The Life of Captain James Cook, the CircumnavigatorKitson, Arthur
History
The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator
Kitson, Arthur
Cook, James, 1728-1779; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Geographers -- Great Britain -- Biography
"The men at first would not eat it, until I put it in practice--a method
I never once knew to fail with seamen--and this was to have some of it
dressed every day for the Cabin Table, and permitted all the officers,
without exception, to make use of it, and left it to the option of the
men to take as much as they pleased, or none at all; but this practice
was not continued above a week before I found necessary to put every one
on board to an allowance, for such are the Tempers and Disposition of
seamen in general, that whatever you give them out of the common way,
although it be ever so much for their good, it will not go down, and you
will hear nothing but murmurings against the man that first invented it,
but the moment they see their superiors set a value upon it, it becomes
the finest stuff in the world, and the inventor is an honest fellow."
A pound of this was served to each man, twice a week, at sea, or oftener
if thought necessary.
Portable soup, at the rate of an ounce per man, was boiled with the pease
thrice a week, and when vegetables could be obtained it was boiled with
them, and wheat or oatmeal for breakfast, and with pease and vegetables
for dinner, and "was the means of making the people eat a greater
quantity of vegetables than they would otherwise have done." The Rob of
Lemon and Orange was a doubtful quantity, for though Cook had no great
confidence in its efficacy, Furneaux reported very favourably on its use,
but it was expensive. Of vinegar, Cook was of opinion that it was of
little service, and preferred smoking the ship with wood-fires to washing
with vinegar, which had been strongly advised. He substituted sugar for
oil, as he esteemed it "a very good anti-scorbutic, whereas oil (such as
the navy is usually supplied with) I am of opinion has the contrary
effect."
Cook says that the introduction of the most salutary articles would prove
unsuccessful unless accompanied by strict regulations so the crew were
divided into three watches except on some extraordinary occasion, in
order that they might not be so exposed to the weather, and had a better
chance to get into dry clothes if they happened to get wet. Hammocks,
bedding, clothes, and ship were kept as clean and dry as possible, and
when the ship could not be "cured with fires," once or twice a week she
was smoked with gunpowder, mixed with vinegar or water:
"to cleanliness, as well in the ship as amongst the people, too great
attention cannot be paid: the least neglect occasions a putrid and
disagreeable smell below which nothing but fires will remove."
He finishes his paper read before the Royal Society as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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