MARITIME OBSERVATIONS, key 
tough and hard as whitleather. All feamen have an opi- 
nion, broached I fuppofed at firft prudently, for faving of 
water when {fhort, that fowls do not know when they 
have drank enough, and will kill themfelves if you give 
them too much, fo they are ferved with a little only once 
in two days. ‘This is poured into troughs that lie flope- 
ing, and therefore immediately runs down to the lower 
end. ‘There the fowls ride upon one another’s backs to 
get at it, and fome are not happy enough to reach and 
once dip their bills in it. ‘Thus tantalized, and torment- 
ed with thirft, they cannot digeft their dry food, they fret, 
pine, ficken and die. Some are found dead, and thrown 
overboard every morning, and thofe killed for the table 
are not eatable. Their troughs fhould be in little divifi- 
ons like cups to hold the water feparately, figure 25. But 
this is never done. The fheep and hogs are therefore 
your beft dependance for frefh meat at fea, the mutton 
being generally tolerable and the pork excellent. 
It is poflible your captain may have provided fo well’ 
in the general ftores, as to render fome of the particulars: 
above recommended of little or no ufe to you.. But there: 
are frequently in the fhip poorer paflengers, who are’ 
taken at a lower price, lodge in the fteerage,.and have no 
claim to any of the cabbin provifions, or to any but thofe 
kinds that are allowed the failors. Thefe people are’ 
fometimes dejected, fometimes fick, there may be women 
and children among them. In a fituation where there 
is no going to market, to purchafe fuch neceflaries, a 
few of thefe your fuperfluities diftributed occafionally may 
be of great fervice, reftore health, fave life, make the mi- 
ferable happy, and thereby afford you infinite pleafure. 
The worft thing.in ordinary merchant fhips is. the 
cookery. They have no profefled.cook, and the wortt 
hand as a feaman is appointed to that office, in which he 
is:not only very ignorant but.very dirty. The failors 
have 
