The Voyage of George Vancouver, 17911795 by W.Kaye Lamb

Author:W.Kaye Lamb [Lamb, W.Kaye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781351539494
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2017-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

Plate 46.'The Village of Almandral in the Bay of Valparaiso.

refreshments which this luxuriant country afforded. In doing this, my first care and principal object was, immediately to adopt the most efficacious measures that could be devised, for eradicating the inveterate scorbutic disorder which now prevailed, and which had greatly increased amongst the crews of both vessels. The number of scorbutic patients rendered incapable of attending to their duty on board the Discovery, amounted to seventeen. On board the Chatham their number was not so great, though the disease was making a rapid progress; and I learned from Mr. Puget, that on his making inquiry into the cause of it, he had found that the same pernicious practice had been indulged in on board the Chatham, which had taken place on board the Discovery during our late long and tedious passage, that of permitting the fat skimmings of the boiling salt meat to be eaten by the people with their pulse, and to be used for frying their fish; but it did not appear that this unwholesome indulgence had been carried to such an extent on board the Chatham, as it had been on board the Discovery. In consequence of this information, I deemed it expedient that the whole crews of both vessels should, in addition to the regular allowance of fresh beef and greens, and new soft bread from the shore, be daily served with a quantity of grapes, apples, and onions; and I had soon the happiness of finding, that this salutary diet was attended with the desired effect of intirely eradicating the disease.

Whilst we were waiting for the return of the courier dispatched to His Excellency the President, my time was not unprofitably employed; for I embraced that opportunity to visit the several warehouses, and by so doing obtained a complete knowledge of the quality of the stores and provisions they were capable of affording us. When this was done, I made the necessary arrangements for receiving them on board the instant we should be at liberty to accept them. In the course of my inquiries I had the mortification to learn, that there was not a spar, either at Valparaiso, or in the country within our reach, of a size sufficient to be converted into a mast, for the purpose of replacing our disabled one on board the Discovery. This was a matter of very serious concern; but as a new mast could not here be procured, the only expedient we had the power of resorting to, was to use our best endeavours to repair the old one. This I purposed to do by turning the mast end for end, by which means the most defective parts would fall below the deck; where, by the addition of the fishes we had on board by way of further security, I was in hopes, that with great care and attention to the performance of the work, we should be able to render it sufficiently strong to answer the purpose of carrying the vessel to England.

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