Thus
Situated, We Began To Clear Places In The Woods, In Order To Set Up The
Astronomer's Observatory, The Forge
To repair our iron-work, tents for the
sail-makers and coopers to repair the sails and casks in; to
Land our empty
casks, to fill water, and to cut down wood for fuel; all of which were
absolutely necessary occupations. We also began to brew beer from the
branches or leaves of a tree, which much resembles the American black-
spruce. From the knowledge I had of this tree, and the similarity it bore
to the spruce, I judged that, with the addition of inspissated juice of
wort and molasses, it would make a very wholesome beer, and supply the want
of vegetables, which this place did not afford; and the event proved that I
was not mistaken.
Now I have mentioned the inspissated juice of wort, it will not be amiss,
in this place, to inform the reader, that I had made several trials of it
since I left the Cape of Good Hope, and found it to answer in a cold
climate, beyond all expectation. The juice, diluted in warm water, in the
proportion of twelve parts water to one part juice, made a very good and
well-tasted small-beer. Some juice which I had of Mr Pelham's own
preparing, would bear sixteen parts water. By making use of warm-water,
(which I think ought always to be done,) and keeping it in a warm place, if
the weather be cold, no difficulty will be found in fermenting it.
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