Having procured a quantity of sugar-cane; and having, upon a trial, made but a few days before, found, that a strong decoction of it produced a very palatable beer, I ordered some more to be brewed for our general use.  But when the cask was now broached, not one of my crew-would even so much as taste it.  As I had no motive in preparing this beverage, but to save our spirit for a colder climate, I gave myself no trouble, either by exerting authority, or by having recourse to persuasion, to prevail upon them to drink it; knowing that there was no danger of the scurvy, so long as we could get a plentiful supply of other vegetables.  But, that I might not be disappointed in my views, I gave orders that no grog should be served in either ship.  I myself, and the officers, continued to make use of the sugar-cane beer whenever we could get materials for brewing it.  A few hops, of which we had some on board, improved it much.  It has the taste of new malt beer; and I believe no one will doubt of its being very wholesome.  And yet my inconsiderate crew alleged that it was injurious to their health.

They had no better reason to support a resolution, which they took on our first arrival in King George’s Sound, not to drink the spruce-beer made there.  But, whether from a consideration that it was not the first time of their being required to use that liquor, or from some other reason, they did not attempt to carry their purpose into actual execution; and I had never heard of it till now, when they renewed their ignorant opposition to my best endeavours to serve them.  Every innovation whatever on board a ship, though ever so much to the advantage of seamen, is sure to meet with their highest disapprobation.  Both portable soup, and sour krout, were, at first, condemned as stuff unfit for human beings.  Few commanders have introduced into their ships more novelties, as useful varieties of food and drink, than I have done.  Indeed, few commanders have had the same opportunities of trying such experiments, or been driven to the same necessity of trying them.  It has, however, been, in a great measure, owing to various little deviations from established practice, that I have been able to preserve my people, generally speaking, from that dreadful distemper, the scurvy, which has, perhaps, destroyed more of our sailors, in their peaceful voyages, than have fallen by the enemy in military expeditions.[3]

[Footnote 3:  So much for the effect of ignorance and prejudice.  One requires the strong evidence of such a careful observer as Captain Cook to be convinced of their existence, in such intense degree, among a set of people, accustomed, from the nature of their profession, to witness the vast variety of different manners and modes of life in different countries; though every notion we could form of their habits and tempers might lead us to infer a priori, the obstinacy with which they would resist any innovation on their established practices.  Probably, however,