22 A VOYAGE TO THE 



^ ^^j^ ^- clothes and bedding were brought upon deck to air, when- 



« ' — ' ever the weather permitted ; great care was taken to keep 



November, the (hips betVv^cen decks clean and well aired; and krowt, 

 ^^ ^y ^^- fweet-wort, borcole, and portable foup, were alternately 

 ierved to the fliip's company. Thefe methods, with the 

 bleffing of Providence, fucceeded to the utmoft of my 

 wilhes ; fo tlut there was not one perfon Hck on board 

 during this pafiage, although we laboured under the dif- 

 agreeable circumftance of our decks and upper works 

 leaking fo much, that many of the failors could fcarcely 

 lie dry in their beds, and the rain prevented the caulkers 

 from being fet to work fo conftantly as our lituation re- 

 quired : this inconvenience arofe from the velTel being 

 new, and confequently having never been in a warm 

 climate. 



TurfJayj5. On the 15th David Gilmore, a boy about ten years 

 old, fell overboard from the weather main fhrouds, and 

 not being able to fwim, dropped a-ftern. Every effort 

 was ufed to fave him ; but all had proved ineffediual, had 

 not Providence enabled him to keep above water till the 

 boat picked him up, when he was near two hundred yards 

 from the veffel, and had been eight or ten minutes in the 

 ocean ; and when he was almoft dead with fright and 

 fatig;ue. 



Wednef. 16. Early the ncxt morning we caught a fliark, which had 

 the greatefl part of a large porpoife in his maw ; this cir- 

 cumftance gave us frefh caufe of thankfulnefs for the pre- 

 fervation of Gilmore, and . additional reflexions on the 

 various accidents to which a.feafaring life is fubjed:. 



The 



