Take it all in all, I do not believe anybody on earth has a worse time than an Emperor penguin.

And I tell you, if you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physical expression, go out and explore.

The mind of a horse is a very limited concern, relying almost entirely upon memory. He rivals our politicians in that he has little real intellect. Consequently, when the pony was faced with conditions different from those to which he was accustomed, he showed little adaptability.

Take it all in all, I do not believe anybody on earth has a worse time than an Emperor penguin.

Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised.

I might have speculated on my chances of going to Heaven; but candidly I did not care. I could not have wept if I had tried. I had no wish to review the evils of my past. But the past did seem to have been a bit wasted. The road to Hell may be paved with good intentions: the road to Heaven is paved with lost opportunities.

For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a winter journey, give me Wilson; for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen; and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time.