and gave them all the respite they could desire, in order to
recollect themselves. In the meantime, Mackshane, taking the advantage
of this general exultation, waited on our captain, and pleaded his own
cause so effectually that he was re-established in his good graces; and
as for Crampley, there was no more notice taken of his behaviour towards
me during the action. But of all the consequences of the victory, none
was more grateful than plenty of fresh water, after we had languished
five weeks on the allowance of a purser's quart per day for each man in
the Torrid Zone, where the sun was vertical, and the expense of bodily
fluid so great, that a gallon of liquor could scarce supply the waste of
twenty-four hours; especially as our provision consisted of putrid salt
beef, to which the sailors gave the name of Irish horse; salt pork, of
New England, which, though neither fish nor flesh, savoured of both;
bread from the same country, every biscuit whereof, like a piece of
clockwork, moved by its own internal impulse, occasioned by the myriads
of insects that dwelt within it; and butter served out by the gill, that
tasted like train oil thickened with salt. Instead of small beer,
each man was allowed three half-quarterns of brandy or rum, which were
distributed every morning, diluted with a certain quantity of his water,
without either sugar or fruit to render it palatable, for which reason,
this composition was by the sailors not ineptly styled Necessity. Nor
was this limitation of simple element owing to a scarcity of it on
board, for there was at this time water enough in the ship for a voyage
of six months, at the rate of half-a-gallon per day to each man: but
this fast must, I suppose, have been enjoined by way of penance on the
ship's company for their sins; or rather with a view to mortify them
into a contempt of life, that they might thereby become more resolute
and regardless of danger. How simply then do those people argue, who
ascribe the great mortality among us, to our bad provision and want
of water; and affirm, that a great many valuable lives might have been
saved, if the useless transports had been employed in fetching fresh
stock, turtle, fruit, and other refreshments from Jamaica and other
adjacent islands, for the use of the army and fleet! seeing it is to
be hoped, that those who died went to a better place, and those who
survived were the more easily maintained. After all, a sufficient number
remained t