Mothballed at sea

My friend Bridget brought me an unusual present last Friday, found whilst she was taking a morning swim at Dunwich. Beautifully packaged to coordinate with her dress, we wondered could it be sweets...or were they perhaps bath bombs...?

But on closer inspection all became clear:

These were mothballs which seemingly had indeed been mothballed at sea, for the expiry (or perhaps production) date on the packaging was 01-2002!

Some of the instructions were pretty intriguing too: for clthes, leathers, book and file to antiworm, antimildewand water closet's antifoul. CAUTION: far away from food, Tableware, toy, Children, Can't eat, please see a doctor if eati it.

 

 More intriguing, as this product was clearly not destined for the British market and, being unopened, had presumably not been deliberately jettisoned from a ship, is how it came to be floating in the North Sea at all... 

Another mystery in the waves.