THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 
*35 
particularly, the moft valuable of all the articles, their 
hogs. 
If we had had a larger aftortment of goods, and a fuffi- 
cient quantity of fait on board, I make no doubt that we 
might have falted as much pork as would have ferved both 
Ihips near twelve months. But our vifiting the Friendly 
Illands, and our long flay at Otaheite and the neighbour¬ 
hood, quite exhaufled our trading commodities ; particu¬ 
larly our axes, with which alone hogs, in general, were to 
be purchafed. And we had hardly fait enough to cure fif¬ 
teen puncheons of meat. Of thefe, five were added to our 
flock of provifions, at the Friendly Iflands, and the other 
ten at Otaheite. Captain Clerke alfo falted a proportionable 
quantity for his fhip. 
The procefs was the fame that had been adopted by me : 
in my lafl voyage ; and it may be worth while to defcribe it 
again. The hogs were killed in the evening; as foon as 
they were cleaned, they were cut up, the bone taken out,, 
and the meat falted when it was hot. It was then laid in 
fuch a pofition as to permit the juices to drain from it, till 
the next morning, when it was again falted, packed into a 
calk, and covered with pickle. Here it remained for four 
or five days, or a week; after which it was taken out and 
examined, piece by piece, and if there was any found to be 
in the leafl tainted, as fometimes happened, it was feparated 
from the reft, which was repacked into another cafk, headed 
up, and filled with good pickle. In about eight or ten days 
time, it underwent a fecond examination ; but this feemed 
unneceftary, as the whole was generally found to be per¬ 
fectly cured. A mixture of bay and of white fait, anfwers 
the beft; but either of them will do alone. Great care 
fhould be taken, that none of the large blood-veftels remain 
i in 
1777-. 
December, 
