J40 Account of a Voyage to Spitjhergen. 



to fail with a good commander, and in a veflel well appointed. 

 In both thefe relpeds I was very fortunate, which is rather 

 uncommon ; the mafters or commanders in the Greenland 

 trade being generally men of Httle or no education, and con- 

 fequently void of thofe liberal fentiments necelfary to render 

 the fitualion of thofe who accompany them comfortable. If 

 a regularly educated furgeon, from a defire of vidting fuch 

 northern regions, goes in a velfel under fuch a perfon as I 

 have defcribed, he is generally fickened the firft voyage; a 

 barber is perhaps his fucceflbr, and when any iUnefs or acci- 

 dent happens on board, if the patient efcapes with his life, 

 be is often rendered a cripple. I have feen fonie inftances 

 of this kind. 



The unlociable difpofition of the mafter is not, however, 

 tlie only circumftancc that often deters from a fecond voyage. 

 I have known velTcls well Itorcd by the owners with every 

 neceffary and ufeful article,, and even a liberal fupply of what 

 fome would call luxuries, and yet every comfort withheld 

 from thofe on board : ilie maflcr literally ftarving himfelf 

 and officers, and not allowing a bit of fire in the cabin, iu 

 thefe cold latitudes, that he might fave a few coals, fome 

 <3ozens of hams and tongues, a quantity of cheefe> butter, 

 flour, wine, porter. Sec. ta fend home to his own fam'ilj at 

 the end of the voyage : a paultry theft, at the expence of 

 the health and froft-bittcn limbs of thofe on board. 



When the reader is informed that fuch has been my paf- 

 ijon to vifit foreign climes that I have been no Icfs than 

 fifteen voyages, one of th<;ni round the world, he will not 

 be furprifed that I ftiould wifh to gratify my curiofity by 

 vifiting the frozen regions, even thotigh I knew fomething 

 of the inconveniencies before del'cribed, to which thofe who 

 undertake the voyage are often expofcd. My bufinefs was 

 to guard againft them as well a? poffible, by proper inquiries 

 refpeiting the character and difpofition of the maftcr, and 

 I fucceeded to miy wUh in two voyages to thcfe parts : the 

 firft was in the Sea Horfe in the }-Qajr 1779, which yielded mQ 



much 



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