138 CONDITION OF THE GARRISON. 



land-'wdnd. Within 400 yards of the hospital a 

 great extent of mud overgTown with mangroves^ 

 dry at low water^ must have exercised a prejudicial 

 influence , at times while crossing* this swamp^ the 

 putrid exhalations have induced a feeling* almost 

 amounting* to nausea. And if anything* more than 

 another shews the comparative unhealthiness of the 

 site of the settlement^ it is the fact^ that invalids 

 sent to Point Smith (at the entrance of the harbour) 

 or Coral Bay^ — both of which places are within the 

 full influence of the sea breeze^ — speedily recovered^ 

 although relapses on their return to Victoria were 

 not unfrequent. 



Even in the important article of food — setting* 

 aside other secondar}^ stores— the Port Essington 

 g'arrison have almost always been badly supplied. 

 I have seen them oblio-ed to use bread which was 

 not fit for human food — the refuse of the stock on 

 hand at the close of the war in China^ and yet there 

 was none better to be got. In shorty I believe^ as 

 I stated some years ago in a Colonial paper^ that 

 there is probably no vessel in Her Majesty's navy^ 

 no matter Avhere serving*^ the men of which are not 

 better supplied with all the necessaries and comforts 

 of Hfe than are the residents at Port Essinoton. All 

 these have volunteered for the place^ but their pre- 

 conceived ideas formed in Engiand almost always 

 on reaching the place gave way to feehngs of 

 regret at the step they had taken ; I well remember 



