126 FARTHEST NORTH 



used up, one would be in a bad case indeed, had one not 

 provided against such a contingency by taking food 

 which could be eaten in spite of that. In order to save 

 fuel, too, it is important that the food should not require 

 cooking, but merely warming. The flour that we took 

 with us had therefore been steamed, and could, if neces- 

 sary, have been eaten as it was, without further prepara- 

 tion. Merely brought to a boil, it made a good hot 

 dish. We also took dried boiled potatoes, pea-soup, 

 chocolate, vril-food, etc. Our bread was partly careful- 

 ly dried wheaten biscuits, and partly aleuronate bread, 

 which I had caused to be made of wheat fiour mixed 

 with about 30 per cent, of aleuronate flour (vegetable 

 albumen). 



We also took with us a considerable quantity of 

 butter (86 pounds) which had been well worked on 

 board in order to get 'out all superfluous water. By 

 this means not only was considerable weight saved, but 

 the butter did not become so hard in the cold. On the 

 whole, it must be said that our menus included con- 

 siderable variety, and we w^ere never subjected to that 

 sameness of food which former sledge expeditions have 

 complained so much of. Finally, we always had raven- 

 ous appetites, and always thought our meals as delicious 

 as they could be. 



Our medicine -chest consisted, on this occasion, of a 

 little bag, containing, naturally, only the most absolutely 

 necessary drugs, etc. Some splints and some ligatures, 



