absence to see their friends; and although they were aware that she was again going abroad, not a man was absent from his duty at the time of her departure. On his taking leave of Sir Richard Bickerton, who then commanded at that port, Captain Tucker mentioned this circumstance, and reminded him that although his people had so recently returned from the West Indies, where many of them had served at least seven years, in the Epervier and Cherub, he was about to quit England without having asked for, or wished to obtain a single man from the flag-ship! The port-admiral replied that it was so rare an instance, he would make a point of reporting it officially. We should here observe, that when Captain Tucker removed into the Cherub, about Dec. 1808, most of the Epervier’s officers and the whole of her crew volunteered to follow him, notwithstanding that that brig was then under orders to return home, and his new sloop had but just arrived on the station!
We next find Captain Tucker employed in the Pacific Ocean. On his arrival at Lima he was informed that salted provisions were not to be procured there, and he therefore determined to reserve all that remained on board for the passage back round Cape Horn. He also attempted to add to that stock, which was only sufficient for six weeks’ consumption at full allowance; but although various modes were tried, every attempt failed, owing to the excessive heat of the weather; and he was consequently obliged to adopt the plan of the Spaniards, who supply their vessels with beef cut in slices, and dried in the sun until it becomes as hard as wood. This substitute for salt-meat is then packed in matting, but from its nature must not be stowed in the hold, or between decks.
Shortly after his departure from Valparaiso, and a few days before the last of the oxen taken on board there was slaughtered, the rain which fell for many hours had such an effect upon that contained in the mat packages, all of which were stowed on the main-deck, about the booms, &c. as to make it emit such a horrible smell, that many officers would doubtless have ordered the whole to be thrown overboard: Captain
