Later on,
another old oil-drum was made to surround this chimney, so that two
pots could be cooked at once on the one stove. Those whose billets
were near the stove suffered from the effects of the local thaw caused
by its heat, but they were repaid by being able to warm up portions of
steak and hooshes left over from previous meals, and even to warm up
those of the less fortunate ones, for a consideration. This consisted
generally of part of the hoosh or one or two pieces of sugar.
The cook and his assistant, which latter job was taken by each man in
turn, were called about 7 a.m., and breakfast was generally ready by
about 10 a.m.
Provision-cases were then arranged in a wide circle round the stove,
and those who were fortunate enough to be next to it could dry their
gear. So that all should benefit equally by this, a sort of "General
Post" was carried out, each man occupying his place at meal-times for
one day only, moving up one the succeeding day. In this way eventually
every man managed to dry his clothes, and life began to assume a much
brighter aspect.
The great trouble in the hut was the absence of light. The canvas
walls were covered with blubber-soot, and with the snowdrifts
accumulating round the hut its inhabitants were living in a state of
perpetual night. Lamps were fashioned out of sardine-tins, with bits
of surgical bandage for wicks; but as the oil consisted of seal-oil
rendered down from the blubber, the remaining fibrous tissue being
issued very sparingly at lunch, by the by, and being considered a great
delicacy, they were more a means of conserving the scanty store of
matches than of serving as illuminants.
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