i?87-
March.
<c from the confequence he aflumed, and the. eafewitifo
“ which- he had given his opinion, or more; properly hist
w dire&iont) that he was fome peribn appointed by the
“ Secretary of State to ofSciate for yon till your. aiciyali;
c< When you go among the people you will Be. better able tc*
<c judge o f the propriety of what I haveMkid-’* Mr. Balmain!
had no fooner concluded than I went between decks,and found
every thing juft as he had reprefented it.to. be. LThere w.era
feveral in bed with flight inflammatory complaints lome
there were who kept their bed to» avoid* the inconvenience
o f the cold» which was at this time very piercing4 iand'whoie
wretched clothing was but a; poor defence ’ agaihft the
rigour of it ; others were confined to: their bed through the
effects of long knprifonment, a weakened habit, and.lhwc
nefs of fpirits; which was mot a little added to by thp declaration
of the medical gentleman above .mentioned,, whom
they concluded to be the principal furgeon to the. expedia
tion. However, on my undeceiving.them in that .point,' and
at the fame time confirming what Mr. Balmain had from the
firft told them, viz. that their complaints were neither malign
nant nor dangerous y their fears abated... To this. I added,,
that I would immediately give, orders fo r . fuch as, were in
want
tvant of.cbthing, to be? fupplied with what was needful'; a 1787-
power1;delegated to« me, by, Captain Phillip,, together with
the liberty'of giving iuch other ditedions as I thought would
tend,*to the .recovery or. prefervation of their health. And
further, :as they had? been nearly four months on board, and
during thattime Had been kept upon < provifions,.I would
endeavour to get frefli for them while in port. This fliorfc
conversation had fo Sudden an effed on thofe I. addrefied*
and was of fo dppofitfe a tendency to that of the gentleman
alluded to, that before we- got from between decks, . I had
the pleafiare ;to fee; ievefial ofUhcnipui oh fuchj clothes as
they had,< and look*a-little cheerful; I then pointed out to
Lieutenant Johnfon, commandirig.officer of the marines on
board,-and to the,matter;of/the’flap? the neceffity there was
of admitting the-coiiv&dis upon the deqk^one half at a time;
during.thejeourfe of the day.; in other that they might breathe
a purer; airyvas nothing would conduce more to the preferva-
tion o f their health. To this thpfe.gentlemen readily, aliens
ed adding;, that they had - no objedion to the whole num-
ber^coming upon, deck ,at oneev if I thought it;neceflaryy as
they were not. apprehenfive of any danger from the indulgence/
On returning to the quarter-deck, I found my. new
medical.