Page 525
An.1691
An excellent Spring at Bencouli.
ous Vermin and Insects may not a little contribute to its bad qualities: at such times it will look very deep coloured, yellow, red, or black, &c. The season of the Rains was over, and the Land floods were abating, upon the taking up this Water in the River of Bencouli: but would the Seamen have given themselves the trouble, they might have fill'd their Vessels with excellent good Water, at a Spring on the back side of the Fort, not above 2 or 300 paces from the Landing place; and with which the Fort it ferv'd. And I mention this as a caution to any Ships that shall go to Bencouli for the future; and withal I think it worth the care of the Owners or Governours of the Factory, and that it would tend much to the preservation of their Seamens lives, to lay Pipes to convey the Fountain Water to the shore, which might easily be done, with a small charge: and had I staid longer there I would have undertaken it. I had a design also of bringing it into the Fort, though much higher: for it would be a great convenience and security to it, in case of a Siege.
Beside the badness of our Water, it was stowed among the Pepper in the Hold, which made it very hot. Every morning when we came to take our allowance, it was so hot, that a man could hardly suffer his hands in it, or hold a bottle full of it in his hand. I never any where felt the like, nor could have thought it possible that Water should heat to that degree in a Ships Hold. It was ex- ceeding black too, and looked more like Ink than Water. Whether it grew so black with standing, or was tinged with the Pepper, I know not, for this Water was not so black when it was first taken up. Our food also was very bad; for the Ship had been out of England upon this Voyage above three years; and the salt Provision brought from thence, and which we fed on, having been so long in