[ 69 ] 
pra&ife it during the whole time of their 
confinement upon the iiland, and always, 
kept up by that means a fufficient frock 
of provifions. Water they had in fum- 
mer from fmall rivulets that fell from the 
rocks ; and in winter, from the fnow and 
ice thawed: this was of courfe their only 
beverage; and their fmall kettle was 
the only vefTel they could make ufe of 
for this and other purpofes. 
It is well known, that fea-faring peo- 
ple are extremely fubject to the fcurvy ; 
and it has been obferved, that this dif- 
eafe incrcafes in proportion as we ap- 
proach the Poles; which mull: be attri- 
buted either to the exceffive cold, or to 
fome other caufe yet unknown. How- 
ever that may be, our mariners, feeing 
themfelves quite deftitute of every means 
of cure, in cafe they fhould be attacked 
with fo fatal a diforder, judged it expe- 
dient not to neglect any regimen gene- 
rally adopted as a prefervative againft 
this impending evil. Iwan Himkof, 
one 
