Distilling sea water. Drawing of an apparatus designed by one Captain Newland for distilling fresh water from salt water whilst at sea. It appears to comprise a boiler at right, a barrel for cooling the water vapour from the boiler in the middle and a collecting vessel at left. The supply of fresh water was one of the most difficult provisions for a ship at sea. Ships carried barrels of fresh water, but these often became tainted leading to illness in the crew. This diagram was first published in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1773.