Daily ration for five men

Sun.  Mon.  TUES.  Wed. Thur.  Fri.  Sat. 
Rice                        16         16              16
Oatmeal                          13              13         13
Bread                      100  100   100  100  100   100  100
Tea-biscuits                18         18        18
Gingersnaps                      21         21         21   21
Dehydrated potatoes         11   11    11   11   11    11
Dehydrated onions            5    5     5    5    5     5
Erbswurst                         8          8          8
Evaporated soups             6          6                    6
Baked beans                                      25         25
Condensed milk              17   17    17   17   17    17   17
Bacon                       44   44    44   44   44    44   44
Roast beef                       56
Braised beef                           56                   56
Corned beef                                 70
Ox tongue                                        78
Curry and chicken                                      72
Boned chicken               61
Fruits:  evaporated berries        5          5    5          5
Figs                        20         20
Dates                                                  16
Sugar                       32   32    32   32   32    32   32
Coffee                      10   10    10   10   10    10   10
Tea                          5    5     5    5    5     5    5
Salt                         4    4     4    4    4     4    4
Sweet chocolate                             16

  Each box also contained

Muslin, one yard             1    1     1    1    1     1    1
Matches, boxes               2    2     2    2    2     2    2
Soap, one cake               1    1     1    1    1     1    1

Above weights of food are net in avoirdupois ounces.  Each complete ration with its tin container weighed nearly twenty-seven pounds.  The five pounds over net weight of daily ration was taken up in tin necessary for protection of food.  The weight of component parts of daily ration had to be governed to some extent by the size of the commercial package in which the food could be purchased on short notice.  Austin, Nichols & Co., of New York, who supplied the food stores for my polar expedition, worked day and night to complete the packing of the rations on time.

The food cases described above were used on Colonel Roosevelt’s descent of the Rio da Duvida and also by the party who journeyed down the Gy-Parana and Madeira Rivers.  Leo Miller, the naturalist, who was a member of the last-named party, arrived in Manaos, Brazil, while I was there and, in answer to my question, told me that the food served admirably and was good, but that the native cooks had a habit of opening a number of cases at a time to satisfy their personal desire for special delicacies.  Bacon was the article most sought for.  Speaking