Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/175

 '''9. FIRE AND LIGHTS'''.—Wood and charcoal are the principal fuels used in cooking. Coal, of fair quality, is procured in any quantity, not far from Calcutta; but it is not much used. During the cold weather of Upper India, fires are universal in the houses, but in Bengal they are seldom seen. I think this a mistake; a fire now and then in the rainy season would be very beneficial; most articles of furniture and clothing of all kinds are then damp in the extreme, and a good fire is the best thing to dispel it. Smoky chimneys are very common nuisances, and it may be useful to know how to cure them. A general mistake is to apply the remedy at the top instead of the bottom. The following plan I have found most effective in curing the most inveterate smoker. Take a common earthen pot, or naund, such as is used by native washermen, of a hemispherical shape, and about two and a half feet diameter. Punch a hole in the bottom about nine inches diameter and budd it into the chimney, mouth down, about two and half feet above the fire.

In the excessively damp climate of Rangoon a brazier of burning charcoal and a large basket over it is a regular piece of furniture,and clothes, boots, and shoes, and every article perishable in mildew is subjected to frequent airings. Cocoa-nut oil is chiefly used for lights. In the