33 
THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
them, too often bring on ficknefs in this paffage. Every 
bad confequence, at lead:, is to be apprehended from them; 
and commanders of fhips cannot be too much upon their 
guard, by purifying the air between decks with fires and 
fmoke, and by obliging the people to dry their clothes at 
every opportunity. Thefe precautions were conftantly ob« 
ferved on board the Rel'olution * and Difcovery; and we 
certainly profited by them, for we had now fewer lick than 
on either of my former voyages. We had, however, the 
mortification to find our fliip exceedingly leaky in all her 
upper works. The hot and fultry weather we had juft 
paffed through, had opened her feams, which had been 
badly caulked at firft, lb wide, that they admitted the rain 
water through as it fell. There was hardly a man that 
could lie dry in his bed ; and the officers in the gun-room 
were all driven out of their cabins, by the water that came 
through the tides. The fails in the fail-room got wet; and 
before we had weather to dry them, many of them were 
much damaged, and a great expence of canvas and of time 
became neceffary to make them in fome degree ferviceable. 
Having experienced the fame defebt in our fail-rooms on 
my late voyage, it had been reprefented to the yard officers, 
who undertook to remove it. But it did not appear to me 
that any thing had been done to remedy the complaint. 
To repair thefe defects the caulkers were fet to work, as 
foon as we got into fair fettled weather, to caulk the decks 
and infide weather-works of the fliip; for I would not truft 
them over the tides while we were at tea. 
* The particulars are mentioned in his log-book. On the 14th of Auguft, a fire 
was made in the well, to air the fliip below. On the 15th, the fpare fails were aired 
upon deck, and a fire made to air the fail-room. On the 17th, cleaned and fmoked 
betwixt decks, and the bread-room aired with fires. On the 21ft, cleaned and fmoked 
betwixt decks; and on the 22d, the men’s bedding was fpread on deck to air. 
Vol. I. F On 
1776. 
Auguft. 
V---- > 
