POUTER S JOViiyALk 



21 



give itie every proieciion against any British force that 

 should arrive there during my stay, and expressed a strong 

 desire that we should make him another visit, when he 

 hoped to make our time more agreeable. 



The two greatest evils to guard against in refreshing at 

 Port Praya, is the bad rum of the country, and the heat of 

 the sun, to both of v/hich the watering party are unavoida- 

 bly exposed. The negroes and seamen have such a variety 

 of expedients for getting rum on board, that it is almost 

 impossible to detect them. They hover about the beach 

 with the bottles under their arms, where the shawls of the fe- 

 males serve the better to conceal them ; and at a favoura- 

 ble opportunity they bury them in the sand, receive their 

 money, while the sailor watches his opportunity for getting 

 it on board or drinking it. They sometimes draw the milk 

 from the cocoa-nuts, fill them with rum, and sell them to 

 the seamen in that state at a high price. The first day we 

 were employed in watering, we had several men drunk -, 

 but after that v/e were more fortunate, as I selected the 

 most trusty men to fill and roll the casks to the beach, with 

 directions to make a signal when they were ready to tow^ 

 off. By this means, we prevented our boats' crews from 

 having any communication with the shore. A similar pre- 

 caution was used in getting our supplies of fruit on board : 

 they were brought to the beach by the negroes, and, on a 

 signal being made, boats were sent for them. I should ad- 

 vise ships that intend getting any considerable supplies of 

 water, to employ negroes altogether for filling the casks, 

 and rolling them down to the beach, as it would entirely 

 prevent the necessity of exposing the men, either to the in- 

 clemency of the sun, or the temptations held out to them. 



The watering-place is a well at the back of the town, in 

 a valley, and the only place from whence the inhabitants 

 receive their supply. 



On our arrival at Port Praya, our sick list consisted of 

 Holmes, Klaer, and Hazen ; but on the day of our depart- 

 ure there were nine patients on it ; three from accidents, 

 and three with inflammatory bilious fevers. This w^as one 

 cause of my hastening from thence before I had completed 

 filling my water, as I was fearful of introducing disease 

 among the crew. None of the last selected watering-party 

 on shore were in the slightest degree affected by thfe cli- 



