VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 5 



twelve six-pounders, besides stern-chasers, and well 

 furnished with firelocks, pistols, swords, cutlasses, 

 bayonets, &c. She was provided with nine fishing 

 boats, and her crew consisted of between sixty and 

 seventy men. 



Greenland voyages are generally performed in 

 the course of four or five months ; but, lest ves- 

 sels should be detained by the ice beyond that 

 time, they have usually nine months provision on 

 board. 



Our ship was abundantly supplied with good 

 beef, pork, bacon, flour, oat-meal, biscuit, peas, po- 

 tatoes, cheese, butter, molasses, preserved fruit, 

 fowls, eggs, dried fish, strong ale, small beer, Eng- 

 lish brandy, tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, besides plen- 

 ty of foreign spirits and wines for the use of the 

 cabin. Neither was there any cost spared in laying 

 in an ample supply of proper medicines and cordials 

 for the sick. 



Early on the morning of the 23d of March we 

 set sail from Whitby, amidst the hearty cheers of 

 a numerous concourse of spectators. 



Being favoured with a fresh breeze which caused 

 a heavy swell, a general sickness prevailed at our 

 first setting out, from which the most experienced 

 seamen were not exempted, and which affected 

 me so severely, as to preclude all possibility of 



