278 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 



completely soaked ;" but although rain is a great promo- 

 ter of sickness in warm climates, the airing by fires be- 

 tween decks, and the other precautions were so effectual, 

 that, on arriving at the Cape of Good Hope, only one 

 man was on the sick list ; whereas we have seen that, 

 after a similar voyage, the Centurion arrived on the coast 

 of Brazil with 80 sick, of whom 28 soon died. As we 

 proceed, the contrast becomes still more striking. 



887. On the 10th of December, they met with islands 

 -of ice ; and from that time till the middle of March, con- 

 tinued their search for land with unremitting diligence, 

 amid cold, hardships, and dangers, such as we can form a 

 very imperfect idea of; and at last, on the 26th March, 

 after being 117 days at sea, during which they had sailed 

 3660 leagues, they came to anchor in Dusky Bay, New 

 Zealand. 



888. " After so long a voyage," says Dr. Kippis, from 

 whose Life of Cook these particulars are taken, " in a high 

 southern latitude, it might certainly have been expected 

 that many of Captain Cook's people would be ill of scurvy. 

 This, however, was not the case So salutary were, the 

 effects of the sweet wort and several articles of provis- 

 ions, and especially of the frequent airings and sweeten- 

 ings of the ship, that there was only one man on board 

 who could be said to be much afflicted with the disease ; 

 and even in that man it was chiefly occasioned by a bad 

 habit of body, and a complication of other disorders." 



889. Advantages of obeying the Laws of Health. 

 Can anything be conceived more demonstrative of the 

 advantages to be derived from investigating and obeying 

 the laws of health, than these splendid results, when con- 

 trasted with those on board of the Centurion 1 In the 

 Resolution, cheerful activity, cleanliness, dry pure air, 

 adequate clothing, and a suitable regimen, were found to 

 carry every man unscathed through hardships and ex- 

 posure, which, in the Centurion, from neglect of the same 

 protective means, were severe enough to sweep off a 

 large proportion of her crew. 



890. As if on, purpose to place the efficacy of these 

 measures beyond a doubt, it appears that in the month of 

 July, 1773, the Adventure had many sick, and twenty of 

 her best men incapable of duty from scurvy and flux, 



