CONNECTED WITH THE SHIP "ENGLAND."

G.—No. 3

25

'tween decks more than two or three times during the passage. I was present at the inspection at Gravesend. Our names were called out, and we walked past the Inspectors. Ido not know who they were. I, the storekeeper Cullen, Dr. Leigh, and Swenson, went down below 'tween decks on this occasion. This was by direction of the first or second mate, in order to see if all the emigrants were on deck. There was a man lying in his bunk. I recognize the rough sketch of the ship marked B, and point to the bunk where the sick man was. It was the lower bunk midships, nearest the hatch on the port side. Cullen made the remark he thought the man had been drinking. Dr. Leigh asked Swenson the interpreter to ask him to put his tongue out, and then said he had been drinking. I was close to him and saw no scabs on his face. I did not report this, as I did not consider it my place to do so. When I left he was out of his bunk putting his clothes on. At this time all the rest were on deck being inspected. Ido not know if he was inspected. I could see the man quite plainly after he got out of his bunk. Had there been scabs on his face I could easily have seen them. I never saw any of the foreign emigrants with their faces marked during the early part of the voyage. I caught the disease early in February. I thought there was sickness coming on me some days before I went to Captain Harrington. I remember the occasion of the funeral of Mina. It was five days after she was buried I went to Captain Harrington, and was laid up in my bunk. I felt weak, and pains in my head. I slept in the deckhouse on the starboard side. After that, I slept for three days and three nights, and do not remember anything until Friday, when Dr. Leigh called in, said itwas measles, and afterwards Captain Harrington came in and said measles were breaking out on me. It was on the Saturday evening, forty-eight hours after Mina's funeral, I felt the. first symptoms, cold shivering. Ido not remember seeing the doctor until Friday. He asked me nothing about shivering, nor about any early symptoms. For a fortnight after that Friday I do not remember anything, so that it was after that time I wanted a glass in order to look at my face. It was all in little pimples joined together. The doctor used to come two or three times a day. He used to look at me and say I was getting on. That was at the time there was yellow matter. I was then very ill, but felt getting better. My throat, my gums, and tongue seemed to be all in the same state as my face. About twenty-eight days from the Friday the eruption was pretty well dried up and gone, and I was able to go about deck a little. This was eleven days before we got to Wellington, i know Mrs. Hall. When I was better, the second day I was out on deck, or nine or ten days before we arrived in port, I had a conversation with Mrs Hall, who told me I had caught the disease on the night of Mina's funeral. She called it small-pox, and I all along considered it small-pox. I told Dr. Leigh so when I came to my senses after the fortnight I had been delirious. I heard Cullen and McArthur, a seaman on board, also tell Dr. Leigh it was small-pox. He said it was nothing but foreign measles ; this was in presence of all of us. He looked at each, of us, all three being ill, to see if we had been vaccinated. The other two had the same kind of eruption, but it was slight in comparison to mine. The three of us lived together. He could not see any marks on my arm, but he could on the others. I was vaccinated when I was young, but it did not take. I have heard my mother say so. During the inspection at Gravesend my arm was not looked at, nor did I see any other person's arm inspected. The first medicine I had was sent by the captain; all the rest was sent by the doctor, so far as I know. My eyes were washed every three or four hours. There were no cold-water cloths put on to my head or face that I know of. The cabin was kept as light as usual; it was light enough to read in. It was so kept during the whole time I was getting better. Cullen and McArthur occupied the same cabin with me during my illness. McArthur had been in the forecastle, and was sent in as soon as he became sick. There were two men who had slept there before sent out when I became sick ; their names were Shearwood and De Freize. I never told the captain it was small-pox, nor heard the word small-pox mentioned in his hearing. Before I joined the ship I lived in Barking. There were several persons I knew died of small-pox there before I left. I lived in a country place, fully a mile from where any case of small-pox had occurred. My face was not marked before this illness. I cannot say when I first knew Dr. Leigh was the ship's doctor, but I knew he was such when we arrived at Gravesend on December 7th. Some time after dinner the inspection took place at Gravesend. After the fortnight during which time I was delirious, I and my sick messmates received all necessary comforts from the captain. Feedeeick Shearwood, being sworn, saith: — I shipped on board the " England "as sailmaker. I saw mostly all the bad cases of sickness on board. I recollect Spring's case. I have seen small-pox in China. I saw eight cases there. I was in the same ship with them. It was said to be small-pox by the Chinese doctor. Tho eruption differed from Spring's; their pimples had dark heads, and Spring's were white. It did not scatter over the faces of the Chinamen ; in the case of Spring the pimples did not run together, but, in drying up, the matter from the pimples ran together and formed one scab. I stayed in the same cabin, and left it when he became sick—l believe by the captain's orders. I heard then it was measles that was the matter with him. I heard Spring say it was small-pox during his illness. I heard for the first time it was small-pox from any other person when we came into harbour; it surprised me very much, as I did not think it was small-pox. I did not think it was small-pox from what 1 had seen in China ; by that I mean, it was not like what I had seen on the Chinamen. I had charge of the spare sails ; they were stowed in the starboard side under the main hatch; they were before the main hatch when we sailed. Early on the voyage they were shifted further aft, on the same side, under the main hatch. I helped to stow them. Moved stores out from the place where they were put, and salt was put in the place where they were taken from; I mean that they were placed to the starboard side of the main hatch. There was plenty of space left in the main hatch. I superintended all the funerals, and assisted the carpenter. I used plenty of disinfectants on each occasion—by plenty, I mean I put it all over the bodies and the places where they died. The bodies were buried as soon as possible after death on each occasion. I was always made aware when they died. The bedding and clothing of persons who died was always sown up with the body, by the captain's order. The main hatch was always ventilated by a wind-sail when weather permitted. 7

By request of Dr. Leigh. By request of Captain Harrington.

By request of Captain Harrington.