THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 031 



letting out, an equal chance with the red of his comrades: I 779- 



* May, 



Watman, we fuppofed to be about fixty years of age ; and • « ' 



Roberts, and Mr. Anderfon, from the decay, which had 

 evidently commenced before we left England, could not, 

 in all probability, under any circumftances, have lived a 

 greater length of time than they did. 



I have already mentioned, that Captain Clcrke's health 

 continued daily to decline, notwithflanding the falutary 

 change of diet, which the country of Kamtfchatka afforded 

 him. The prieft of Paratounca, as foon as he heard of the 

 infirm ftate he was in, fupplied him every day with bread, 

 milk, frefli butter, and fowls, though his houfe was fixteen 

 miles from the harbour where we lay. 



On our firfl arrival, we found the Ruffian hofpital, which 

 is near the town of St. Peter and St. Paul, in a condition truly 

 deplorable. All the foldiers were, more or lefs, affected by 

 the fcurvy, and a great many in the lafl flage of that dis- 

 order. The reft of the Ruffian inhabitants were alfo in the 

 fame condition ; and we particularly remarked, that our 

 friend the ferjeant, by making too free with the fpirits we 

 gave him, had brought on himfelf, in the courfe of a few 

 days, fome of the mod alarming fymptoms of that malady. 

 In this lamentable ftate, Captain Clerke put them all under 

 the care of our furgeons, and ordered a fupply of four krout, 

 and malt, for wort, to be furnifhed for their ufe. It was 

 aftonifhing to obferve the alteration in the figures of al- 

 moft every perfon we met on our return from Bolcheretfk ; 

 and I was informed, by our furgeons, that they attributed 

 their fpeedy recovery principally to the effects of the fwect 

 wort. 



On 



