116 
' ding fhould be taken upon deck, at leaft 
once a week. The bed-room fhould be 
wafhed, and the floor fprinkled with vine- 
gar, or with camphire diffolved in fpirits 
of wine. Indeed, I fhould think, it would 
be worth while to take a little Jime,; in or- 
der to white-wafh the'fides and roof occa- 
fionally. It is a great object to have good 
water. Great care fhould be taken what 
eafks are ufed. Some of our water was 
intolerable, in confequence of its haying 
been put into a rumecatk ; but it improved 
on being expofed to the open air, In 
Jaying in provifions, every one will of 
courfe confult his own tate. Tongues, 
hams, pickled pork, and tripe, and dried 
or falt beef, feem to be the moft proper ar- 
ticles; but for my own part, I fhould be 
more folicitous to have a good ftock of 
vegetable food. Potatoes, onions, apples, 
peas, flour, rice, oatmeal, with a few cur- 
rants and raifins, would probably afford 
food as agreeable to the tafie of perfons at 
fea, as any that can be provided. In place 
of one half the bifcuits, which is ufually 
laid up, I fhould certainly take fome come 
mon heufehold bread, cut inte flices, and 
baked over again: though bread in loaves, 
-#f baked rather harder than ufual, might 
be taken for the firft fortnight. It wouid 
be well worth while, for thofe who like 
at-cakes, to take a fione for baking them 
upon: but a chafing difh and charcoal 
would likewife be neceflary, on account cf 
the fmoakinefs of the fhip’s fire, unlefs 
there were fomething to cover them when 
baking. Of courfe no one would forget 
butter, cheefe, treacle, falt, pepper, fuet, 
and muftard. For breakfatt, nothing ts pre- 
ferable to chocolate, tapioca, fago, and {a- 
-loup powder; though teaand coffee need not 
be entirely neglected: but I-fhould think 
peppermint or bali preferable. Ifa little 
white wine or fpirits can be afforded, it 
will be found very acceptable ; and it is 
probable, that occafion will be found for a 
little rhubarb, and fome camomile flowers. 
Cumberfome furniture,as bedfteads, chairs, 
and tables, fo far from being ferviceable, 
will be found to be in the way. Inilead 
of earthen ware, wooden trenchers and 
tin or horn cups will be moft convenient ; 
and one article, at leaft, of every neceffary 
utenfil fhould be provided in wood, tin, or 
pewter, as every thing which lies loofe and 
that will break, is almoft fure of being 
broken. It is to be obferved, that for 
every thing which is carried on fhip board 
a fufferance is to be taken out of the cuf- 
tom-houle of the port from which you fail. 
What is defigned for ule on the voyage 
muft be entered as fhip-fiores, for which 
Litters from Mr. Toulmin of Kentucky. 
‘iver, the captain paid nearly gol. 
[ March Ey 
nothing is to be paid. But for ever 
package, or box of cloaths, the cuflom- 
houfe officers demand one fhilling. It is 
therefore advifeable to have your. goods 
putinto large boxes ; and when you goto 
the cuftom-houfe to take out your fuffe- 
rance, you mult fay, how many boxes, 
portmanteaus, or parcels you haye, and 
whether they contain cloaths, books, or 
furniture. Upon taking them to the fhip, 
they muft remain upon the quay till the 
cultom-houfe officers have examined the 
contents, though they are fometimes fatis- 
fied with opening the covers. A fimilar 
form is cbferved upon lending in Ameri- 
ca, but it cofts you nothing; for the cuf 
tom-houfe officers do not, like thole of 
England, make you pay them for giving 
you the trouble of examining your trunks. 
Upon all articles of merchandize, there is 
a duty of ten or fiiteen per cent. Thereis 
a wonderful difference in the expence ins 
curred by fhips in the ports of England, 
and in thofe of America. The Sifters was 
at Briftol fitty-two days; and her expences 
for pilotage, dock room, wharfage, and 
fome little repairing, amounted to 1501, 
In America they would not have exceeded 
15 or 20]. for the fame purpofes. For 
pilotage alone, in going up and down the 
This 
difference of charges in the Britifh and in 
the American ports, is probably one cir- 
cumftance which enables the Americans to 
carry fo much cheaper than the Britifh, 
Their fhips, too, are built with three- 
fitths of the money which the fhips of 
England coft. They are navigated like- 
wile with fewer feamen; but they have 
better wages. An Englifh fhip of the 
fame fize as that we came in would pro- 
bably have ten failors ; whereas ours was 
navigated by fix only: but the captain 
and the mate ftand at the helm, or mount 
aloft, eccafionally, ike any of the men, 
when their affiftance is wanted. I donot 
find that they are lefs refpeéted for being 
more ufetulthan thofe whoaffedt a greater 
degree of itate. The beft feaman we had 
on board was a Black, who dilcevered in 
no refpe& any mark of inferiority to men 
of alighter complexion. His grandfather 
was kidnapped, when a child, upon the 
coat of Africa; but his father is becomé 
an independent man, and is. the cultivator 
of thirty acres of his own property upon 
Long-Iiland, in the State of New York. 
Our black failor has ten dollars (21. 5s.) 
per month. Next to him, on Board the 
Siiters, were an Irifhman and Dane, whole 
wages were nine dollars per month. The 
Dane firit went to America in a Durch 
veficl, 
1 
