PORTER’S JOURNAL,, 
6T 
$ng, in every other respect, the weight aloft. I also caused all the 
shot to be put below, except six to each gun, on the gun-deck ; 
removed the guns from the extremities to amidships ; set up the 
main rigging ; and bent the storm-stay-sails. 
As we had lost an anchor at St. Catharines, from the badness 
of our cables, I directed a strict examination into the state of the 
the two bowers and sheet-cables; and, on a careful survey, one 
half of both bowers were found not trust-worthy ; f, therefore, 
directed them to be cut, which left about 60 fathoms of each ca¬ 
ble ; and, with a view of removing the difficulty that would be 
occasioned by their being too short, in the event of mooring, I 
directed the larboard bower to be spliced to the end of the sheet- 
cable, and kept the other end ready for bending on to t}ie sheet- 
anchor; this arrangement enabled us to let go three anchors, in 
ease of necessity. 
To guard against future wants, it now became necessary to 
economise in every thing that related to the ship’s stores ; I there¬ 
fore gave directions, that nothing whatever, of the most trifling 
nature, should be issued from the store-rooms, without my orders; 
and as the weather began to get cool, and the wind-sails not ne¬ 
cessary for the comfort of the crew, I directed them to be scrub¬ 
bed, and put below. I also discontinued fumigating with vine¬ 
gar ; believing that it would be more conducive to health, to issue 
it, and let it be used as part of the ration. And with a view of 
guarding still further against that dreadful scourge, the scurvy, I 
gave the strictest orders to the cook, not to permit any person to 
use the slush from the cask, for the purpose of frying their bread, 
&c., as this practice is very common among seamen ; and on 
board of many ships, but particularly captain Vancouver’s, the dis¬ 
ease has been traced to this cause. We have now been three 
months from the United States; in the course of which time, we 
have been but seven days in port. Our crew, of course, has be- 
nefitted but little from fresh provisions and vegetables, or breath¬ 
ing the air from the land ; yet we have not had the slightest symp¬ 
tom of scurvy on board. To be sure, the fruit they brought with 
them from Pray a; and the onions from St. Catharines? were pow¬ 
erful antiscorbutics, and served to correct the effect of salt pro- 
