The Belliqueux was paid off at Chatham, soon after her arrival; and the Right Hon. Charles Yorke, then at the head of
certained, that the oriental diseases would commonly yield to experienced medical treatment, if a proper diet could be obtained. Preparations were therefore made to check this Boa Upas of sailors in the East.
“Arrangements had been made to allot a retained proportion of the vegetable money, drawn by the Purser, to purchase a sea stock, to which was added a donation of 150 dollars from Captain B. With these sums were purchased twelve dozen fine capons, 2000 pounds of potatoes, 200 pounds of carrots, 798 pounds of pomkins, 500 pounds of dry onions, two catties of rusk; and about 2000 pounds of onions and nopal leaves were pickled on board, with good vinegar, and plenty of nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper, the native spices of India, under the direction of Mr. W. Griffiths, Assistant-Surgeon. Besides which, the Captain, with his usual attention to every circumstance that tended to exemption from disease, and the recovery of the sick, directed six bullocks to be carried to sea, to be killed at different periods of the voyage, for distribution among the sick and scorbutics; and supplied occasionally a quarter of mutton from his own stock. The carrots were packed in dry sand, in the way directed to be preserved by the College of Physicians; but they fermented, and became putrid in a fortnight. The pomkins should be turned daily, or the juice they contain will gravitate to the most depending part, and occasion putrefaction.”
P. 61. “The arrangements to prevent the access, and counteract the progress of scurvy, were these: Every man who was sick, or had a small wound or ulceration, or who had evinced a predisposition to scurvy on former voyages, or who became scorbutic in the course of the present one, was supplied with one pound of potatoes on four days in the week, except when beef or mutton was served; and an unlimited allowance of pickles on the other three days, with his salted meats. The pomkins, with lime-juice, orange-peel, and spices, made good mock apple pies. When a bullock was killed, or when a donation of a quarter of mutton was presented from the Captain, all were supplied with soup and meat, with abundance of vegetables. The capons, with onions, pomkin, and rusk, made excellent soup, and a light diet for the worst cases of disease; and it was found, that a fine capon, thus cooked, was sufficient to dine from four to eight, and sometimes ten, as the appetite becomes much impaired in all oriental diseases.
“The Captain’s wines, and other luxuries of his store-room, were at the service of those who wished or required them; and he sometimes condescended to see the ingredients he furnished for soup, put in the kettle himself.”
P. 62. “It is well known, that the supply of animal food at St. Helena, in not only very dear, but very limited, and only granted by an order of the Governor in Council. Here was an occasion that displayed the lively interest Captain Byng felt for the health and welfare of the seamen under his command : * * * * * * * : by his earnest representation! to the Go-
