THE FLEET AT SEA, 65 expenses included. The allowanoe of meat to the convicts has 1787 been 20 oz. every day, and they are much healthier than when we August left England. Only fifteen convicts and one marine's child have died since we left Spithead. This was followed by a longer communication, cHefly re- markable for its reference to the purchase of rum at Rio. Even Phillip^a sagacity did not enable him to foresee the dangerous consequences likely to follow from its use in the settlement, and he made his purchase of one hundred and Purchase fifteen pipes of rum " with as little suspicion as if it had been so much small beer. Captain Tench informs us that the Portuguese at Rio had not '4eamt the art of making palatable rum/* tlie quantity purchased being ^'very ill- flavoured.*' By my letters of the 5th and 10th of June from Santa Cruz, I had the honor of informing you qf the impossibility of receiving any wine on board for the use of the garrison, that the marines and convicts received six days' fresh provisions, and that the Com- missary had drawn for £76 Is. 9d., the expenses at that port I likewise mentioned the slops for the women not being sent down ^^" before we sailed, and the want of musquet balls and paper cartridges for the use of the garrison, as likewise tools to keep the small arms in repair ; those articles will, I hope, be sent out in the ship that goes for the bread-fruit The Provost-Martial having remained in England, I reoom- Provost- mended Mr. Henry Brewer as a proper person to fill that post, and I shall order him to do the duty till I receive instructions on that head. With respect to the women's cloathing, it was made of very Women's- slight materials, much too small, and in general came to pieces in a ^ °^ few weeka If -materials are sent out^ it will be much cheaper to Government, and the cloathes will be better made. As few vegetables could be procured at Santa Cruz, I should Capc de have stopped for twenty-four hours at Port Praya,* but when off
- In the Island of St Jago» one of the Cape de Verde group. Captain
Cook touched at it during his second expedition in August, 1772, and describes the place in the account of his voyage. B Digitized by Google
