28 
PORTER’S JOURNAL, 
sion of disease originating on board now, than on the coast of. 
North America: we have friendly ports under our lee, where we 
may stop from time to time to procure the necessary supplies of re¬ 
freshments; and the temperature of the atmosphere, although the 
mercury in the day time stood at 85°, when between the latitude 
of 6° and 12° N., was not sensibly hotter than I have frequently 
experienced it on our own coast. The clouds which overhang 
the atmosphere during the day, and nearly obscure the sun, served 
greatly to ameliorate the effects of its rays; a pleasant and steady 
•breeze from the east contributed greatly to refresh the air ; and 
sailing could not be more pleasant than was our passage toward# 
the line. The landsmen on board were delighted with it, and the 
seamen felicitated themselves that it was not always the case at 
sea, “ or all the old women in the country (as they expressed 
themselves) would have been sailors.” Between those latitudes, 
we met with great quantities of that gelatinous substance, general¬ 
ly known by the name of sun-fish. 
Finding that the great quantity of stock on board must neces¬ 
sarily consume a great deal of water, or suffer, I directed that 
the seamen should kill all their pigs ; and as the young goats, 
by sucking the old, deprived us of their milk, I directed that they 
also should be killed. Many petitions were sent in to me to 
save from slaughter a favourite kid, or a pig that had been des¬ 
tined for a Christmas dinner, with assurances from the owner 
that they should be supplied with water from his own allowance, 
although they were allowed only half a gallon; yet I found it 
necessary to be inflexible to avoid the imputation of partiality; 
for if I had granted the petition in one instance, I should had to 
have done so in all, and the quantity of stock, and the dirt occa¬ 
sioned by them, were no inconsiderable inconveniences on board. 
On the 6th I had the happiness to see our sick list reduced 
four patients, to wit; 
William Klaer, disease of the liver, 
Thomas Ewing, sprained ancle. 
Martin Gilbert, contused fingers. 
John Collins, bilious fever, convalescent 
