Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/113

 were in uch numbers floating on the urface of the water, o as to be taken whenever they were required. To this food, we may be aid to owe the preervation of our healths, and the crew, in general, grew fat upon it.

Other voyagers have alleged, that living on turtle, caues the flux, curvy, and fever; I can firt account for uch a conequence, by its not being ufficiently boiled, or cooked in unclean utenils; and, econdly, every man who has experienced a long voyage, is well informed, that a udden change of food, and particularly from an ordinary ea or alt diet, to an entirely freh one, will produce the flux, icknes of tomach, and other complaints. My method, to prevent uch effects, was to allow the crew as much vinegar as they could ue, and uperintend myelf the preparation of the eamen's meal. I ued to tate the broth, in order to know if it was properly done, that it contained a ufficient quantity of pearl barley, and was duly eaoned by boiling with it alt beef or pork. I alo ordered that the proportion of the alt meats cooked with the turtle, hould be previouly towed and frehened, and when the crew were tired of oup, I gave them flour to make their turtle-meat into pies, and, at other times, fat pork to chop up with it, and make auages. But in mot of their mees, I