VENTILATION OF THE HUT 199 



stomach with the Primus under the exhaust, drawing 

 the air up that way, the other ran up to the roof and 

 dropped big lumps of snow down the supply to get the 

 air in that way. In this fashion they could keep it 

 going by the hour together without giving up. It 

 finally ended in the ventilation becoming active again 

 without visible cause. There is no doubt that the 

 system of ventilation in a winter-station like ours is of 

 great importance, both to health and comfort. I have 

 read of expeditions, the members of which were con- 

 stantly suffering from cold and damp and resulting 

 sickness. This is nothing but a consequence of bad 

 ventilation. If the supply of fresh air is sufficient, the 

 fuel will be turned to better account, and the production 

 of warmth will, of course, be greater. If the supply of 

 air is insufficient, a great part of the fuel will be lost in 

 an unconsumed state, and cold and damp will be the 

 result. There must, of course, be a means of regulating 

 the ventilation in accordance with requirements. We 

 used only the Lux lamp in our hut, besides the stove in 

 the kitchen, and with this we kept our room so warm 

 that those of us in the upper berths were constantly 

 complaining of the warmth. 



Originally there were places for ten bunks in the room, 

 but as there were only nine of us, one of the bunks was 

 removed and the space used for our chronometer locker. 

 This contained three ordinary ship's chronometers. We 

 had, in addition, six chronometer watches, which we 



