It May Be Said To Be Almost Unknown In
Genteel Circles; And There Seems Not The Least Reason To Doubt,
That
as improvements in arts and sciences advance, and as education extends
to the lower classes, so as to supply
Sources of mental enjoyment and
exercise, it will be almost altogether extirpated from society. Let
this and other vices be held as positively dishonourable, because
unfitting for professional duty, and inconsistent with professional
dignity - let them be visited by certain punishment - give free scope to
the emulation of intellect and to the cultivation of proper self-
interest - and vindicate to popular opinion, the claims of this most
useful class, to the character of moral and rational beings, so that
no flattering but injurious unction may be applied to film over the
real turpitude of their offences - then, and then only, may it be
safely asserted, that such descriptions as we have been considering,
are the offspring of prudery or inflamed imagination, and have no
prototype in nature. - E.
[8] "We had scarcely any night during our stay in the frigid zone, so
that I find several articles in my father's journal, written by the
light of the sun, within a few minutes before the hour of midnight.
The sun's stay below the horizon was so short, that we had a very
strong twilight all the time. Mahine was struck with great
astonishment at this phenomenon, and would scarcely believe his
senses. All our endeavours to explain it to him miscarried, and he
assured us he despaired of finding belief among his countrymen, when
he should come back to recount the wonders of petrified rain, and of
perpetual day." - G.F.
[9] "To-day, while we were observing the meridian altitude of the sun,
a shower of snow came from the west, and passed a-head of the ship;
during which, a large island of ice, considerably within the visible
horizon, and directly under the sun, was entirely hid by it; yet the
horizon appeared as distinct, and much the same as it usually does in
dark hazy weather. When the shower was over, I found that it required
the sun to be dipped something more than his whole diameter to bring
his lower limb to the nearest edge of the ice island, which must have
been farther off than the visible horizon, during the shower; and yet
this would have been taken as the real horizon, without any suspicion,
if it had been every where equally obscure. Hence may be inferred the
uncertainty of altitudes taken in foggy, or what seamen, in general,
call hazy weather. - W.
[10] A few days before, according to Mr G.F.'s relation, his father
and twelve other persons were confined to bed with rheumatism; and
though the scurvy had not appeared in any dangerous form, yet a
general languor and sickly look were manifested in almost every face,
and Captain Cook himself was pale and lean, and had lost all
appetite. - E.
[11] "Our situation at present was indeed very dismal, even to those
who preserved the blessing of health; to the sick, whose crippled
limbs were tortured with excessive pain, it was insupportable.
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