19th. Variable Gentle breezes. All this day employ'd repairing
Sails, Rigging, Watering, etc.
20th. In the P.M. Sail'd the Houghton Indiaman, who saluted us
with 11 Guns, which Complement we returned; this Ship, during her stay in
India, lost by sickness between 30 and 40 men, and had at this time a
good many down with the Scurvey. Other Ships suffer'd in the same
proportion. Thus we find that Ships which have been little more than 12
months from England have suffer'd as much or more by Sickness than we
have done, who have been out near 3 Times as long. Yet their sufferings
will hardly, if att all, be mentioned or known in England; when, on the
other hand, those of the Endeavour, because the Voyage is uncommon, will
very probable be mentioned in every News Paper, and, what is not
unlikely, with many Additional hardships we never Experienced; for such
are the disposition of men in general in these Voyages that they are
seldom content with the Hardships and Dangers which will naturally occur,
but they must add others which hardly ever had existence but in their
imaginations by magnifying the most Trifling accidents and circumstances
to the greatest Hardships and unsurmountable dangers without the imediate
interposition of Providence, as if the whole merit of the Voyage
consisted in the Dangers and Hardships they underwent, or that real ones
did not hapen often enough to give the mind sufficient anxiety. Thus
Posterity are taught to look upon these Voyages as hazardous to the
highest degree.
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