V OUR LIFE ASHORE AND AFLOAT 53 



Our best meat was the venison, which was very tender. I 

 believe it was the close time for deer, but somehow we had 

 no difficulty in purchasing a supply. We had delicious tomatoes 

 and French beans, and we could get any quantity of these 

 wholesome vegetables at low prices. Indeed we had them for 

 nearly every meal, and thus by the aid of omelettes and a sort 

 of pancake, in the composition of which our clever Jap chef 

 was a real artist, we did fairly well. How he managed his 

 work was a standing wonder to us, as the galley at which he 

 had to do everything was only a few feet square, and his fuel 

 apparatus was the three fires of gasoline making big flames, 

 with usual fittings for cooking utensils. 



There were, of course, on board drawbacks of no inconsider- 

 able character, but as we survived them all, I will not enter 

 into details as to the monster cockroaches which used to run 

 over us, and the leaks which soon forced their attention upon 

 us. These boats being uncoppered, the hull has no protection 

 from the destructive worm which bores into the wood ; and it is 

 not pleasant when you get up in the morning to put your feet 

 into dirty water which has come in by leakage during the night, 

 and to have to get the pumps used daily. Naphtha launches 

 are used a good deal in these waters, and I saw no accident 



