Yön ja jään matka Quotes

“Most people are satisfied too soon, and that is the reason why there is so little wisdom in the world.”
― Fridtjof Nansen, Across the Polar Region. A lecture by Dr. F. Nansen describing his voyage in the Fram during the years 1893-96. - Scholar's Choice Edition

“The cub, poor thing, was a fine little fellow, with almost perfectly white fur and a dark muzzle; it was about the size of one of our smallest dogs. When they came up, he sat down on his mother's body, remained there quite still, and seeming for the present to take matters calmly. Henriksen put a strap round his neck, and when the mother was conveyed to the channel he followed quite willingly. But when, on arriving at the ship, he found he was to be separated from his mother and brought on board, it was quite another story. He resisted with all his strength, and was in a perfect rage. He got worse when he was let loose under the companion-hood on board. He carried on like a frenzied being, biting, tearing, growling, and howling with wild rage, like a veritable fiend, ceasing only as long as he was occupied in devouring the pieces of meat thrown to him. Never have I seen in any one creature such a combination of all the most savage qualities of wild beasts as I found in this little monster. And he was still quite a cub! In the evening, I gave orders to rid us of this unpleasant passenger, and Mogstad ended his days with a well-aimed blow of the hatchet.”
― Fridtjof Nansen, Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North

“In spite of its huge body and shapeless appearance, which called up to the imagination bogy, giant, and kraken, and other evil things, there was something so gently supplicating and helpless in its round eyes as it lay there that its goblin exterior and one's own need were forgotten in pity for it. It almost seemed like murder. I put an end to its sufferings by a bullet behind the ear, but those eyes haunt me yet; it seemed as if in them lay the prayer for existence of the whole helpless walrus race.”
― Fridtjof Nansen, Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North

“It was sad to think we could not take our two last dogs with us, but we should probably have no further use for them, and it would not have done to take them with us on the decks of our kayaks. We were sorry to part with them; we had become very fond of these two survivors. Faithful and enduring, they had followed us the whole journey through; and, now that better times had come, they must say farewell to life. Destroy them in the same way as the others we could not; we sacrificed a cartridge on each of them. I shot Johansen's, and he shot mine.”
― Fridtjof Nansen, Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North

“Later in the day 'Gulen' gave in; it seemed to be a case of complete exhaustion, he could hardly stand on his legs, reeled over, and when we placed him on one of the loads he lay quite still without moving. We had already decided to kill him that day. Poor beast; faithfully he worked for us, good-tempered and willing to the end, and then, for thanks, when he could do no more, to be killed for provender! He was born on the Fram on December 13, 1893, and, true child of the polar night, never saw aught but ice and snow.”
― Fridtjof Nansen, Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North

“I have weighed all the dogs and have come to the conclusion that we can feed them on each other and keep going for about fifty days, having, in addition to this, dog provisions for about thirty days, we ought to be able to travel with dogs for eighty days, and in that time it seems to me we should have arrived somewhere.”
― Fridtjof Nansen, Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North