Oatmeal was boiled for breakfast four days in the week
instead of three; and when rice was issued after the expenditure of the
cheese, it was boiled on the other three days. Pease soup was prepared
for dinner four days a week as usual; and at other times two ounces of
portable broth, in cakes, to each man, with such additions of onions,
pepper, etc., as the different messes possessed, made a comfortable
addition to their salt meat. And neither in this passage, nor, I may
add, in any subsequent part of the voyage, were the officers or people
restricted to any allowance of fresh water. They drank freely at the
scuttled cask, and took away, under the inspection of the officer of the
watch, all that was requisite for culinary purposes; and very frequently
two casks of water in the week were given for washing their clothes.
With these regulations, joined to a due enforcement of discipline, I had
the satisfaction to see my people orderly and full of zeal for the
service in which we were engaged; and in such a state of health, that no
delay at the Cape was required beyond the necessary refitment of the
ship, and I still hoped to save a good part of the summer season upon
the south coast of Terra Australis.
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