LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS 
551 
their food was more fit for the aged and decrepit members of a 
workhouse, than for a set of men, whose strength was brought 
to the severest trials, and which required to be supported by 
every means, which the most nutritious aliment could produce. 
The convicts on board the hulks, are, in a certain degree, better 
fed than were the crew of the Victory, and at a time, when 
there was in reality, no scarcity of provisions. The breakfast 
of the crew throughout the winter, was as follows, their bread 
was served out to them once a week, which consisted of two 
loaves, the weight of which was about 7tbs, these loaves were 
cut into 21 pieces, allowing three meals a day; so that for break¬ 
fast, each man had only 5 ounces of bread, and rather better 
than a pint of cocoa without sugar; and this meagre slipslop 
allowance was thought sufficient to support the strength of 
a crew, who were hourly exposed to the most arduous labor, and 
to a continual fatigue, which it was scarcely possible for the 
human frame to support, even under the most stimulating and 
strengthening aliment. 
The breakfast in the cabin was rather of a different character. 
The officers had also, cocoa for breakfast, but no restriction was 
placed as to the quantity of the sugar, for tfie consumption of 
that article, for four days, was on an average nine pounds. The 
cocoa was, however, not boiled nor steamed with that, which 
was to be served out to the ships company; fora pint of the 
cabin cocoa would make a quart, in regard to strength, com¬ 
pared to the company’s. They had, also, for breakfast, either 
preserved meats, or salt pork or beef; but throughout the winter 
of 1831, the cabin breakfast fare co sist -d of dried salmon, 
which, with a tierce of salted salmon, lasted nearly the whole 
of the winter; and one of the dried or salted salmon was worth 
a dozen of those, that were pickled, and packed in casks, the 
greater part of which, were quite rotten; but if perchance, now 
and then, a good one was to be found, it was immediately des¬ 
tined for the table of the cabin ; independently of which, there 
was no restriction placed upon the officers, in regard to their 
allowance of bread, the supply being always adequate to their 
wants. 
