the Tropics

Handy Hints for the Tropics

(Contributed By A South Seas

Missionary)

A SIMPLE way to make “ice water,” or rather, nice coo] water, is to fill a bottle full of fresh water, place in a long woollen stocking dipped in water, and hang up in a doorway where there is an air current. In an hour or so, due to the evaporation of the water in the stocking and its action on the glass bottle, the water will be de

lightfully cool.

How To Make Fleas Flee

We all know what a pest these bugs are, espe cially in bed. A very good remedy to make them get out of your bed is to sprinkle the mattress with turpentine. The smell is too much for them, and they leave. The turpentine odour will last long enough to allow you to go to sleep—before they come back for “dinner.” If' you put some on the floor they might not come back at all.

Hurricane Season Hints

Before the storm: Everyone apprehends this season with good reason. Still with a little fore sight and practical prudence a lot of damage can be avoided. Why not see that your house and church, etc., are “ship shape” before you get well into the hurricane season? Climb up on your roofs and examine the roofing. See if the nails have not been loosened during those terrific hours in the sun. Take a hammer with you and a “boy” or two and drive those nails back securely. Per haps it would not hurt to put in a few good new nails especially on the lower edge of the corru gated iron—it is there the wind works in and starts its straining and pulling. Look, too, at the foundations; see that the posts are good and that the house is really resting on all of them.

Make it a point always to have on hand several long lengths of heavy timber—for example, a few 4 x 6, or 4 x 4 —some good nails, a couple of good hammers, etc. . . and a barometer.

During the storm: After you have nailed boards over the windows and securely fastened all doors, look around to see if there isn’t some loose, light material (such as sheets of galvanised iron, boards, etc.) lying about. If the storm is strong, they might fly away and be a danger to either yourself or the neighbours. Watch your roof and have a ladder ready to climb up and fasten the first sheet of galvanised iron that works loose (by the way, spiral roofing nails are best, as they are hard to loosen). Then watch your buildings—the constant terrific pressure is a very great strain, as soon as you feel it working loose and getting out of plumb, go out and set up two or three braces with a good strong peg on the ground end of the brace (one of those 4x6, etc., men tioned above), the longer the better. They will hold the house. Should you not have long lengths use the shorter ones inside the house, but be sure the end is on a floor-joint and the top part against a strong stud or the top plate. Then smoke your pipe in peace.

Workshop Notes

Oil Stones; Like the tools we bring to sharpen on them they, too, get “dull,” that is, filled with particles of steel, etc., and dirty oil. The most practical thing to do to a carborundum stone is to throw it into a hot fire. It will burn for a long while and come out clean, with sharp cutting edges. A more simple way of getting a good cutting edge on your stone is to use kerosene in stead of oil. It makes a big difference.

Home-made Knives: The steel bands used for copra bag bales can quite easily be made into good small knives. Stamp the holes with a sharp nail set, make neat handles, give them five minutes on the emery wheel, and you have a fruit knife that will make the natives smile with joy.

Empty oil drums (40 gallons) make fine tanks.

If one has the patience to give them a good coat of hot coal tar inside and out they will last much longer and the water will not be rusty. The mosquitoes won’t use them so much for incubators.

Don’t solder your galvanised iron gutters—use gutter bolts and seal the edges with soft putty.

They are much more economical, much less trouble and quicker to put up. The old way of soldering has many drawbacks, the main one caused by the muriatic acid getting under the two flaps during the process of soldering and thus causing rust that will eat the gutter away in a very short time.

The Torres Straits Fresh Food and Ice Company’s premises at Thursday Island were completely gutted early on August 30, the damage being estimated at £4OOO.

Residents rushed into the streets in alarm when the large cylinder of ammonia burst.