PRES ERV
A T ION
OF M A R I NERS.
which is known to be a great promoter of putrefa&ion. The bread
is made for the Englilh navy of wheat,, and is baked into flat cakes,
without the addition of yeaft or other leaven. The flatnefs of the
bread is the means of excluding moifture, which would otherwife
be expelled by fire. It is impoffible to preferve the bread againft the
attacks of weavils, which exift by thoufands in it. In their larva-
or grub Rate they pierce bread very much, and in their perfedt infedt
Hate they depofit their eggs in it. If unfortunately the calks containing
the bread have not been well feafoned before, . or are ftill
green, the bread grows mouldy, contradts a mufty tafte and fmell,
and becomes really rotten. If the calks be good, they are ftill
fubjedt to the alkaline and feptic effluvia of the putrid water, in the
calks and flelh, or thofe from the bilge-water, and the bad air
caufed by the breathing and perfpiration of many hundred perfons,
which penetrates to the beft fecured and moft fecret places, and
infedfs every thing with its feptic quality. I need not mention that
in fome few cafes the fea-water may reach the bread-calks, which
naturally muft fpoil them, and woe to the poor mortals who are
under the cruel neceflity of living upon bread affedted by fuch an
accident. It is true, all poflible care is taken to fecure this moft
neceflary article againft fuch accidents, but I have been told that
fometimes they happen in fpight of all providential care.
White peafe are an'article of food daily ferved at dinner in
the
the form;of foup which is,\;in my opinion, one-of the heft ali- preser-
ments .that can be given in long voyages, as they are full of fixed
air; and contain likewife a conliderable portion of phlogifton ; they ners.
are liuhle, by the inteftinal digeftive fermentation, to part with their
fixed air,, which is on fea voyages one of the moft neceflary articles
that can be .found in aliment. We had the misfortune to have on
board the Refolution, peafe for our provilion, that had been, I
fuppofe, kiln-dried; far though they were boiled ever fo
long, they remained, whole; the hulk parted, and left
the two halves of the peaie, as hard as,-if they had only
been parched.. The peafe; on board the Adventure had not
this, bad quality, which efledtually prevented the eafy digeftion
of this excellent food : it is, however, of great confequence to take
aliments, which are eafily digefted on long lea voyages, becaule
many, circumftances concur to"'weaken the digeftive power
of the ftomach and inteftines in thefe circumftances. Government
was ufed to allow ail to the Ihip’s company for making their
puddings, and for drefling their victuals in fuch manner as the
failors like beft. Captain Cook fays, oil (fuch as the navy is ufually
fupplied withJ has the contrary ejfetd; i. e. is not antifcorbutic,
but feptic. From the hint thrown out by this able navigator, it
Ihould feem that the navy is ufually fupplied with an oil of inferior
6 fort,