i$02] THE PRIMUS LAMP 329 



follow — could be provided with a lapse of less than half an 

 hour between the time the lamp was lighted and its extinc- 

 tion. Except for further economy of fuel, a more rapid 

 apparatus would have given no advantage, for, as it was, the 

 supper was generally ready before all the outside camp work, 

 such as securing the tent and sledges, &c., could be fully 

 accomplished. 



The immense advantage which we possessed in this respect 

 can be gauged when it is recalled that McClintock speaks of 

 the inevitable wait of two hours which his parties had to 

 endure, after a long day's march, before they could hope to get 

 warmed food ; or, again, when it is stated that the records of 

 the Arctic sledge journeys of 1875 show that the cook was 

 always called two hours before the remainder of the party. 

 With us, on more than one occasion, a very rapidly prepared 

 brew of tea has saved serious trouble from freezing, and this 

 alone made possible those exceptional efforts of marching in 

 which we occasionally indulged. 



In our rapid cooking the lamp was, of course, an even 

 greater factor than the cooker ; after some consideration we 

 had adopted the Primus lamp which Nansen had found so 

 useful. When in good working order nothing could exceed 

 the efficiency of this lamp. The oil, which is pressed up into 

 the upper tubes, is vaporised by the heat, and the vapour, 

 emerging through a small pinhole, burns with a flame of 

 intense heat, and effects the most complete combustion of the 

 oil. In the rapidity and completeness of the combustion lies 

 its great advantage. It has serious disadvantages : it is com- 

 plicated and difficult to repair; it is likely to get out of order 

 unless both the lamp and the oil used in it are kept absolutely 

 free from dirt and grit ; and when out of order it is quite 

 useless. Moreover, the vaporisation has to be started by out- 

 side artificial means, the correct method being to fill a small 

 outside cup with spirit. From these various defects we had at 

 first much trouble, more especially as the sailor is inclined to 

 be rather heavy-handed and careless with delicate mechanism. 

 Later on, however, the men realised how much depended on 



