Brit. For The Writer Himself Has Never Seen
Either Of The Productions Alluded To.
That work very candidly admits,
that the Forsters' books contain much curious and useful information.
It is probable, then,
That the readers in general will concur with the
writer in discarding entirely all consideration of moral conduct as to
the agreement, and availing themselves of whatever of utility or
amusement the publication in question can afford. - E.
[2] The same day we observed several flying fishes, pursued by bonitos
and dolphins, rising out of the water in order to escape from them.
They were flying in all directions, and not against the wind only, as
Mr Kalm seems to think. Neither did they confine themselves to a
strait-lined course, but frequently were seen to describe a curve.
When they met the top of a wave as they skimmed along the surface of
the ocean, they passed through, and continued their flight beyond it.
From this time, till we left the torrid zone, we were almost daily
amused with the view of immense shoals of these fishes, and now and
then caught one upon our decks, when it had unfortunately taken its
flight too far, and was spent by its too great elevation above the
surface of the sea." - G.F.
[3] "About this time, the captain ordered the ship to be fumigated
with gunpowder and vinegar, having taken notice that all our books and
utensils became covered with mould, and all our iron and steel, though
ever so little exposed, began to rust. Nothing is more probable than
that the vapours, which now filled the air, contained some saline
particles, since moisture alone does not appear to produce such an
effect." - G.F.
There can be no doubt that the atmospherical air is capable of
sustaining marine salt in a state of solution, and of bearing it off
to great distances on land, where it serves important purposes in
animal and vegetable economy. The reader will be pleased with some
remarks on the subject in Robison's Account of Black's Lectures. The
air in the vessel, then, it will be readily imagined will contain it,
and hence, as it is known that it is gradually decomposed by iron, the
rust that was observed. The process of corroding the iron, &c. as it
is commonly called, would be much accelerated by moisture, as the
muriatic acid acts most powerfully on bodies capable of decomposing
water; and it is no less certain, that the heat of a tropical climate
would aid the operation. But it is difficult to explain how any
benefit could be derived from the fumigation said to be practised by
Cook on this occasion, otherwise than by producing dry warm air.
Indeed, many persons will imagine that the circumstances required
nothing more than free ventilation, and the occasional use of fires to
destroy moisture. Mr Forster takes particular notice of what is
mentioned in the text about the fermentation of the inspissated juice
of malt, or, as he calls it, essence of beer; and he says, that, by
the advice of his father, a vessel strongly fumigated with sulphur was
filled with it, and prevented the fermentation for a few days.
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