1785. necefTary; I fhall therefore refume my narrative without further
. N,Lo vemb*.ejrj. ceremony.
Having compleated every objeft we had in view at St. Jago, and
a favourable breeze fpringing up, we weighed anchor at ten o’clock
in the morning of the 29th October, after taking leave, with three
hearty cheers, of our good friend Captain Clarke, whom we left at
anchor. We alfo left the lhip belonging to Mr. Montgomery
riding in the bay. The live flock we brought from the Ifle of
Wight being nearly expended, we had purchafed leveral goats, tur-
kies, and flieep here, in order to make our voyage more comfort«
able, and to preferve us from the fcurvy.
I have already mentioned the great heat of the weather at St.
Jago, and endeavoured, in fome meafure, to account for it. Thou
mayefl eaftly imagine, that the nearer we approached the Equi-
noftial Line, the weather grew more intenfely hot y and this is
greatly increafed by calms, which are very frequent in latitudes
near the Line, whilfl a frefh breeze always renders the heat more
tolerable.
Dn the 3d November, being in eight degrees North latitude,
and the weather moll intenfely hot, our people were bufily employed
in fcrubbing and cleaning between decks, and every part of
the veflel, with care, and afterwards walhed it well with vinegar.
This method was always ufed by the late Captain Cooke, in his
long voyages, and he ever found it attended with the happiefl
effects, in regard to the prefervation of health. Such kind and
humane attentions to the health of people under the care of any
Commander, muft certainly place his character, as a man and a
Cbrijiiatiy
i f 1 1 ! R f :
Cbriftian,. high in the eflimation of every perfon of feeling and 17%, .
humanity. 1-
Indeed I cannot help confidering this attention as a duty abfi>
Iutely incumbent on him ; for, if the matter of a family on Ihore
confiders it his duty to take care of his fervants during ficknefs,
when they have it in their power to procure relief by various other
methods, how much more does it behove the Captain of a lhip to
bellow every attention in his power on his fervants welfare ?■ In
the rnidfl of the wide ocean, to whom can they feek for fuccour ?'
They have no kind friend, no tender parent to apply to for relief ?
No generous Public, whofe charity they might implore, and who
rarely fail to affift the helplefs in their diflrefs ! Yet notwith-
flanding thefe powerful motives, there are, I am afraid, too many
Captains who do not trouble themfelves about fuch (to them) trivial
matters, but trufl to chance for the health or ficknefs of their,
people.
From the. 4th to the 12th of November, the weather was very
•variable j fometimes it was clear, and nearly calm, and prefently
it would change to flrong fqualls and heavy rain, attended with.
eonflant thunder and. lightning. I had omitted to mention, that
on the 9th the (hip's company were ferved with peas, at an allowance
of half a pint per man, for three days in the week: this:
addition to our fait pork, made a very comfortable mcfs.. By the
r jth we were in the latitude of 2 degrees North,, and the weather
grew more fettled-and favourable ;. we had a frefh Eaflerly breeze,,
with a clear fky, unattended, with any fudden fqualls, or thunder
and lightning. On the 16th we .croffed the Line, our latitude being,
22 miles South,.
It