on the island, taking care of the dogs, and Knut Sundbeck, the new engineer from Stockholm, who had originally helped construct the new diesel engine. One crewmember – Oscar Eliassen – was discharged in Kristiansand, and another – Adolf Schröer – had already left in Bergen. Including Amundsen, there were now 20 human members in the expedition.
It was August 8, and the ship’s deck had been prepared in its entirety for the dogs. It was now time to bring aboard the canine expeditioners.
Permission to Come Aboard
Amundsen made it a point to film the dogs being boarded onto the Fram. The date was August 9, 1910. He took pride in this event and reported it in his diary on the following day (Amundsen Expedition Diary): “All are fond of the dogs, and the outlook for the exp. [expedition] at this time seems excellent. I cinematographed a lot yesterday during the boarding of the dogs.” 2
While Amundsen was behind the camera as auteur, in front of the camera were Oscar Wisting and Adolf Lindstrøm, supervising the actual herding. Also seen are 97 bewildered and at times frightened dogs.
In his book The South Pole: An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the “Fram,” 1910–1912, Amundsen described how the dogs were transported from Flekkerøy to the Fram by lightboat, 20 at a time, and were given a “determined reception” once they reached the “Fram’s gangway,” where “before they had recovered from their surprise and fright, they were securely fastened on deck and given to understand with all politeness that the best thing they could do for the time being was to accept the situation with calmness” (Amundsen 1912, vol. 1: 105–106). He went on to say that the dogs showed “respect” for, and “confidence” in, Wisting and Lindstrøm, and that the entire event took only 2 h.
The camera, it is said, never lies, and Amundsen’s filmmaking reveals an additional element that helped to facilitate the dogs’ transportation and seemingly helped to put the dogs more at ease: It is the element missing from Amundsen’s own written account, and it is that of Lolla, the young girl who helped take care of the dogs on the island (Amundsen Film 2010). A viewing of the film footage reveals that the young girl was instrumental on that day of departure, taking full part in the transfer, and helping keep the dogs calm; the dogs themselves shown on the film seemed to respond very well to her, and went along with her quietly to be boarded onto the boat, and then onto the ship. 3
The boarding of the dogs onto the ship from the island began at 2:00 p.m., according to expert dog driver Sverre Hassel, who reported in his diary that the crew received helpful assistance from the island’s kind residents, who graciously participated in the transport of the dogs (Hassel 2011). Other crewmembers reported that the process took 3 h (Gjertsen 2011; Nilsen 2011). Based on a viewing of the film, the transport and boarding process does indeed seem to have been quite a complex production.
In the film footage, Oscar Wisting is seen standing at the edge of the fortress courtyard, which is also the edge of the island overlooking the water. In the distant background, the ship Fram is seen anchored off the mainland in the sound. Wisting, Lindstrøm, and Lolla all work to lead the dogs toward the boats on shore and are constantly surrounded by the Greenland dogs. Wisting and Lindstrøm this time wield long whips, which they use to cajole the canines to follow orders. Other Fram crewmembers are seen cutting the dogs’ chains away from the ground; Wisting and Lindstrøm use those chains to lead the dogs away. Lolla is seen coaxing the dogs sans whip; the dogs seem to follow her. Several business-suited men and women stand behind him. A few of the crewmen are seen petting and playing with the dogs, standing them up on their hind legs and embracing them.
The dogs are unchained one at a time and are marched out to a waiting lightboat tied at the shore. Wisting is seen gallantly extending his arm to guide Lolla over a pipe lying on the ground, and she effortless crosses over the obstruction with dog in tow. It is a scene of efficient teamwork in action and indicates the smooth boarding process that took place.
The scene that follows, however, shows Wisting pulling another dog who seems to require a bit more effort, as the dog desperately attempts to pull away from Wisting, lurching in all directions and almost out of his collar. A crack of Wisting’s whip, close to the dog’s nose, convinces the dog to lie down momentarily in submission, then get up and obediently follow, as though nothing had happened. This portion of the footage seems to bear out Amundsen’s words – the dogs had gained a respect for their human caretaker and most likely a fear of his whip.
Loading the dogs into the lightboat and maintaining their positions while the craft crossed over the water to the Fram seem to have been an acrobatic feat. And to their credit, Lindstrøm and Wisting managed this with precision choreography. In the footage, Lindstrøm is seen standing in the boat with most of the dogs already tucked inside, and Wisting standing on the shore, hoisting the last dog into the boat. The dog is pulled up by the collar and swung over the edge, with legs flailing and paws scratching against the surface of the boat rim – it takes Wisting, Lindstrøm, and a third crewmember to accomplish this. Lindstrøm then quickly ties the dog’s chain to the edge of the boat. The addition of this final dog changes the seating dynamics, causing some of the other dogs to suddenly stand up, with some attempting to jump from the boat. It is a juggling act for Lindstrøm, as he threatens each dog consecutively with his whip, subduing one as yet another one attempts to stand.
Once the dogs are all securely inside, Wisting unties the boat and pushes off from shore. It appears that there are 14 dogs in this last boat. The next scene is of the lightboat being towed by a powerboat across the water from the island to the ship Fram. Wisting is seen standing, facing forward, while Lindstrøm remains in the back, watching the dogs vigilantly. The dogs themselves are seen sitting or lying down warily, looking out from the boat apprehensively.
Amundsen states in his book that the last boatload of dogs taken from the island contained 14 dogs, and that these dogs had to be squeezed onto the bridge, as this was the only space remaining on the upper deck of the Fram (Amundsen 1912, vol. 1: 106). This final boat, then, shown in the film footage, must be that of the 14 dogs who became Amundsen’s group of dogs onboard the ship and his sled team of dogs on the ice. If so, then these dogs include “The Trio” Lasse, Fix, and Snuppesen and the “Three Musketeers” Jens, Rasmus, and Ola, as well as Uranus, Thor, Maren, Katinka, Odin, and Neptune – all of whom Amundsen would name and describe on the ship.
As seen in the film footage, once the lightboat reached the ship, the dogs were greeted by crewmen standing along the side and the gangway, who lifted the dogs from the lightboat onto the Fram, handing them off in an efficient bucket brigade approach, as the dogs were pulled by their collars, still attached to their chains. Amundsen filmed the dogs as they were brought on deck, each one immediately taken by a crewman – or by Lolla – to be placed and chained in a location on the deck. In the footage, Lolla is now seen on the Fram itself, helping bring the dogs onto the ship and leading one of them to his place on the deck, with Lt. Nilsen gently guiding her as to where to place the dog. The dog seems to mind her and goes easily with her as other crewmen watch.
At this point in the film footage, the main deck is completely filled with dogs, and the entire crew works quickly to position the dogs around the ship, chaining the dogs to any surface along the deck, as well as securing the final 14 on the bridge. The ship’s deck is full, with the 97 Greenland dogs.
Lt. Gjertsen would later recall the noisy event in his diary, humorously describing the careful wariness of the crewmen at the first sight of the impressive-looking 97 dogs. In his entry of August 9, 1910, he gave credit to the young girl, Lolla, who handled the dogs with aplomb and whom he called upon to come to the men’s rescue in the face of what they first perceived to be menacing-looking dogs (Gjertsen 2011).
One may wonder how young Lolla felt saying farewell to these Polar dogs who had befriended her and whom she looked after and fed in the fortress on the island. She most likely had no idea what was in store for them. For she believed, as did her country and King, that these dogs were traveling to the North Pole, to help the men cross the ice of the Arctic circle in order to gain scientific knowledge. Only four men on board, plus one man absent, knew the true destination of these dogs and this ship; only they knew the true role these dogs would fulfill, and that they would engage in a race to traverse the ice in the most southern place possible.
The nature of the relationship between humans and animals, especially during these times, dictated that the dogs were simply meant to go where the men wanted, to serve as the men desired. And so, chained to the deck and the bridge of the Fram, they gracefully went on their way to fulfill their roles.
“No sooner was the last dog on board than we set about putting all visitors ashore, and then the motor began working the windlass under the forecastle,” wrote Amundsen. “‘The anchor’s up!’ Full speed ahead, and the voyage toward our goal, 16,000 miles away, was begun” (Amundsen 1912, vol. 1: 106).
And, so, Amundsen and the Greenland dogs were on their way.
Notes on Original Material and Unpublished Sources
- 1.
P. Christophersen to R. Amundsen, letter, 3 November 1910, NB Brevs. 812:1, Manuscripts Collection, National Library of Norway, Oslo (translated from the original Norwegian for the author by Anne Melgård during the author’s research at the National Library of Norway)
- 2.
R. Amundsen Antarctic expedition diary, 10 August 1910, NB Ms.4° 1549, Manuscripts Collection, National Library of Norway, Oslo (the excerpt quoted is translated from the original Norwegian)
- 3.
Author’s viewing of original film footage taken by R. Amundsen during the Antarctic expedition of 1910–1912, restored by the Norwegian Film Institute and released on DVD, 2010, as Roald Amundsen’s South Pole Expedition (1910–1912)