454 Chapter VIII 



In the meantime life on board went on as usual. 

 There were the regular observations and all sorts of 

 occupations, and I myself was not so absorbed in my 

 plans that I did not find time for other things too. 

 Thus I see from my diary that in the end of August 

 and in September I must have been very proud of a 

 new invention that I made for the galley. All last 

 year we had cooked on a particular kind of copper 

 range, heated by petroleum lamps. It was quite satis- 

 factory, except that it burned several quarts of petroleum 

 a day. I could not help fearing sometimes that our 

 lighting supply might run short, if the expedition lasted 

 longer than was expected, and always wondered if it 

 would not be possible to construct an apparatus that 

 would burn coal-oil " black-oil," as we call it on board 

 of which we had 20 tons, originally intended for the 

 engine. And I succeeded in making such an apparatus. 

 On August 3Oth I write : " Have tried my newly-invented 

 coal-oil apparatus for heating the range, and it is beyond 

 expectation successful. It is splendid that we shall be 

 able to burn coal-oil in the galley. Now there is no fear 

 of our having to cry ourselves blind for lack 'of light bye- 

 and-bye. This adds more than 4,000 gallons to our 

 stock of oil ; and we can keep all our fine petroleum now 

 for lighting purposes, and have lamps for many a year, 

 even if we are a little extravagant. The 20 tons of coal- 



o 



oil ought to keep the range going for 4 years, I think. 

 The contrivance is as simple as possible. From a 



