acquainted him with his illnefs. Captain Cook s apartment
was only feparated by a thin partition: he was awake, and
feeling the fame fymptoms of which he heard my father
complain, got out of bed, and found himfelf unable to
walk without holding. I was in the fame fituation, upon
being awakened by my father, and crawled into the cabin,
where the furgeon, Mr. Patton, immediately appeared, to,
affift us. Our diforder had indeed a. molt ferious afpcct;,
the blood had left our cheeks, alt our limbs were benumbed,
and without fenfation, and a great degree of languor and
oppreffion had taken place. Emetics were adminiftered,
which gave my father and myfelf fome relief, but had not
much effect upon captain Cook. We took a fudorific after
this, and went to bed again.
In the morning, about eight, we got up, very giddy and,
heavy; however I found myfelf well enough to pafs the:
whole morning in Iketching the outlines of fix or eight,
plants, and fome birds, which we had collected on our former
excurfions. Dr. Sparrman, in the mean while, went
on Ihore to colled! farther fuppiies. Towards noon my father
endeavoured to converts with fome of the natives who,,
came into the fhip. At fight of the filh, which was hung,
under the half-deck, they made figps that it occafioned pain.
intheftomach, and by leaning their heads upon one hand, and,
Hunting their eyes, expreffed that it cauled lleep and drow—
finefs, and death.. Still thinking, they might only make;
the Ci-
4°5
thefe geftures in order to obtain the filh, we offered it to smtjmjk.
them, but they refufed it with the ftrongeft marks of
averfion, holding both their hands out before them, and
turning away the head. They afterwards defired us to
throw it into the fea, but we determined to preferve it in
fpirits of wine.
I was feverely puniflied about noon for making light of
my complaint, and paffing the morning at work; for I
was fuddenly feized with ficknefs, and forced to go to bed,
by a returning fit of dizzinefs. The only remedies which
gave any relief, were fudorifics ; but the poifon was of too
virulent a nature, to be fubdued in a Ihort time. It prevented
our making thefe refearches, which from the nature
of the country before us, would doubtlefs have teemed
with a variety of interefting difeoveries in every branch of
natural hiftory. The next morning lieutenant Pickerfgill, Friday 3,
was fent with the launch and another boat, to an ifland to-
the weft, about eight leagues diftant, which the natives
named Balabeea ; in order to examine the fituation and
diredlion of the.coafts in that part. We faw thefe boats
put off with the greateft regret, being obliged by the continuance
of our dizzinefs, to forego this, opportunity of
examining an extenfive trad! of unknown country. Abfo-
lute inability to Hand or walk longer than five minutes at
a time, was the only circumftance which with-held us froim
embarking on this excurfion.. The poifon which, had been,
thus