Page 89 - The Lost Ways

made of charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). An average of three ounces
of gunpowder was added to one gallon of water. They would leave the mix to sit for a few
hours before consumption.

Sailors didn’t know how much gunpowder was needed to freshen the water. They simply
checked the level of clarity of the water, the smell, and the taste. If the water didn’t smell
rotten and the translucency improved, then it was safe to drink. If not, they would add
more gunpowder to the mix.

Soon after they realized that gunpowder was a viable solution to make putrid water safe
to drink, they began using charcoal. The Japanese were the first to use charcoal to filter
th
water back in the 17 century. Activated charcoal removes chlorine and additional
sediments found in contaminated water.

Instructions on How to Make a Charcoal Japanese Water Filter:

❖ Obtain the charcoal—fresh, cooled off, and preferably from a campfire. Remove
the ash and dirt, choose the biggest pieces, and crush them into smaller bits
❖ Grab a plastic bottle (a regular soda bottle should do) and cut off the bottom—
the taller and wider the bottle, the better.
❖ Cover the small opening with a piece of cloth (or you can also use grass). Make a
small hole into the bottle’s cap.
❖ Now stuff the crushed charcoal into the bottle. Press tightly.
❖ Add another piece of cloth, and press on to the charcoal composition (or you can
also use drained sand).
❖ Start pouring water, and use another container to gather the filtered water.
❖ The water should drip very slowly. If the water doesn’t filter slowly, then the

charcoal you placed was not pressed tightly enough.

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