Generally a Primus stove was used under the exhaust pipe, and ice applied to the supply pipe.  While one of them lay on his stomach with the Primus under the exhaust, drawing the air up that way, the other ran up to the roof and dropped big lumps of snow down the supply to get the air in that way.  In this fashion they could keep it going by the hour together without giving up.  It finally ended in the ventilation becoming active again without visible cause.  There is no doubt that the system of ventilation in a winter-station like ours is of great importance, both to health and comfort.  I have read of expeditions, the members of which were constantly suffering from cold and damp and resulting sickness.  This is nothing but a consequence of bad ventilation.  If the supply of fresh air is sufficient, the fuel will be turned to better account, and the production of warmth will, of course, be greater.  If the supply of air is insufficient, a great part of the fuel will be lost in an unconsumed state, and cold and damp will be the result.  There must, of course, be a means of regulating the ventilation in accordance with requirements.  We used only the Lux lamp in our hut, besides the stove in the kitchen, and with this we kept our room so warm that those of us in the upper berths were constantly complaining of the warmth.

Originally there were places for ten bunks in the room, but as there were only nine of us, one of the bunks was removed and the space used for our chronometer locker.  This contained three ordinary ship’s chronometers.  We had, in addition, six chronometer watches, which we wore continually, and which were compared throughout the whole winter.  The meteorological instruments found a place in the kitchen —­ the only place we had for them.  Lindstrom undertook the position of sub-director of the Framheim meteorological station and instrument-maker to the expedition.  Under the roof were stowed all the things that would not stand severe frost, such as medicines, syrup, jam, cream, pickles, and sauces, besides all our sledge-boxes.  A place was also made for the library under the roof.

The week beginning on Monday, January 30, was spent in bringing up coal, wood, oil, and our whole supply of dried fish.  The temperature this summer varied between +5deg. and -13deg.F. —­ a grand summer temperature.  We also shot many seals daily, and we already had a great pile of about a hundred of them lying just outside the door of the hut.  One evening as we were sitting at supper Lindstrom came in to tell us that we need not go down any more to the sea-ice to shoot them, as they were coming up to us.  We went out and found he was right.  Not far away, and making straight for the hut, came a crab-eater, shining like silver in the sun.  He came right up, was photographed, and —­ shot.