at home , in a warm bed , the central heating on full , the duvet pulled up over his head to block out any light , a hot water bottle resting by his feet , and a bracing toddy of whisky , hot water and sugar within easy reach of his invalid grasp , now that would have been a time and a place to be sick ; lying on deck on the kinshasa to kisangani steamer , surrounded by all manner of human , animal and vegetable life , was very definitely not .