Russian sailors from the interior of the empire are very liable to scurvy.

Those from Finland are the best for long voyages.

Captain Lund once told me the experience of a Russian expedition of five ships upon a long cruise.
One ship was manned by Finlanders, and the others carried sailors from the interior.

The Finlanders were not attacked with scurvy, but the rest suffered severely.
"All the Russians," said the captain, "make good sailors, but those from the maritime provinces are the best seamen." Early in the voyage it was interesting to see the men at dinner.

Their table utensils were wooden spoons and tubs, at the rate of ten spoons and one tub to every ten men.