82 WATEKED HUM AT OTAHEITE. 



a peculiar, dark-colored glass. But this was not 

 the only method I had of catching our men at 

 their tricks. For our crew had liberty on shore 

 as long as we lay at anchor. Each day the captain 

 allowed every sailor a dollar, and even more 

 liberty-money went to the officers. I would mark 

 the money I gave them, and the same coin would 

 come back for rum and be ready for distribution 

 again next day. 



After awhile the crews from some of the ships 

 were sick and unfit for duty, and presently our 

 men were in the same fix. The captains thought 

 it was from drinking our rum, and they were 

 right, though they were not yet aware that we 

 had been putting salt water in it. They met and 

 had a consultation, and laid the trouble to our 

 "poor" rum. So they waited on our captain and 

 requested him not to sell their crews any more 

 rum, as they were sure that that was the cause of 

 the sickness. 



The old man replied that he had sold no rum to 

 sailors, and that even if they had got hold of it by 

 trickery, it would not make them drunk, for the 

 salt water in it would act as a soberer. 



There was so much complaint about our ship 

 that finally the missionaries went to confer with 

 the " queen " of the island. Her Royal Highness 



