COOKER AND COOKING-STOVE 



weight with about 650 lb. on it, but this by no means 

 represents its actual strength capacity, for we tested ours 

 most rigorously during the unloading of the ship, often 

 placing over a thousand pounds' weight on a sledge 

 without it sustaining the slightest damage. Alfter 

 our experience on the barrier surface during the Dis- 

 covery expedition, I had decided to dispense with metal 

 runners, so only a few sets of detachable steel under- 

 runners were provided, to be used for work on ground 

 bare of snow or on rough glacier-ice. In order to fasten 

 the stores on the sledge we riveted straps on to the 

 bearers, and thus formed a handy and trustworthy 

 means of fastening things with the least possible loss 

 of time. 



Another vitally important article of equipment for 

 the polar explorer is the cooker and cooking-stove. 

 Here again we were indebted to the practical genius of 

 Nansen, who designed the form of cooker that is now 

 invariably used in polar work. The stove was the 

 ordinary " primus," burning kerosene, vapourised in 

 the usual way. This stove is highly efficient, and, 

 with strict economy, one gallon of oil will last three 

 men for ten days, allowing three hot meals per day. 

 This economy is due, in a large measure, to the 

 qualities of the cooker. The form we used consisted 

 of an outer cover of aluminium drawn out of one 

 piece, inside which was a ring-shaped vessel so de- 

 signed that the heated air could circulate round it. 

 Inside this vessel was the centre cooking-pot, and 

 these pots were all mounted on a concave plate of 

 aluminium which fitted over the top of the primus 

 lamp. The middle cooker was first filled with snow 

 or ice, pressed tightly down, the lid was put on 

 and this vessel placed inside the outer, ring-shaped 

 cooker, which was also filled with snow; over all this 



151 



