G—No. 3

26

REPORT OE COMMISSIONERS UPON MATTERS

Monday, 22nd April, 1872. William Cullen, being sworn, saith: — I came out in the " England "as third mate. I joined about a fortnight before we sailed. I was on board at Gravesend, and remember an inspection being made there. Dr. Featherston was there ; I did not know the others. I was inspected—merely asked what duties I had to perform. I was examined with the rest of the crew. I cannot say if this was before or after the emigrants were examined. I saw the emigrants examined; the examination consisted of asking names and casual inspection; there was no medical examination. The Inspectors went below ; they went all over the ship, I understand. I did not observe if Dr. Featherston went between decks. I knew Dr. Featherston in New Zealand. I knew Dr. Leigh at that time ;he introduced himself to me as doctor of the ship before we reached Gravesend. I did not observe Dr. Leigh with the Inspectors, but he might have been. I was storekeeper ; by that I mean I had charge of the stores and serving them out. I received charge of them in the Docks. I stowed them. The stores were not inspected after being in my charge by any person at London or Gravesend. I do not think it possible they could have been inspected without my knowing it. I received them at the ship's side, and checked them as they came on board. I received them, or they were received under my inspection, from the carrier, aud I signed for everything I received. I did not see them inspected on the wharf; they could not have been inspected from the time they left the carrier's hands until they were stowed on board. The stores I refer to were both emigrants' and ship's stores. The list of stores and medical comforts, marked F, now shown to me, I believe to be correct. Watering the ship was part of my duty; it was done in the East India Docks ; we took the water out of the lighters, and pumped it directly into tanks on board; there were ship's tanks and emigrants' tanks; they were all filled with the same water. I filled them. I had the tanks from that time under my charge during the passage. I think the tanks must have been inspected, as one of them was injured and replaced, and I do not think this would have been done unless they had been inspected. I was told how many passengers we were to have, and that we would require 150 days' water ; the amount of water taken on board was as much as I considered to be sufficient. I think the water was inspected at Gravesend, but cannot be positive. The stores were all in good order when received, in so far that the packages were all sound. I am not aware of their being sampled until they were served out. I remember going 'tween decks on the occasion of the inspection for the purpose of putting things in order. I think all the emigrants were on deck at the inspection. Dr. Leigh was down at this time getting them on deck, and Swenson was along with him. I had conversation with them, but I do not recollect any particular man remaining behind. I remember, on another occasion, after we left Gravesend, that a man we called Claus Petersen Maii, gave us some difficulty in getting him out of his bunk on deck with the rest; it was either the first or second morning after leaving Gravesend ; we were trying to got him on deck for the purpose of going through the routine of cleaning laid down by the captain. Dr. Leigh and Swenson were with me at the time. The doctor was going his rounds. Swenson was interpreting for him, and I was called to assist; he then came out of his bunk and went on deck ;he was partly dressed. He might have been drunk or sick—all I know was that there was a great difficulty in rousing him. I saw him closely ; there was plenty of light. I recognize the sketch marked Bto be correct, and I point to the berth occupied by this party ; it was the lower tier middle bunk on the port side main hatch. I observed bis face was full of pimples and blotches, and very inflamed ; there was yellow matter on his cheeks and forehead ; they were not very thick, but they were all over his face ; this was the first time I had remarked this man. At the time of the inspection, it was possible that this man might have lain in his bunk and avoided inspection without my knowing it, but I do not think it possible he could have done so without some party knowing it. I cannot say whether he was inspected or not. None of the foreigners went ashore at Gravesend. Ido not think any could have come aboard there without my hearing of it. I think this man must have been aboard on the occasion of the inspection. I think the doctor and Swenson could not but have seen the man's face as distinctly as I did; in fact I remarked to Swenson that he must have a frightful cold, or something more than common the matter with his face. I do not remember what Swenson replied particularly. I saw all the subsequent cases of sickness on board until I was sick myself. It was like the eruption on the face of Jargen Neilsen. I remember Maria Olson's face (Ericksen's wife) when she was ill. Some of the pimples on this man's face were similar, but not nearly so bad. She occupied the adjoining bunk on the port side. I was ill myself afterwards ; I saw my face in a glass ; the chief difference between my face and Claus's face was, that mine was swollen and inflamed, and the pimples were much thicker. I never took any particular notice of Claus's face after the time I first refer to. I never mentioned Claus's face being bad till towards the end of the voyage, when I mentioned it to my messmates. One occasion I can vouch for; there were present then McDonald, Swenson, Spring, and Shearwood; this was after Spring and myself were sick. We said it was small-pox ; that was my opinion. I knew it from descriptions I had heard of it. I never saw small-pox. As early as Maria Olson's death, or next day, I thought it was small-pox, and had mentioned it on board. It was the general subject of conversation, and all of us who had it—by whom I mean my messmates whom I have mentioned, and who had measles before—considered it small-pox. I told the doctor I thought it was small-pox when I was sick myself; this was in the latter end of January. He told me it was not small-pox. Although the majority thought it was small-pox, there were some of them did not. McArthur said some of the worst cases were like cases of small-pox he had seen in the hospital. Ido not know what the captain's opinion was. He often talked to me about it. In conversation I have used the word small-pox to him, and told him I thought the disease on board was small-pox ; this was when I was sick. He said the doctor said it was not. I said I had never seen measles like it, and he said he had not either; this was the third day after the pimples came out on me. Mrs. Harrington told me she always thought it was measles in a great many of the cases. I never spoke to Finch as to what Mrs. Harrington thought of the nature of the disease. I have told the second mate, also the first mate, Mr. Batt, that I thought it was small-pox ; Ido not know what their opinion was. I served the stores at first in the square of the main hatch; it was about ten feet in the square clear ; the height being about five feet, part of the