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regard to their habits and mode of life. Five minutes' conversation with the captain or surgeon would convince any one that many of these women ought never to havo been allowed to come out with other respectable girls who were on board the vessel. Some of the married passengers and single men seem to be a dissipated, ill-conditioned lot of people. 8. The immigrants were on board the vessel a week before they were inspected : they embarked on the 9th December, and were not inspected until the 16th, and then, we believe, the inspection was only a cursory one, consisting of a march past Dr. Humphreys. It is true that Dr. Meadows, the surgeon-superintendent, was in charge of the immigrants on board the vessel from the day they embarked; but with regard to tho inspection, we would direct your attention to paragraphs 3 and 4 in his report, annexed. 9. From what we can ascertain, the immigrants could not havo embarked upon a worse day. All London was covered with a dense fog ; yet so eager did the authorities appear to get the ship away, that the immigrants were hurried on board, their bedding and baggage being strewn about the deck of the vessel for hours, exposed to the falling fog, while the people themselves were huddled together in groups wherever they could find the least shelter, many of them not having anything to eat till late in the evening. The surgeon-superintendent states it as his opinion that the spread of the scarlet fever was greatly accelerated by the dampness of the bedding and clothing, caused by exposure to the fog. 10. Another source of inconvenience was caused by the lavish expenditure of tho stores and medical comforts during the passage down channel. Tho " Woodlark " was an unusually long time getting down channel, and the consequence was that before the voyage to New Zealand was completed, some articles were altogether expended. We were told that all the stout and candles had run out. Patterson is the name of the person who expended these stores, and he was responsible to Mr. Forbes and Captain Ashby. The surgeon states that nearly all the eggs went bad, that there was no cheese, neither was there a sufficient quantity of lime, sand, and charcoal. We would direct special attention to the surgeon's remarks about the victualling scale for children. It seems absurd that growing children should receive only half rations merely because they reckon as half-adults under the Passenger Act, and we cordially indorse his opinion that emigrant ships should be victualled according to the number of children on board, and not according to the number of statute adults. 11. Captain Largie,his officers, and Dr. Meadows seemed to have earned the hearty good wishes of the immigrants, in proof of which wo append copy of an address which was read in our presence, by the married people, before leaving the quarantine island, and we desire to direct attention to the concluding portion of this address, in which the large amount of sickness and the number of deaths amongst the children is attributed to tho want of a proper medical examination before leaving. We also append the surgeon-superintendent's report, in which some very interesting and practical suggestions will be found. In conclusion, we beg to recommend tho payment of the usual gratuities to the captain, officers, and surgeon-superintendent of the " Woodlark." We have, &c, Alexander Johnston, M.D.,} John Hollidat, > Commissioners. H. J. 11. Eliott, ) His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington.

Enclosure 2 in No. 47. Repoet by Suegeon of Ship " Woodlark." Sic, — Quarantine Station, Somes Island, AVellington, N.Z., 25th March, 1874. This serves to inform you that I have this day landed, under orders of the Agent-General in London, dated 29th November, 1873, 322 souls, who, with 18 children who died during the passage, were placed under my charge in London, for conveyance by ship " Woodlark " to this port. The sailing party consisted of 88 men, 119 women, and 115 children. One birth occurred during the voyage out, making 305 souls landed. The voyage lasted 105 days. 2. In my instructions furnished by the Agent-General, I am requested to "place together my general observations on the voyage, expressing every objection I may see reason to make to the regulations, the victualling, or any part of the arrangement, taking caro to name the remedy I would propose," and for this purpose I would refer you to my medical journal (an imperfect case book), and to my daily diary, and I also desire to call your attention to the following remarks: — 3. On the 9th December, 1873, at 3 p.m., with great difficulty I arrived at the South-west India Docks, New Zealand Company's shed, for the purpose of rejecting or passing the immigrants on board the " Woodlark." A dense fog had covered London a day or tWo previously, continuing more or less until we left Gravesend, 16th December. This fog was of that character that it was impossible to see a yard in advance, and we all considered ourselves fortunate when we succeeded without accident in reaching the docks, and further, in getting on board the " Woodlark," especially so as several had occurred to men accustomed to work in and about the docks. I have had a good deal of experience both in the selection of and of placing on board emigrants, and am certain that no circumstance could have been more unfortunate than the unpropitious stato of the weather at the time these people were sent on board the ship. 4. With regard to the medical inspection of these emigrants at the time of embarkation, that was an impossibility. They were huddled iii groups, keeping themselves warm as best they could, and passed to their berths, in the fog, just in time for tea. The next day charcoal fires were lit, and the people settled to the satisfaction of Captain Forster and the Government Inspector. 5. The voyage has been one of constant anxiety for me, entailing unceasing work both night and day, so much so that at one time I was afraid, when suffering myself from the throat disease of scarlet fever, I should have been obliged to lay up. In all, thirty cases of scarlet fever have been treated, and we have had five deaths during the acute stage (Febris rubra anginosa vel maligna), and two deaths

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