17 7 * . T h e y had no better reafon to fupport a refolution, which
.Becember~, they took on our firft arrival in K in g George’ s Sound, not to
drink the fpruce-beer made there. But, whether from a
coniideration that it was not the firft time o f their being required
to ufe that liquor, or from fome other reafon, they
did not attempt to carry their purpofe into afitual execution,;
and I had never heard o f it till now, when they renewed
their ignorant appofition -to my beft endeavours to ferve
them. Every innovation whatever, on board a fhip, though
e.ver fo much .to the advantage o f feamen, is fure to meet
with their higheft difapprobation. Both portable foup, and
•four krout were, at firft, condemned as flu ff unfit for h u man
beings. Few commanders have introduced into their
Ihips more novelties, as u fe fu l varieties o f food and drink,
than I have done. I ndeed few commandcrs-have had the
fame oppomVmtIes_o rT r y in g fuch experiments, o r been
driven to the fame neceflity o f try in g them. It has, however,
been, in a great meafure, owin g to various little deviations
from eftabliihed prafti.ce, that I have been able to pre-
ferve my people, generally fpeaking, from that dreadful
diftemper, the fcurvy, which has perhaps deftroyed more o f
our failors, in their peaceful voyages, than have fallen by
the enemy in military expeditions.
S a a d a y 1 3 . I kept at fome diftance from the coaft, till the 13th, when
I flood in again, fix leagues farther to windward than we had
as yet reached; and, after having fome trade with the na-'
tives who vifited us, returned to fea. I ihould have got near
Tucfday i;. th,e ihore again on the 15th, for a fupply o f fru it or roots,
but the wind happening to be at South Eaft by South, and
South South Eaft, I thought this a good time to ftretch to
the Eaftward, in order to get round, or, at leaft, to get a
fight o f the South Eaft end o f the ifland. The wind conti-
2 nued
nued at South Eaft by South, moft part o f the 16th. It was '778-
variable between South and Eaft on the r 7 th ; and on the > — er'.
1.8th, it was continually veering from one quarter to ano- ~ ad”^r' ,6'
•u i- i Thurfdayi7.
tner ; blowing, fometimes, m hard fq u a lls ; and, at other Friday 18.
times, calm, with thunder, ligh tn in g, and rain. In the
afternoon, we had the wind Wefterly for a few h ou r s ; but
in the evening it fhifted to Eaft by South, and we flood to
the Southward, clofe hauled, under an eafy fail, as the Dif-
covery was at fome diftance aftern. At this time the South
Eaft point o f the ifland bore South Weft b y South, about five
leagues diftant; and I made no doubt that I ihould be able
to weather it. But at one o’clock, next morning, it fe ll Saturday 19.
calm, and we were le ft to the mercy o f a North Eafterly
fwell, which impelled us fail: toward the land ; fo that, long
before day-break, w e faw lights upon the fhore, which was
not more than a league diftant. The night was dark, w ith
thunder, lightning, and rain.
A t three o’clock, the calm was fucceeded b y a breeze from
the South Eaft by Eaft, b lowing in fqualls, with rain. We
flood to the North Eaft, thinking it the beft tack to clear the
coaft; but, i f it had been day-light, we ihould have chofen
the other. At day break, the coaft was feen extending from
North by Weft, to South Weft by Weft; a dreadful fu r f
breaking upon the ihore, which was not more than h a lf a
leagu e diftant. It was evident, that we had been in the
moft imminent danger. Nor were we yet in fafety, the
wind veering m ore Eafterly; fo that, for fome time, we did
but juft keep our diftance from the coaft. What made our
fituation more alarming, was the leach-rope o f the main top-
fail g iv in g way ; which was the occafion o f the fail’s being
rent in two ; and the two top-gallant fails gave way in the
fame manner, though not h a lf worn out. By taking a fa-
V ol.IL 3 Z vourable