The wickless lamp used by the Alpine climber who occupies the responsible
post of "Cook of the Canoe Club," and modified (after consulting
Professor Tyndall), is less than three inches each way, and it acts after
the manner of a blow-pipe. It was also adopted in the Abyssinian
expedition. In two minutes after lighting it pours forth a vehement
flame about a foot in height, which with a warming heat boils two large
cups full in my flat copper kettle in five minutes, or a can of preserved
meat in six minutes. {44}

While the kettle is boiling we bring forward the box marked "Eating,"
take the loaf of bread out of its macintosh swathing, prepare the egg pan
with two eggs, the teapot, and put sugar into the tea-cup, and a spoonful
of preserved milk (Amey's is most convenient, being in powder; but
Borden's, in a kind of paste, is most agreeable); lastly, we overhaul the
butter tin, a pot of marmalade or anchovies.

The healthful relish with which a plain hot breakfast of this sort is
consumed with the fresh air all round, and the sun athwart the east, and
the waves dancing while the boat sails merrily all the time, is enhanced
by the pleasure of steering and buttering bread, and holding a hot egg
and a tea-cup, all at once.

Then, again, there is the satisfaction of doing all this without giving
needless trouble in cleaning up, for every whit of that work, too, is to
be yours. A crumb must not fall in the boat, because you will have to
stoop down afterwards and pick it up, seeing that whatever happens, one
thing is insisted on--"the Rob Roy shall be always smart and clean."

All the breakfast things are cleared away and put by, each into its
proper place, and a general "mop up," has effaced the scene from our
deck, but we can still take a look below and notice what is to be seen.

Some of the articles chiefly important in the well of our boat have been
already described, but only those on the left of the steersman sitting.
Now, turning to the right we find a water-tight door, like that on the
opposite side, to be opened by folding down, and it reveals to us, first
the "Bread store," a fourpenny loaf wrapped in macintosh, which makes the
best of table cloths, as it may be laid on a wet deck, and can be washed
and dried again speedily; next there is a butter keg (as in the coolest
place), and a box of biscuits, and a flask of rum--the "Storm
supply"--only to be drawn upon when things of air and sea are in such a
state