CHAPTER XI 

 TO MIDWINTER DAY 



Thursday, June i. — The wind blew hard all night, gusts 

 arising to 72 m.p.h. ; the anemometer choked five times — tem- 

 perature + 9°. It is still blowing this morning. Incidentally 

 we have found that these heavy winds react very conveniently 

 on our ventilating system. A fire is always a good ventilator, 

 ensuring the circulation of inside air and the indraught of fresh 

 air; its defect as a ventilator lies in the low level at which it 

 extracts inside air. Our ventilating system utilises the normal 

 fire draught, but also by suitable holes in the funnelling causes 

 the same draught to extract foul air at higher levels. I think 

 this is the first time such a system has been used. It is a bold 

 step to make holes in the funnelling as obviously any uncertainty 

 of draught might fill the hut with smoke. Since this does not 

 happen with us it follows that there is always strong suction 

 through our stovepipes, and this is achieved by their exceptionally 

 large dimensions and by the length of the outer chimney pipe. 



With wind this draught is greatly increased and with high 

 winds the draught would be too great for the stoves if it were 

 not for the relief of the ventilating holes. 



In these circumstances, therefore, the rate of extraction of 

 air automatically rises, and since high wind is usually accom- 

 panied with marked rise of temperature, the rise occurs at the 

 most convenient season, when the interior of the hut would other- 

 wise tend to become oppressively warm. The practical result 

 of the system is that in spite of the numbers of people living 

 in the hut, the cooking, and the smoking, the inside air is nearly 

 always warm, sweet, and fresh. 



There is usually a drawback to the best of arrangements, and 

 I have said ' nearly ' always. The exceptions in this connection 

 occur when the outside air is calm and warm and the galley 

 fire, as in the early morning, needs to be worked up; it is 



