CONNECTED WITH THE SHIP "ENGLAND."

21

G.—No. 3

Feiday, 19th Apeil, 1872. John Swenson", being sworn, saith as follows; — I came out as a seaman on board the " England." I was engaged by the captain as interpreter, about two days before the ship sailed. I applied to no one but the captain for the situation. I was to receive £5 for interpreting besides seamau's pay. I have not been paid the interpreter's fee yet. I signed articles as a seaman but did not do seaman's work. I was working on board ship before emigrants came. It was not until we came to Gravesend I had much to do with the emigrants. I interpreted at the inspection at Gravesend. Every one was called. There was only one person that asked me anything. He asked me if they were all satisfied—meaning the emigrants. I think it was a doctor who addressed me. Ido not know if Dr. Leigh was present. I did not know him by sight at this time. I knew a man Ericksen; did not know him until his wife became sick. I believe Ericksen was inspected with the rest. I went down below, and visited every bunk, and feel sure no one was left below at the time of inspection; the chief mate was on board,^ and it was he told me to go below. I feel sure the captain was on board when the sailors were examined ; that was shortly after the emigrants were examined. I saw no eruption on Ericksen's face, either then or at any other time. Claus Petersen I remember; he was a married man. I recognize rough sketch B as correct, and point to the position of Petersen's bunk; it was the first midship bunk on the port side of the main hatch. Ericksen's bunk was next to it on the port side. Ido not remember his being inspected, but I did not know the people then. I never observed Petersen until I came to attend Ericksen's sick wife. I did not observe any eruption on his face at that time, or during the voyage. I observed no scabs on any of the faces of the grown-up foreigners, till Ericksen's wife fell sick. I never told any one before Ericksen's wife became sick that there were scabs on any of the foreigners. Dr. Bulmer asked me since I came here if I saw such, and I told him I did not. He asked me if I had seen scab on Petersen's face, and I told him no. There were children sick before Maria Olson fell sick. There was measles among the emigrants before that time. They asked me to speak to the doctor about it; I did so; this was before Maria Olson fell sick. My duty was mess constable for the single women diving the voyage; I also interpreted between the storekeeper and the married foreigners. There was no one else on board who knew their language so as to speak it except myself. I was not the only one who could speak the language. The Swedes, the Danes, and the Norwegians can all converse, the language being very similar. I did all the interpreting. When any of them were sick and wanted the doctor they came to me. I always told the doctor when they wished to see him, so long as he attended them. 1 think that it was "just after Maria Olson died, that they said they did not want his services. I remember Olson falling sick ; I was told of it by her husband. I went to see her. He asked me to tell the doctor to come and see her; the doctor was between decks at the time, and went to see her at once. There were no spots on her person at that time. This was the first time Ericksen asked me to go for the doctor. The doctor told me to tell them that there was not much the matter. Ido not remember if Ericksen ever asked me to go for the doctor again. I heard no complaint of the doctor until Peter Larsen's child fell sick; the child's name was Anthon Busk. This is a different child from Kirsten Larsen ; it was also ill, and died. This child, Kirsten Larsen, was the child of Niels Larsen who died. Peter Neilsen was a different man, and is still alive. When Larsen's child fell sick, the people (the whole of them) told me that they did not want the doctor's services, because there was so long between his visits, and when he did come his visits were very short and hurried. The doctor never went round without me that I know of; the doctor was sick. I think the first day after we left Gravesend he was down, but not after that for eight days, and then for about a month he used to go round about twice a day. He used sometimes to go first to the medicine chest, and then go right round to every bunk ;he did this twice a day at first going off. At the time of Maria Olson falling sick, or shortly" after, he did not visit so regularly as at first. He carried a little book with him. I asked for him what was the matter, and he wrote down in his book ; he used to examine the people ; he did that twice a day to those who were sick. I remember asking the doctor to come at the request of Niels Peter Larsen to see his child Kirsten Larsen ;it was in the forenoon. I think the doctor had.been down that morning. I went to the doctor at once. He said his time to visit the sick was 10 o'clock. I saw the child ; it was spitting blood, and blood coming from its nose. I told this to the doctor, and showed him the matter it had been spitting up. I think he saw the child in the evening, but lam not sure. It was before dinner I spoke to the doctor. At this time I thought the doctor did not visit regularly ; there was sometimes two days, and on only one occasion, three days elapsed between his visits. During these three days no one asked me to go for the doctor ; this was five or six days before Anthon Busk aied 21st January. The doctor sent for me at a quarter to twelve at night. I got up to go round with him ; the captain told me to go back to bed, which I did. I think the complaint was made on the following'day, at the request of the people, for the first time by me. They all went aft in a body to the captain. I wrote the letter produced, marked D. The following is the translation : — " 15th January, 1872.—We all Danish and Norwegians, 'tween-deck passengers in the ship " England " on a voyage from London to "Wellington, have because of the doctor's carelessness against the sick, given up his services; and as we find the captain a good and kind man, we wish him to attend us for the rest of the passage in a medical capacity. —J. P. Petersen, E. T. Larsen, P. Nielsen, K. Ericksen, J. Christianssen, 0. Boesen, H. Larsen, M. Hallberg, Peter Larsen, N. P. Nielsen, O.Monsen, Claus, P. Maii." , . I wrote the letter at the request of the people, and saw them sign it; 1 believe the above is a correct translation. At the time I refer to there was much sickness; I consider they were neglected, especially the children, at that time, by the doctor. I think the complaint was justified. The captain visited 'tween decks, I think, daily. He had not been attending them medically, that I know of, up to that time. I used to go round sometimes with him ;he used to ask how the people were. Ido not remember the captain directing me to make any inquiries as to the doctor from the emigrants. The doctor had been irregular in his attendance for about a fortnight. Maria Olson was sick for about a week or ten days. I remember her being sick distinctly ; I saw her every day, on the occasion of my taking her her food,—l took her no medicine. The next time the doctor saw Maria Olson, after the first 6