388 WATER 6r THE SEA. 



Observations 1799, 1 recommended barilla or soda as a substance by which 

 spectingthe' *^^ salt-water of the ocean could be so softened and altered in 

 component its qualities as to become fit for washing the clothes of seannen, 

 in sea water, A sea- vessel is peculiarly fitted for concentering foul and 

 and the useful corrupting things, and for converting them into pestilence and 

 that fluid. poison. This is one of the most common accidents in sailing 

 to the latitudes where there is heat enough to promote corrup- 

 tion and to exalt septic substances into vapour. 



One of the most disgusting sights during a voyage is the 

 personal nastiness of many of the crew. It is pretended that 

 jnuch of this is necessarily connected with the service, that the 

 work is dirty, and especially that fresh water cannot be spared 

 from the vessel's stores to wa^h the company's clothing ; that 

 soap cannot be used with ocean-water, that salt-water alone 

 will not get them clean, and that therefore they are under a 

 necessity of being uncomfortably nasty on long voyages, 

 especially toward the latter part of them. Now, nastiness of 

 a man's person and garments is necessarily connected with a 

 similar condition of his bed, bedding, hammock and berth, and 

 most commonly of every thing lie handles or has ought to da 

 with. If a seaman has strength of constitution to keep about 

 and do duty, his feelings are nevertheless very uncomfortable,^ 

 he is thereby predisposed to disease and in danger every 

 moment of becoming sick ; and if this should really happen, 

 his chance of recovery is exceedingly lessened by the filth with 

 which every thing that touches him is impregnated, and the 

 venom into which that filth is incessantly changing. 



Thus, the great difficulties with which a seaman has to 

 struggle, arc 1st, the unfitness of ocean-water to wash with; 

 %nd 2d, the inutility of soap to aid that fluid in cleansing his 

 clothes. If these can be surmounted, he will have no 

 excuse for his uncleanncss. If after this he becomes uncom- 

 fortable or sickly from that cause, it will be owing to his own 

 laziness or negligence. 

 ^ Few subjects have been discussed with more solicitude than 



the one, How did the ocean acquire its saltness? Whether 

 that mass of waters derived its briny quality gradually by 

 (Jissolving strata of salt, or whether it was furnished by its Crea- 

 . tor with a due quantity of that material from the beginning. 



