Serving Out Water.

The daily allowance of Water is left to the discretion of the Captain, but the custom is to allow a gallon when possible. What follows is given as a pretty strict sample of the mode of serving out Water in a Forty-two Gun Ship, and as the readiest way of illustrating the subject:-

The Water was measured out with the Imperial measures. Every Officer had an Imperial Galleon; every Man, three Quarts (minus Grog-water) to himself, and one Quart for him to the Cook; and the account in Gallons was balanced every day in the Log Book.

	gallons.
Captain's Mess, including an Admiral, his Lady, and two Female Attendants, ...	10
Gun-room Officers, ...	14
Starboard Birth of Midshipmen, &c. ...	14
Larboard, ...	24
Stock, ...	7
Warrant Officers, ...	3
Ship's Company, ...	173
Sick, ...	2
Boiling away, ...	10
	———
Total, ...	257

No extra Water for Washing was given to the Officers; but each of their Servants had a pint served out for that purpose to them by the Gun-room Steward, when the Water was brought below.

The Frigate alluded to stowed 103 Tons of Water, which lasted eleven weeks and six days.

The contents of Water Tanks, allowing for wastage, is given in page 21. If the Water is found to lap over the lids much, it is best to take a little out of each for the first few day's allowance.

A pint of Water is the usual allowance daily for a Sheep.

Fordyce, Alexander D.: Outline of Naval Routine.
Smith, Elder & Co., London, 1837. pp 106-107.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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