CO PLAN AND PREPARATIONS 



would be bright enough. Fortunately all my comrades 

 took the same view of the matter, and with their co- 

 operation we succeeded not only in bringing the dogs 

 safely to our field of operations, but in landing them in 

 far better condition that when we received them. Their 

 number was also considerably increased on the way, 

 which seems to be another proof of a flourishing state of 

 things. To protect them against damp and heat we 

 laid a loose deck of planed boards about 3 inches above 

 the fixed deck, an arrangement by which all the rain 

 and spray ran underneath the dogs. In this way we 

 kept them out of the water, which must always be 

 running from side to side on the deck of a deep-laden 

 vessel on her way to the Antarctic Ocean. Going through 

 the tropics this loose deck did double service. It always 

 afforded a somewhat cool surface, as there was a fresh 

 current of air between the two decks. The main deck, 

 which was black with tar, would have been unbearably 

 hot for the animals; the false deck was high, and kept 

 fairly white during the whole voyage. We carried 

 awnings in addition, chiefly on account of the dogs. 

 These awnings could be stretched over the whole vessel 

 and give the dogs constant protection from the burn- 

 ing sun. 



I still cannot help smiling when I think of the com- 

 passionate voices that were raised here and there and 

 even made their way into print about the " cruelty to 

 animals " on board the Fram. Presumably these cries 



