e for six weeks, without
coming to anchor or handing a sail. In this long passage, they had
some days in which the heat was almost insupportable, and the crew
began to murmur excessively on account of being at short allowance of
water. On this occasion one of the swabbers got into the hold, and,
being extremely thirsty, pierced a cask of brandy, of which he pulled,
so heartily that he was soon intoxicated to a degree of madness. In
this condition he staggered into the cook-room, where he threw down a
pan of grease, and being sharply reproved by the cook, drew his knife
and rushed upon him. Some of the crew gathered about him and wrenched
the knife out of his hand, but not till he had drawn it two or three
times across the cook's face. For this they drubbed him soundly, which
he resented so deeply that he seized a knife as soon as he got loose,
and gave himself several stabs in the belly. The utmost care was taken
of his recovery, in order to make him a public example, to prevent
such actions in future among the crew; and after his recovery he
was punished in the following manner. Being declared infamous at
the fore-mast, he was thrice keel-hauled, and had 300 strokes on the
buttocks, after which his right hand was fastened to the mast with his
own knife. When he had stood some time in this condition, he was put
in chains on the fore-castle, being allowed nothing but bread and
water for some days; and was continued in irons to be set on shore at
the first barren island they came to.

Continuing their voyage till near the line, they were much incommoded
by the shifting of the wind; and by scarcity of water, many of the
crew falling ill of the scurvy. When it sometimes fell entirely calm,
the heat of the sun became more than ordinarily oppressive, owing to
which some of the men became quite distracted, others fell into high
fevers, and some had fits like the epilepsy. Their water, as it grew
low, stunk abominably, and became full of worms. The salt provisions
were in a manner quite spoiled, and served only to turn their stomachs
and increase their thirst. Hunger is said to be the greatest of
torments, but they had reason to consider thirst as the greatest
misery incident to human nature. At this time they often observed
towards evening that the sea appeared all on fire; and taking up some
buckets of water in this condition, they observed that it was full of
an infinite number of little globules, of the size, form, and colo