Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-11-24
=. ,l, Editor Of the slssond,ia Gazette.

ELNATHAN MARiGOLD, Gent.
Tsas Editor Of the alsrandria Gazette.
SIR: Looking over file Of papers last even
ING. / was much amused, and not little IN
s,tuc,cc, by the perusal Of some extracts taken
from correspondence between the Secretary
Of the South Carolina Agricultural Society and
the presen' profoundly thinking Secretary OF the
Nayy: also, between the latter gentleman aud
N. Board of Navy Commissiooers>on the sub
ice, Of ia,roduc ing into the Navy more gene
raj and excessive use Of Rice. In reply 10 their
erudi,r and sagacious Secretary, they represent
,ha, the article Of rice has been used in the
NAVY for considerable time past; that It Is
seryed 10 the sailors twice week IN such guam
titles that they do not consume more than one
half Of il; and that they have prejadices 10 the
too freuuen, use Oft, owing 10 long and deep
roo,ed opinion that il has tendency 10 inJure
the oversight.
The Secretary being a man who thinks q
great deal, (and who. as every body knows
always THINKS correctly, is not disposed 10 pay
any attention to the opinion OF the Navy Com
mi,sioners, no,wi,hs,a nding they F." stated il in
,vyiiing"-snd in proof that the opinion of the
mmissioners had no weigh, with him, take
the liberty Of quoting 10 you paragraph OF his
letter to his correspondent, after he had asked
and received their ideas on the subject" bee
YOU to assure the Agricultural Society Of South
Carolina, that EXPERIMENTS SHALL BE MADE, and
a fair and full investigation b. had 20 TEST The
weight Of the objections urged by the Navy
Commissioners.
The Secretary is said to he man IT great
decision; and certainly no further proof that hi
is so can be wanting, when he publishes to the
world, that, Notwithstanding the opinion given
nv these said Commissioners, (who, nd doubt
are all young and inexperienced men, and cat
know bu, little, C airy thing, Of the real charac'
ter Of sailors, Of th-ir prejudices pariialies.
,ha, he is determined that further experiment:
shnN be made on the slomachs Of the sailors o.
TIE Navy, to test more fully the weight of the
objections urged by these inexp> riepeed ant
visionary Commi ,sioners-who, being them.
selves only higher grade Of these amphibiou'
monsters, (sailors) mus, be supposed TO hole
their feelings and prejudices in higher respec
than they deserve.
Beng myself great friend to every kind o
impyov+ men,, cannot bst admire the wisdom
and Independence the Secretary has exhibited
in setting a,naught The idle notions Of the Ma
w missioners, and taking upon himself 70
determine wha, quantity Of ice sailor (whose
likes aud disl.kes deserve in his es,im alton; M
more consider alton than those of horse) .hal
be made TO eat.
That q common sailor-who is considered
by some Of the good prople cf Terra irma as a
sor, Of non .descrip, half horse, half alligator
should entertain pre- JUDGES, or have any pre-
ference as to what he eats or drinks, is too alb
surd to merit. for a singh moment, the consi
deration Of any wise and thinking man Ia ma.
nv parts Of Asia, We know ha, the inhabi am 8
live al,cge' her upon rice, and the Chinese co,
i, with chop-sricks If thi, be the facr nigh
not sailors be made 10 do the same! II must
be admitted, however, that This may not be the
mos Ger, ain means by which the greatest
quantity Of rice could be consumed 10 given
time; and IS am disposed 20 assist the Sc
cret4ry in making ms experiments upon the
largest scale pos 4ible, I would with great de.
ference recommend to his consider alton tn,
following as an improvement upon the ordinary
and less sensible mode in which the sailors at
The American Navy a, thi, tine eat ,hei, rice
"A mode ny viii, h j. would appear, accordi' x
TO he report OF he Navy Commissioners, tina,
they a.. NJ, able 10 consume more than hall
the quantity now allowed them.
Tbe following is the mode / woold recon-
mend, as aaording greater facilities and ensur-
ing more economy Of lime ,hao any her that
can be adopted:
To furnish each vessel Of our Navy (accord.
ing to her sizs with an engine Of from five 10
a fifteen horse power, AID so constructed, with
sufficient number of double-han wooden
spoons. lin the shape Of an Indian paddle, tina,
works right and left hsuded,) SO that each
spoon, when the steam is up, should convent.
emily feed two men at the same time. Such an
engine. i, is confidently believed, might b. made
to feed the crew If frigatr consisting Of 400
men, if they were properly arranged between
the stem and stern in two distinct lines, leaving
room between for the passage OF the engine,
which, for fear of accidents, should always BE-
on the low pressure principle,--iu FIVE minutes
or less, according to the velocity Of The engine
or number Of strokes Of the piston rod. This
mode would have the double advantage ofboil.
ing the rice in fresh water generated from Sra
water. A process S, we'll calculated to satisfy
mems appe,i'es, n it were in the ,winkiing oil
al eye, would, by its novelty, greatly d~Iigh,
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