104 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
1819. 
October. 
decks. This apparatus simply consisted of an iron box or air-vessel about 
fifteen inches square, through which passed three pipes, of two inches 
diameter, communicating from below with the external air, and uniting 
above in a metal box fixed to the side of the galley-range ; to this box a 
copper stove pipe was attached, and conveyed to the middle part of the lower 
deck. When a fire was made under the air-vessel, the air became heated in 
its passage through the three pipes, from which it was conveyed through 
the stove-pipe to the men’s births. While this apparatus was in good order, 
a moderate fire produced a current of air of the temperature of 87°, at the 
distance of seventeen feet from the fire-place ; and, with a pipe of wood, or 
any other imperfect conductor of heat, which would not allow of its escaping 
by the way, it might undoubtedly be carried to a much greater distance. 
By these means we were enabled to get rid of the moisture about the births 
where the people messed ; but when the weather became more severely cold, 
it still accumulated in the bed-places occasionally to a serious and very alarm- 
ing degree. Among the means employed to prevent the injurious effects 
arising from this annoyance, one of the most efficacious perhaps was a 
screen made of fear-nought fixed to the beams round the galley, and dropping 
within eighteen inches of the deck, which served to intercept the steam from 
the coppers, and prevent it as before from curling along the beams, and con- 
densing upon them into drops. This screen was especially useful at the time 
of drawing off the beer, which we had lately been in the habit of brewing 
from essence of malt and hops, and which continued to be served for several 
weeks as a substitute for part of the usual allowance of spirits. We found 
the steam arising from this process so annoying during the cold weather, 
that, valuable as the beer must be considered as an antiscorbutic beverage, 
it was deemed advisable to discontinue our brewery on that account. While 
on this subject, I may also add that, when the weather became severely 
cold, we could not get the beer to ferment, so as to make it palatable. 
For the preservation of health, and as a necessary measure of economy, 
a few alterations were made in the quantity and quality of the provisions 
issued. I directed the allowance of bread to be permanently reduced to 
two-thirds, a precaution which, perhaps, it would have been as well to have 
adopted from the commencement of the voyage. A pound of Donkin’s pre- 
served meat, together with one pint of vegetable or concentrated soup per 
man, was substituted for one pound of salt beef weekly ; a proportion of 
beer and wine was served in lieu of spirits ; and a small quantity of sour 
