372 ON SWEETENING SEA. -WATER. 



- - 



It need not be mentioned with what anxiety lie waited for suc- 

 cess: but he was soon relieved ; for, as soon as the pot boiled, the 

 water began to run; and in 28 minutes he got a quart of fresh wa- 

 ter. He tried it with an hydrometer he had on board, and found 

 it as light as river-water ; but it had a rank oily taste, which he 

 magined was given it by the soap. This taste diminished consider- 

 ably in 2 or 3 days, but not so much as to make it quite palatable. 

 Their sheep and fowls drank this water very greedily without any 

 ill effects. They constantly kept their still at work, and got a gal- 

 lon of water every 2 hours, which, if there had been a necessity to 

 drink it, would have been sufficient for the ship's crew: 



He now thought of trying to get water more palatable ; and 

 often perused the pamphlet abovementioned, especially the quota- 

 tion from Sir R. Hawkins's vovage. who * f with 4 billets distilled a 



t cy * 



hogshead of water wholesome and nourishing.*' He concluded he 

 bad delivered this account under a veil, lest his method should be 

 discovered: for it is plain, that by 4 billets he could not mean the 

 fuel, as they would scarcely warm a hogshead of water. When, ru- 

 minating on this, it came into his head, that he burnt his 4 billets 

 to ashes, and with the mixture of those ashes with sea-water he 

 distilled a hogshead of fresh water wholesome and nourishing. 

 Pleased with this discovery, he cut a billet small, and burnt it to 

 ashes : and after cleaning the pot, he put into it a spoonful of those 

 ashes, with the usual quantity of sea-water. The result answered 

 his expectations; the water came off bright and transparent, with 

 an agreeable pungent taste, which at first he thought was occasioned 

 by the ashes, but afterwards he was convinced it received it from 

 the resin or turpentine in the pot, or pipes annexed to it. He was 

 now relieved from his fears of being distressed through want of 

 water; yet thought it necessary to advise his people not to be too 

 free in the use of this, while they had any of their old stock remain- 

 ing; and told them, he would make the experiment first himself; 

 which he did, by drinking a few glasses every day without any ill 

 effect whatever. This water was equally light with the other, and 

 lathered very well with soap. They had expended their old stock 

 of water before they reached England ; but had reserved a good 

 quantity of that which they distilled. After his arrival at Shields, 

 he invited several of bis acquaintance on board to taste the water 3 



