been apprehensive, especially among the men that it accidentally
came to my knowledge about this period that they complained of not
having time to mend their clothes. This complaint I was as glad to
hear as desirous to rectify; and I therefore ordered that, in
future, one afternoon in each week should be set aside for that
particular purpose.

The circumstances of our situation being such as have never before
occurred to the crews of any of his majesty's ships, it may not,
perhaps, be considered wholly uninteresting to know in what manner
our time was thus so fully occupied throughout the long and severe
winter which it was our lot to experience, and particularly during
a three months' interval of nearly total darkness.

The officers and quartermasters were divided into four watches,
which were regularly kept as at sea, while the remainder of the
ships' company were allowed to enjoy their night's rest
undisturbed. The hands were turned up at a quarter before six, and
both decks were well rubbed with stones and warm sand before eight
o'clock, at which time, as usual at sea, both officers and men
went to breakfast. Three quarters of an hour being allowed after
breakfast for the men to prepare themselves for muster, we then
beat to divisions punctually at a quarter past nine, when every
person on board attended on the quarter deck, and a strict
inspection of the men took place as to their personal cleanliness,
and the good condition, as well as sufficient warmth of their
clothing. The reports of the officers having been made to me, the
people were then allowed to walk about, or, more usually, to run
round the upper deck, while I went down to examine the state of
that below. The state of this deck may be said, indeed, to have