22 CREW S ALLOWANCE DIMINISHED. 



and, much to our regret, we were compelled to 

 throw overboard our whole stock of a vegeta- 

 ble which would have afforded us an agree- 

 able as well as wholesome variety of winter food. 

 The cause assigned for the accident was, that 

 the sand in which the carrots were packed had 

 not been thoroughly dried. On Sunday the 

 10th, the crew being mustered as usual by di- 

 visions, I announced my intention of putting the 

 ship on two-thirds' allowance of provisions, at 

 the same time carefully explaining to the men 

 that, in so doing, I was actuated solely by a wish 

 to provide for their comfort, in case of any of 

 those disastrous contingencies to which a ser- 

 vice such as ours was peculiarly subject. On 

 the following day, this resolution was carried 

 into effect as to every thing but spirits and oat- 

 meal, of which there was an abundant stock ; 

 and it is due to the men to say, that the regula- 

 tion was submitted to with apparent cheerful- 

 ness. The wind still blew perversely from the 

 west, and our rate of sailing scarcely exceeded 

 three knots an hour, much to our annoyance, 

 who felt how the best part of the season was thus, 

 as it were, slipping out of our grasp. The heavy 

 swell also continued, and, for some days after 

 this, the ship rolled almost helplessly on the 

 long waves ; sometimes even drifting bodily to 

 leeward. After a short interval of calm weather, 



