NARRATIVE OF AN 



every one of my keys, which dropped from the yard- 

 arm into the fea. This trifhng accident I fliould never 

 have related, had it not proved a very great inconvenience, 

 by debarring me from coming at my private property, 

 particularly lince the whole (hip's company, officers in- 

 cluded, lived on fait provifion alone, a pig and a couple 

 of lean llieep excepted, whofe legs had been broken 

 by the rolling and pitching of the veffel. This manner 

 of living on falt-beef, pork, and peas, like common 

 failors, was introduced by our commander in chief, in 

 order to enure us (he faid) to fuch food as we were likely 

 to be alone fupplied with in the woods of Surinam ; and 

 from the generous motive of regaling his American 

 friends with European refrelliments — fuch as live fheep, 

 hogs, fowls, ducks, bacon hams, bullocks tongues, pre- 

 ferved vegetables, pickles, fpices, &;c. all of which were 

 provided by the town of Amfterdam in profufion. But 

 good intentions do not always meet with their rewards ; 

 iince the worms^ without any one's permiffion, laid hold 

 of the greateft part of the dead ftock for themfelves; 

 who were, for a puniihment, together with their plunder, 

 thrown overboard into the ocean. Let me add, that in- 

 iiead of plate, our meals were frequently ferved up in 

 fmall wooden tubs of not the moil: cleanly appearance, 

 and only once a day; which negligence, however, I am 

 willing to impute to Monfieiir Laurant^ the colonel's 

 French valet -de - chambre. In fliort, the fcurvy and 

 other loathfome diforders began to make their appear- 

 ance ; dejedion and low-fpirits took place throughout the 

 I . ftiip? 



