rORTER S JOURXAL. 



237 



next month, which was the period fixed for our departure. 

 I had determined, should he not arrive in that time, to leave 

 letters for him, and proceed to either the Marquesas or 

 Washington Islands, where 1 intended to clean my ship-s 

 bottom, overhaul her rigging, and smoke her to kill the rats. 

 These had increased so fast as to become a most dreadful an- 

 noyance to us, by destroying our provisions, eating through 

 our water-casks, thereby occasioning a great waste of our 

 water, getting into the magazine and destroying our car- 

 tridges, eating their way through every part of the ship, and 

 occasioning considerable destruction of our provisions, cloth- 

 ing, flags, sails, &c. Szc. it had become dangerous to have 

 them any longer on board ; and as it would be necessary to 

 remove every thing from the ship before smoking her, and 

 probably to heave her out to repair her copper, which in 

 many places was coming oif, I believed that a convenient 

 harbour could be found among one of the groups of islands 

 that would answer our purpose, as well as furnish the crew 

 with such fresh provisions and vegetables as might be neces- 

 sary during our stay there, by which means we should be 

 enabled to save our salt provisions. 



The Sir Andrew Hammond having an abundant supply, 

 I hauled her along side, and took from her as much beef, 

 pork, bread, water, wood, and other stores, as we required. 

 But what was more acceptable to our men than all the rest, 

 I took from her two puncheons of choice Jamaica spirits., 

 which was greatly rehshed by them, as they had been with- 

 out any ever since our departure from Tumbez. Whe- 

 ther it was the great strength of the rum, or the length of 

 time they had been without, I cannot say ; but our seamen 

 were so affected by the first allowance served out to them, 

 that many were talcen to their hammocks perfectly drunk ; 

 and indeed there was scarcely a seaman in the ship but that 

 was in some degree intoxicated. To prevent a recurrence 

 of a similar scene, I caused it to be considerably diluted 

 before it was again served out. This, however, did not 

 prevent some from getting intoxicated, as the rum was such 

 a rarity to them, and so far superior to what they had been 

 accustomed to drink, that an allowance of it would com- 

 mand almost any price. As several found the ways and 

 means to make their purchases, drunkenness could not be 

 effectually stopped, as I did not conceive it expedient to 



