Well, he was of his time of course. It's not realistic to expect him to have an anachronistically enlightened view of animal rights (beyond what might be consid

Well, he was of his time of course. It's not realistic to expect him to have an anachronistically enlightened view of animal rights (beyond what might be considered common even today). It wasn't anything he wasn't prepared to do himself for that matter. I think his general standard of interpersonal behaviour more than allows him the descriptor of gentleman - by the standards of his day, naturally. (As an aside, he did pioneer the use of motor sleds for antarctic expeditions, but that was a disaster for him too.)