The whalers probably wished they had a supermarket! The sealers and whalers brought a variety of domestic animals such as reindeer and sheep to South Georgia, mainly for food. Only reindeer were successful in surviving without the whalers’ help . Of the three herds that were brought to the island between 1909 and 1925, only two became survived to provide fresh meat for the whaling communities.
At the beginning of the season, in September, large transport ships would bring men and all the supplies and materials they needed for a season. These supplies were only topped up by vessels delivering fuel and post or those taking away whale oil. The supplies included dried peas, tinned vegetables, beans, potatoes, rice, hard tack biscuits, salt pork, salt beef, salt fish, dry fruits, and molasses.
The whalers had two small shops called the Slop Chests (or Slappen in Norwegian) – one in Grytviken and one at Leith Harbour. Here, they could buy cigarettes and clothing such hats, boots and shoes. There was also camera film, dubbin, thread, stamps, and other essentials that the whalers might need. No money was exchanged, but the bill would be deducted from their end of season salary.
The museum has a log-book of the Slop Chest accounts from Grytviken that covers the late WW1 years. It was found in the wall of the old building when it was being renovated into the post office in 2014. The accounts show us that the customers in the Slop Chest were crew from the whale catchers and transport ships, labourers at the whaling factory, but also the station manager himself. During the month of November 1917, the following goods were bought.
“Note-pads, pencils, tobacco, matches, socks, underwear, denim working clothes, ‘skraa’ – a Norwegian chewing tobacco, hats, soaps, mirrors, insoles, soles, stamps, pipes (for tobacco), raincoats, working shoes, slippers, mattresses, shirts, combs, woollen blankets, cutlery, cigarette paper, balls of wool, photography’s, sweaters, soap for shaving, boots, trousers, jeans, “snus”- Norwegian tobacco powder, belts, scissors, ink, writing-paper, shoestrings, folding knives, towels, needles, leather pieces, barber knifes, braces, handkerchiefs.”