The quality of the beef was, if possible, worse than that of the bread, and we had no other kinds of provisions.

Before we arrived at St.Bartholomew the water began to give signs of impurity.

The casks, stowed in the half-deck, had been filled through a molasses hose.

In all likelihood, the hose had not been cleansed, and the saccharine property of the molasses mingling with the water in that hot climate had caused a fermentation, the effect of which was nauseous to the taste and unpleasant to the eye.

We consoled ourselves, however, with the idea that the passage would be a short one, only a few days, and that better provisions would be furnished when we reached St.Bartholomew.
The Island of St.Bartholomew is a mountainous rock, three or four miles in diameter, with here and there a few patches of verdure, but destitute of trees or cultivated lands.