THE NIMROD'S DOGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9115, 21 December 1907, Page 7

THE NIMROD'S DOGS.

TAKEN TO LYTTELTON. " Dogs Snappy " on the side of a horse-van announced the location of the canine members of the Nimrod expedition, as the evening express steamed into Christchurch yesterday from the south. As a matter of fact the dogs were nob snappy, but without such a oave canem " their tempers might have been sorely tried by the curious throng that is usually not content with looking, but generally attempts to handle such interesting exhibits. Nine dogs had arrived from Stewart Island to participate in the latest dash for the pole. The dogs were taken down to Lyttelton, and on their temporary release from the van abandoned themselves to the very genuine and convincing manifestations of joy peculiar to their race. It required a strong man to hold two of them even on- such a slippery surface as smooth asphalt, and their usefulness for sledge work on the ice became apparent. They barked and strained m their chains, and showed an inclination to greet all and sundry with true canine cordiality, but they calmed down in about ten minutes, and were the subject of 6ome newspaper snapshots. There are five dogs and four bitches. As they stood chained and expectant on +he thick straw of .their conveyance, with a pretty background or yellow leather, they presented a etudy in doge of a bind seldom met with, even at dog shows. The fine pure-bz-ed Esquimaux dogs were the centre of a large knot of admirers. The doge have a picturesque pedigree. They are the progeny of Borchgrevinok's Farthest South Southern Cross expedition, which returned to the Bluff in 1899. Borchgrevinck left seventy-five dogs on Stewart Island, but the present dogs do not include any of the old stock, which are probably all dead. The oldest dog is aged four years, but the " ringer,' 7 or leader, is aged two years, and in his prime. The leader is not selected on points in the usual sense, but for utility. He has to uphold his title against allcomers, according to th« canine equivalent of Queensberry rules. In a^ party of Esquimaux working dogs there always has to be a leader, to whom* the others o%pn allegiance, and the choice, according to a survival of the characteristics of the wolf, their forebear, has to be decided by a trial of strength. A fight takes place among the company, and the weakest is killed and promptly eaten. In the conflict the combatants obtain a v«ry fair appreciation of their respective merits, and the best dog becomes leader. Him the other dogs follow, and, according to his training, the clan ie useful or otherwise. The leader of the Nimrod's dogs bears the eloquent - appellation, of Scamp. The others are: — Roweey, eighteen months; Possum, two years; Queen, foirr years; Dido, four years; Bosun, seven months; Huka, seven months ; Spot, seven months ; and Battio, seven months. They are mostly i white, and slightly smaller than the Discovery dogs, although otherwise sturdy. They have been trained in sledging on ice. About thirty of their pups are expected for the 1909 sledging season. They will be born in a temperature of from 40 to 50 degrees below zero, and will therefore be better acclimatised for the strenuous -work they will probably have to perform. Mr E. Joyce, who is also 1 in charge of the ponies, will direct the sledging and have care of the dogs. He is one of the most interesting members of the expedition, having had considerable ex-' perience in the less scientific but more urgent necessities of the frozen South, having been with the Discovery expedition. The dogs wil be placed on Quail Island, where they will continue their preparation. They have been trained already, however, by Mt Trail, of Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island.