THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



^5S 



particularly, the moft valuable of all the articles, their 1777-- 



December. 



hogs. 



If we had had a larger afTortment of goods, and a fuflicienn 

 quantity of fait on board, I make no doubt that we might 

 have falted as much pork as would have ferved both, fhips 

 near twelve months. But our vifiting the Friendly lilands, and 

 our long flay at Otaheite and the neighbourhood, quite ex- 

 haufled our trading commodities -, particularly our axes, with 

 which alone hogs, in general, were to be purchafcd. And 

 we had hardly fait enough to cure fifteen puncheons of meat. 

 Of thefe, five were added to our flock of provifions, at the 

 Friendly Iflands, and the other ten at Otaheite. Captain 

 Gierke alfo falted a proportionable quantity for his fliip. 



The procefs was the fame that had been adopted by me 

 in my laft voyage ; and it may be worth while to defcribe 

 it again. The hogs were killed in the evening ; as foon as 

 they were cleaned, they were cut up, the bone taken out, 

 and the meat falted when it was hot. It was then laid in 

 fuch a pofition as to permit the juices to drain from it, till 

 the next morning, when it was again fliltcd, packed into a 

 cafl<, and covered with pickle. Here it remained for four 

 or five days, or a week ; after which it was taken out and 

 examined, piece by piece, and if there was any found to be 

 in the leaf! tainted, as fometimes happened, it was feparared 

 from the reft, which was repacked into another cafl^, headed 

 up, and filled with good pickle. In about eight or ten days 

 time, it underwent a fecond examination ; but this feemed 

 unnecelTary, as. the whole was generally found to be per-- 

 fedlly cured. A mixture of bay and of white fah, anfwers 

 the befl; but either of them will do alone. Great care 

 fhould be taken, that none of the large blood-veflels remain 

 in the meat; nor mud too great a quantity be packed toge- 



thev, 



