I learnt that in consequence of extraordinary storms and hurricanes, no less than five sailors had died and twenty-one had been drowned in eighty-three vessels from that port.

Upon this statement I determined to look into the muster-rolls of the trade there for two or three years together.

I began by accident with the year 1769, and I went on to the end of 1772.

About eighty vessels on an average had sailed thence in each of these years.

Taking the loss in these years, and compounding it with that in the fatal year, three sailors had been lost; but taking it in these four years by themselves, only two had been lost in twenty-four vessels so employed.