ralia.
The management of Hartley (London) presented us with two tons of jam,
and James Keiller and Son (London) with one ton of marmalade.
Of the twelve tons of sugar and half a ton of syrup consumed, all were
generously donated by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (Sydney).
For milk we were provided with two tons of Glaxo (a dry powder) which
was used at the land bases, and a ton and a half of Nestle's condensed
variety for use on the ship.
Three tons of cereal meals, largely from Parsons (Sydney), were
consumed.
As one might have expected, the amount of flour used was enormous.
In the thirteen tons of this commodity from Colman (London) there were
three varieties, self-rising, plain, and wheatmeal flour, encased in
stout metal linings within strong, well-finished cases of a convenient
size. Until required, the cases of flour were used to solidify the
break-wind on the southern side of the Hut.
Bird and Company (Birmingham) more than satisfied our needs in the
matter of baking powder, custard powder, jelly crystals, and the
like.
There was over half a ton of fancy biscuits of excellent quality and
great variety, for which we were indebted to Jacob and Company
(Dublin), Arnott Brothers (Sydney), and Patria Biscuit Fabriek
(Amsterdam). "Hardtack," the name by which a plain wholemeal
biscuit of good quality, made by Swallow and Ariell (Melbourne) was
known, constituted the greater part of the remaining two and a half
tons of ordinary biscuits. "Hardtack" was much appreciated as a
change from the usual "staff of life"--soda bread.
For sledging we had secured one ton of biscuits specially prepared
by the Plasmon Company (London) containing 30 per cent. of plasmon.
These, together with one ton of pemmican and half a ton of emergency
ration prepared by the Bovril Company (London), are specially referred
to in the chapter on sledging equipment.
Butter was an important item; the large stock of two and a half tons
coming from the Colac Dairying Company (Melbourne). The butter was
taken fresh in fifty-six lb. blocks, packed in the usual export
cases. On the 'Aurora' it was carried as deck-cargo, and at the Main
Base was stacked in the open air on the southern side of the Hut. At
the end of the second year (1913) it was still quite good; a fact
which speaks well for the climate as a refrigerator. Of Australian
cheese we used half a ton, and this was supplied in fo
|