C H A P T E R 5 2

After a thorough investigation, I made a complete list:

• 192 tablets of anti‑seasickness medicine

• 124 tin cans of fresh water, each containing 500 millilitres, so 62 litres in all

• 32 plastic vomit bags

• 31 cartons of emergency rations, 500 grams each, so 15.5 kilos in all

• 16 wool blankets

• 12 solar stills

• 10 or so orange life jackets, each with an orange, headless whistle attached by a string

• 6 morphine ampoule syringes

• 6 hand flares

• 5 buoyant oars

• 4 rocket parachute flares

• 3 tough, transparent plastic bags, each with a capacity of about 50 litres

• 3 can openers

• 3 graduated glass beakers for drinking

• 2 boxes of waterproof matches

• 2 buoyant orange smoke signals

• 2 mid‑size orange plastic buckets

• 2 buoyant orange plastic bailing cups

• 2 multi‑purpose plastic containers with airtight lids

• 2 yellow rectangular sponges

• 2 buoyant synthetic ropes, each 50 metres long

• 2 non‑buoyant synthetic ropes of unspecified length, but each at least 30 metres long

• 2 fishing kits with hooks, lines and sinkers

• 2 gaffs with very sharp barbed hooks

• 2 sea anchors

• 2 hatchets

• 2 rain catchers

• 2 black ink ballpoint pens

• 1 nylon cargo net

• 1 solid lifebuoy with an inner diameter of 40 centimetres and an outer diameter of 80 centimetres, and an attached rope

• 1 large hunting knife with a solid handle, a pointed end and one edge a sharp blade and the other a sawtoothed blade; attached by a long string to a ring in the locker

• 1 sewing kit with straight and curving needles and strong white thread

• 1 first‑aid kit in a waterproof plastic case

• 1 signalling mirror

• 1 pack of filter‑tipped Chinese cigarettes

• 1 large bar of dark chocolate

• 1 survival manual

• 1 compass

• 1 notebook with 98 lined pages

• 1 boy with a complete set of light clothing but for one lost shoe

• 1 spotted hyena

• 1 Bengal tiger

• 1 lifeboat

• 1 ocean

• 1 God

I ate a quarter of the large chocolate bar. I examined one of the rain catchers. It was a device that looked like an inverted umbrella with a good‑sized catchment pouch and a connecting rubber tube.

I crossed my arms on the lifebuoy around my waist, brought my head down and fell soundly asleep.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 800