last voyage of capt. koss. 
471 
tion before the lords of the Admiralty, yet who had gained suffi¬ 
cient experience to decide, that there is an essential difference, 
between having the command of an expedition, and the possession 
of the abilities requisite to perform the duties of it. 
On the 16 th, the ship was heaved out in clear water under 
the island, and every preparation was now made for sea. In 
the mean time, however, some serious complaints were made to 
the commander, in regard to the nature of the provisions, and 
the effect, which they had upon the health of the crew. As the 
winter approached, they were allowed a certain quantity of 
salmon every alternate day ; but the fish, that were allotted to 
them, were those, which had been preserved in vinegar, if, in 
this instance, the word preservation may be allowed. After 
undergoing the process of boiling, the fish would drop all to 
pieces, nor were they accompanied with that wholesome smell, as 
to invite the appetite to partake of them. The fish, selected for 
the mess in the cabin, were taken from one of the pickled casks, 
and they were always cooked by themselves; but the fish, destined 
for the messes of the sailors, were all cooked together, or rather 
steamed, for every thing, that could be done, was performed by 
steam; the consequence of which was, that the middle part of 
the fish was raw, whilst the outer parts were like so much saw¬ 
dust, mixed with water, and accompanied with such a disgusting 
smell, that the officers in the cabin could not endure it, and the 
fish was no sooner put upon the table, than it was taken off again. 
It was rather a ludicrous sight, to observe one officer after the 
other, applying his fingers to the nostrils of his nose, on the 
introduction of the fish, for the purpose of preventing the odour 
reaching the olfactory nerve, and then all of them bursting out 
with the same exclamation, “Take it away, take it away and 
the fish was again committed to its original element, for even 
the cats, of which there were four on board, would not even 
partake of it. 
In regard to those animals, a circumstance occurred, which 
is strongly corroborative of the proverbial cunning of the fox. 
It has been stated, in a previous part of this work, that an old 
fox was killed, which had four cubs, and these animals were 
