In order to give as much free space as possible in the centre of the hut, the table was so arranged that it could be hoisted over our heads after meals were over. At first we put the boxes containing knives, plates &c. on top of the table before hauling it up, but after these had fallen on the head of the unlucky man trying to get them down, we were content to keep them on the floor. After hearing that the stove had failed to work during the blizzard which had kept me on board the _Nimrod_, I was very anxious about it. My anxiety, however, was dispelled after the stove had been taken to pieces, and it was found that eight important pieces of its structure had not been put in. As soon as this more than trifling omission was rectified the stove worked magnificently, and as it was kept going day and night for over nine months without once being put out for more than ten minutes, it was severely tested. Looking back to those distant days, it seems strange to me now that we should have taken so much trouble to furnish and beautify what after all was to be but a temporary home. Nevertheless it represented all the world to its inhabitants, and so we tried to make it as bright and cheerful a spot as possible. Divine service was held in the hut on Sundays during the winter months. CHAPTER XII SLEDGING EQUIPMENT The sledge which we used is the outcome of the experience of many former explorers, but to Nansen is the chief credit that it has become such a very useful vehicle. Our experience on the _Discovery_ expedition had convinced me that the eleven-foot sledge is the best for all-round use, but I took with me some twelve-foot sledges as being possibly more suitable for pony traction. A good sledge for Antarctic or Arctic travelling must be rigid in its upright and cross-bars, and yet give to uneven surfaces. A well-constructed sledge needs to be supple without interfering with the strength of the structure, and in our case there was nothing wanting in this respect. [Illustration: Marston in his Bed. (_See page 66_)] The wooden runners were about four inches wide and made of hickory, and in pulling the sledge the direction of the grain on the snow surface has to be observed, for it is wonderful what a difference it makes whether one is pulling with or against the grain of the runner. The second point to consider is the height of the framework of the sledge above the surface of the snow, and as it has been found that a clearance of six inches is ample in ordinary circumstances, the uprights of our sledges were only about six inches high. An eleven-foot sledge, fully loaded, is at its best working weight with about 650 lb. on it, but this does not represent its actual strength capacity, for while we were unloading the ship we often placed over a thousand pounds' weight on a sledge without damaging it in the least.