Let us proceed to another article, one of the most material, the care to guard against putrefaction, by keeping clean the persons, the cloaths, bedding, and berths of the sailors.  The Captain acquainted me, that regularly, one morning in the week, he passed his ship’s company in review, and saw that every man had changed his linen, and was in other points as clean and neat as circumstances would permit.  It is well known how much cleanliness is conducive to health, but it is not so obvious how much it also tends to good order and other virtues.  That diligent officer was persuaded (nor was perhaps the observation new) that such men as he could induce to be more cleanly than they were disposed to be of themselves, became at the same time more sober, more orderly, and more attentive to their duty.  It must be acknowledged that a seaman has but indifferent means to keep himself clean, had he the greatest inclination to do it; for I have not heard that commanders of ships have yet availed themselves of the still for providing fresh water for washing; and it is well known that sea-water doth not mix with soap, and that linen wet with brine never thoroughly dries.  But for Captain Cook, the frequent opportunities he had of taking in water among the islands of the South-Sea, enabled him in that tract to dispense to his ship’s company some fresh water for every use; and when he navigated in the high latitudes of the Southern Oceans, he still more abundantly provided them with it, as you will find by the sequel of this discourse.

Of the hammocks and bedding I need say little, as all officers are now sensible, how much it concerns the health of their people to have this part of a ship’s furniture kept dry and well-aired; since by the perspiration of so many men, every thing below, even in the space of twenty-four hours, is apt to contract an offensive moisture.  But Captain Cook was not satisfied with ordering upon deck the hammocks and bedding every day that was fair (the common method) but took care that every bundle should be unlashed, and so spread out, that every part of it might be exposed to the air.

His next concern was to see to the purity of the ship itself, without which attention all the rest would have profited little.  I shall not however detain you with the orders about washing and scraping the decks, as I do not understand that in this kind of cleansing he excelled others; but since our author has laid so great a stress upon Fire, as a purifier, I shall endeavour to explain the way of using it, more fully than he has done in his Paper.  Some wood, and that not sparingly, being put into a proper stove or grate, is lighted, and carried successively to every part below deck.  Wherever fire is, the air nearest to it being heated becomes specifically lighter, and by being lighter rises, and passes through the hatchways into the atmosphere.  The vacant space is filled with the cold air around, and that being heated in its turn, in like manner ascends, and is replaced by other air as before.  Thus, by continuing the fire for some time, in any of the lower apartments, the foul air is in a good measure driven out, and the fresh admitted.  This is not all:  I apprehend that the acid steams of the wood, in burning, act here as an antiseptic and correct the corrupted air that remains.