2 26 on victualling the navy, &.c. Feb. l'. 



In my first voyages in country fliips, I always 

 made a remark, the European sailors (generally 

 one to five lascars, and who go under the name of 

 quarter-masters,) are victualled as sailors are in 

 Europe, that is, thej have salt beef and pork, and 

 rice instead of bread, sometimes Bengal biscuit ; but 

 good cargo rice, as it is called, and of which the 

 lascars are allowed about two pounds per day, is ne-. 

 ver refused them, and it is served to them hot, twice a- 

 day, at eight in the morning and five in the evening. 



The remark that I never failed to make was, that 

 these Europeans, with a kind of discontent, took no- 

 tice that the blacks lived better than they ; but the 

 lascars did not cost in victualling above one half of 

 what was laid out to victual the Europeans, when 

 European salt meats were purchased. 



The lascars allowance was plain rice, doll, a kind 

 of vetch, two pounds of gee (butter) per month, and 

 one rupee fifh money ; with which (and no doubt part 

 of their own eight rupees per month pay, of which, 

 on voyages, they have two, three, or four months ad- 

 vance, according to its expected length) they lay in 

 a stock of articles, which an European would hardly 

 think of, and many of which they would despise, not 

 knowing their value. 



The Europeans had beef and pork full allowance ; 

 in this there was a samenefs. It could not be drefned 

 but in one way, as already observed, (boiling,) and 

 I am persuaded, their exercise being but small, it was 

 imher.lthy food, and not fit for a hot country, more 

 especially if the crew is sickly. 



Latterly I altered my mode of victualling the Eu- 

 ropeans. The beef and pork I carried to sea with mcy 



