420 THE GERMAN AECTIC EXPEDITION. 



The first hour is spent in melting the snow, the second 

 in preparing the meal, which is devoured eagerly, and as 

 cool as possible. The development of steam during the 

 cooking (which in the very cold weather consumed one 

 bottle of spirit, or 1 lb.) put us into such a vapour-bath 

 that we could not even see our next neighbour ; the tent 

 walls were completely wet through, and the temperature, 

 which had been 35° Fahr., rose to 36°. The dampness of 

 the coverings and clothes, from the condensation of the 

 steam on the rime, of course increased, and the opening 

 of the tent-door occasioned a fall of snow within, so that 

 by the time the cooking was over, all was covered with a 

 thick coating of ice or crust of snow. 



It is about eight or nine o'clock ; the small rations of 

 boiled beef, soup, and vegetables, are no longer enough to 

 allay the daily increasing hunger ; but sleep buries that, as 

 well as our burning thirst, in oblivion. Only occasionally 

 did our sparing supply of spirits allow iis to prepare an 

 extra quantity of water. 



During; the march each one carried an india-rubber 

 or tin bottle, full of snow, on his bare body, turned as 

 much as possible to the sun, and often after many hours 

 only a few spare spoonfuls (and sometimes nothing) 

 could be obtained from it. 



Last of all, the cook, after cleaning out the kettle, also 

 fights his way into the sleeping-sack, which thus attains 

 its proper complement. A side position is the only one 

 possible — to-night all lie to the left, to-morrow all to the 

 right. Comfortable positions, such as stretching on one's 

 back for example, meet with a miserable protest, as well 

 as any other after-movement ; and when at length silence 

 falls upon all, the eight men form one single lump. 



