Mike's Call of the Wild Diary

Production team Day 1

After a very welcome two-day break, we're back on the road at 7.30am on our way to Chuini and the start of Programme 3. There's to be a lot of Chemistry in this programme, and I've got my work cut out to do everything that's going to be required of me. There's also the problem that the tides, once again, dictate we have to leave our Chuini base early on Day 3 - another challenge that's going to have to be completed in much less than the three days Kate promises us at the top of each programme.

Jonathan and I are to make a hydrophone, and my first job is to grow a crystal of Rochelle Salt from some Cream of Tartar that I've been given in the trunk. This is a simple enough process, involving a bit of elementary Chemistry to convert one compound into the other. The only uncertainty is whether I'll be able to grow a Rochelle Salt crystal that will do the trick. Such crystals are piezoelectric, and without one, Jonathan's hydrophone just won't work. By mid-morning, I've several Rochelle Salt solutions of varying concentrations, from which I hope a suitable crystal will grow; all I can do is leave these to stand overnight and see what, if anything, happens.

In the meantime, I start work on the synthesis of some nitric acid, using some concentrated sulfuric acid and what's left of the bat poo (potassium nitrate). It goes like a dream. Before long, I have about 10 cm³ of a straw-coloured liquid, which will be plenty for our purposes. I plan to use the nitric acid tomorrow to make a compound called silver nitrate for Kathy. It's one of the chemicals she'll need in order to produce a mirror for the periscope she's been asked for.

Production team

Day 2

You can't imagine how relieved I am to find, on arriving at Chuini for the start of another day on the funny farm, that one of my solutions has produced a perfect Rochelle Salt crystal for the hydrophone. Jonathan's pretty pleased too.

“the only way I can think of making ammonia is for us all to pee into the same bucket”

I've got a busy day ahead of me - lots of chemicals to make from next to nothing. First off, there's the ammonia that Kathy needs (as well as the silver nitrate) for her mirror. In these circumstances, the only way I can think of making ammonia is for us all to pee into the same bucket, and for me to concentrate the collective offerings over a hot fire to get some urea. When treated with an alkali, urea should produce ammonia gas, a gas that's so soluble in water it will be a doddle to collect.

Everyone, including the film crew and 'the boys', duly contributes, and by mid afternoon, I've a stinking, brown solution ready to treat with some potassium hydroxide that I've produced from the ashes of the wood fire. Mixing these two chemicals over the fire generates the unmistakable smell of ammonia gas. Bubble the gas through water, and you've got a solution of ammonium hydroxide. Just what Kathy wants for her mirror-making.

She also needs some silver nitrate, remember. This is easily made by dissolving some silver earrings in the nitric acid that I produced yesterday. It's all good, colourful chemistry, involving mysterious green solutions and brown gases - the kind of stuff that I was so fascinated by at school.

A short while later, there's one of those glorious Rough Science moments, as a squeal of delight from Kathy announces she's got a positive 'silver mirror test' from playing with the chemicals I've given her. I'm as delighted as she is that she's got at least the first part of her challenge to work. I got the feeling earlier today that she wasn't at all confident about this. I'm sure she's now feeling a bit more positive.

Day 3

Not much to do today (thanks, Ed Haslam!), and I can spend it catching up on some of the sleep I've lost over the last few days. I've been partying hard, and it's payback time. The 'boys' took me off to two late Beach Parties at the Fuji Beach Club in Bububu at the weekend. Everyone was well into it, though some were well out of it. I just love Zanzibari music, with its Indian, Arabic and African influences. Dance music binds people together like no other.

From the first few days, the 'boys' have been calling me 'Babu'. I'm told it's an affectionate, and somewhat respectful, nickname used by younger people when addressing their elders. Even though the word means 'grandfather', I rather like it. They're all great guys, and we get on like a house on fire. They're teaching me a bit of Swahili too.