OP LA PER0USE. 6t 



It will hardly be. believed, that, with fo fimple 

 a mean of fweetening water, there was oftea 

 diftributed to us fome in almoft as putrid a ftate 

 as if it had juft come out of the hold ; but the 

 aft onifhment will ceafe, when it is known that 

 the officer of the watch, charged to fuperintend 

 this operation, generally abandoned it to the 

 care of a feilor, who, being foon tired of turning 

 the winch, almoft always thought the water 

 fufficiently agitated before it was drinkable: it 

 would have been more proper to have entrufted 

 the fuperintendance of this operation to the 

 iurgeon, as feveral of us obferved ; for it was 

 not indifferent to the health of all, whether it was 

 well or ill executed. However, the officer of 

 the watch did not the lefs continue to be left 

 charged with this duty. 



On the 29th of December, with a iky entirely 

 free from clouds, the thermometer ftood at 1 7 &, 

 and the barometer at 28 inches 3 7% lines, when the 

 wind, at north-by-eall, brought us all on a fud-* 

 den, about noon, a very thick fog, which con- 

 cealed from us, for a quarter of an hour, the 

 fight of the fun. It is very remarkable, that, 

 infiead of occalioning a fall of the mercury in 

 the barometer, this fog made it rife 1 1 line du- 

 ring the whole time that it furrounded us. I 

 dare not hazard any conjecture in attempting to 

 give an explanation of this phenomenon : it will 



the 



