Scott's Last Expedition Volume I by Robert Falcon Scott
page 53 of 632 (08%)
page 53 of 632 (08%)
|
success. The interior of the stove holds a pipe in a single coil
pierced with holes on the under side. These holes drip oil on to an asbestos burner. The blubber is placed in a tank suitably built around the chimney; the overflow of oil from this tank leads to the feed pipe in the stove, with a cock to regulate the flow. A very simple device, but as has been shown a very effective one; the stove gives great heat, but, of course, some blubber smell. However, with such stoves in the south one would never lack cooked food or warm hut. Discussed with Wright the fact that the hummocks on sea ice always yield fresh water. We agreed that the brine must simply run down out of the ice. It will be interesting to bring up a piece of sea ice and watch this process. But the fact itself is interesting as showing that the process producing the hummock is really producing fresh water. It may also be noted as phenomenon which makes _all_ the difference to the ice navigator._5_ Truly the getting to our winter quarters is no light task; at first the gales and heavy seas, and now this continuous fight with the pack ice. 8 P.M.--We are getting on with much bumping and occasional 'hold ups.' _Tuesday, December_ 13.--I was up most of the night. Never have I experienced such rapid and complete changes of prospect. Cheetham in the last dog watch was running the ship through sludgy new ice, making with all sail set four or five knots. Bruce, in the first, took over as we got into heavy ice again; but after a severe tussle got through into better conditions. The ice of yesterday loose with sludgy thin floes between. The middle watch found us making for an open lead, the ice around hard and heavy. We got through, and by |
|