"You can’t make bricks without straw"

“It seems he could not make bricks without something, I don’t know what—straw maybe.” (pg. 28-29)

“You can’t make bricks without straw,” is an idiom that simply means an endeavor cannot be accomplished correctly or successfully without the proper materials. Although today bricks are made from kiln-fired clay, they were once made of various organic materials that were sun-dried. This more primitive form of brick, called Adobe, made from a mixture of sand, clay, water, sticks, manure, and straw is where this expression derives. Conrad may have included this idiom not only for its humor, but perhaps to hint at Marlow’s enterprise which would not be complete without its own “straw,” his acquaintance with Kurtz.

"You can't make bricks without straw - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia." Idioms and phrases. Web. 12 Aug. 2009. http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/You+can%27t+make+bricks+without+straw

"Adobe." Wikipedia. Web. 12 Aug. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe