Bill and Osceola soon found that preparations for coaling on the high seas had already been made. Through the decks of the _Amtonia_ the carpenters had cut large circular holes, one directly beneath the other. In these openings, ship’s ventilator tubes were at that moment being inserted. They were then spliced together in such a manner that coal dumped on to the deck merely had to be pushed into the tubes to slide swiftly down into the bunkers.