17 May, 1911

I heard a dog barking in the night. He had something wrong with his hind leg - this morning the poor brute was dead. Today Wilson conducted an autopsy but could find nothing wrong. This is the third animal that has died here without apparent cause. He's going to examine the brain tomorrow.

I'm afraid we can place but little reliance on our dog teams and reflect ruefully on the misplaced confidence with which I regarded the provision of our transport. Well, one must suffer for errors of judgment.

I just hope I don't suffer too much.

Oates gave an excellent little lecture on the management of horses. I really should have had him go up to purchase them. He's feeding them chaff and either oats and oil-cake on alternate days, with bran mash in the evenings. We also had a talk on balancing our horses for pulling, and oats was helpful here too in referring to the gymnastic training done by foreigners with their horses.

It's all on those horses. I hope he's got it right.

19 March, 1911

Well the small dog with the gangrene died today. Others don't look so well, but we hope they will pull through. The continuous bad weather is awful for them - we try our best to make them comfortable but they insist on sleeping outside in it. Five or six are running loose. I dare not let the stronger dogs loose. Best by far to keep them chained up.

I suppose that Amundsen allows all his dogs to run loose and act like wild animals. I suppose he thinks they are more comfortable that way. I expect the bitches are forever producing litters to replenish his stock. He's probably erected a big tent for them to come and go as they please.

What a fool.

12 November, 1910

I have noticed that some of our dogs are not whole. It will be useful to note whether these dogs are as sociable and as hard working at the others. Some are also docked. I am not pleased about this; dogs in the Antarctic need their tails to keep warm. 

And the whole ones need their tails to keep their parts from frostbite. 

Doesn't bear thinking about, really. 

6 November, 1910

Aren't the dogs grand! 

They're all males, of course, except for one bitch, Lassie, who we'll have along for breeding. One should be enough. 

It's not like we'll need to use too many dogs, of course. Not very good in the snow, dogs. It doesn't make any sense to me, to use a dog to pull a sledge. And besides, one has to be so cruel to them, and I can't abide cruelty to animals.

Naturally, we shan't be eating them, as was suggested.