I found that it was now absolutely necessary to prepare hot milk for all hands during the night, in order to sustain life till dawn.

This meant lighting the Primus lamp in the darkness and involved an increased drain on our small store of matches.

It was the rule that one match must serve when the Primus was being lit.

We had no lamp for the compass and during the early days of the voyage we would strike a match when the steersman wanted to see the course at night; but later the necessity for strict economy impressed itself upon us, and the practice of striking matches at night was stopped.

We had one water-tight tin of matches.