SALT-WATER DRINKERS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 47, 24 June 1878, Page 2

SALT-WATER DRINKERS.

Tho Journal do In Socioto do Medioine do Ction et do Calvado publislios tho following nccount of salt-water drinkors, tnkcn from an aocount of a voyage to tho> Ocoanio Islands, by M. Jounn, a ship's captain, and sont by him to a modioli) man nt Caen. Thoso romarkablo peoplo arc mot with on tho madroporio ntolls of the Paoifio, snob as tho Pa nmn ton Islands, whero thero aro neitbor brooks nor springs, and whore tho wells which hay* boon dug yield only brackish water: Tho vogouition is limited to a fow coeoanut tree-*, of whioh the milk, with sea-water, constitutes tho only drink of tho natives. Ii in a quostion of how mon oan live when constantly using a liquid of which all bathers, who havo perforce swallowed a few drops, know tbo disagreeable quali* tic. Is it an effeot of dabit, or a natural disposition, or characteristic of race. Il is inoxplioable ; tho fact, however, ia afllrmod by tho majority of navigstora who have visited thoso distant shores, _ Cook and Laperouse both mention it, nnd mororocontly Dupetit-Thonsars his dee* cribed tho inhabitants of Easter Is! uid aa truo amphibia, drinking son-water without feeling any inconyonicnoo from it. M. Jourm concludes his observations on tho drinking of se.i«wator by a fact which he asserts to have been scon at tho beggining of his seafaring career, in 18:18, whilo going to Mexico. At tlio timo ho write*, steam navigation had not yot freed shipa from tho influences of cnlms and headwinds, Thero was no distilling apparatus so that in long- roya ws it was n-eo«s-iry to ho careful with <ho water ; and in bi* ship, with tho muiil-or on board nearly doubled , by some troops tiioy had to convoy, mu\ the prospect of not .finding any water on tho way, sineo they wero only going to blockado tho coast without com-* rauniontiiig wiih the slioro, thoy woro speoially .parsimonious in its uso, Sonjo sailors consequently .bogan to drink Boawator, but woro soon obligod to leave it off. Ono man only persevered until tho ship arrivod at Mexico, when it was re-victualled with fresh wator brought at groat oxpetiso from Ilavannah. This man never complained of tho soa^wator; tho only diflorenco remarked in him wns that ho booanio more and moro yellow.