THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 479 



Of the two who had been ill of fevers, one, after bein<? , ' 78 °' 



February. 



feized with violent convulfkms, on the 12th of Tebruary, < *- — * 



which made us defpair of his life, was relieved by the ap- 

 plication of blifters, and was foon after out of danger. The 

 other recovered, but more flowly. On board the Refolution, 

 befides the obflinate roughs and fevers under which they 

 very generally laboured, a great many were afflicted with 

 fluxes, the number of whom, contrary to our expectations, 

 continued increafing till our arrival at the Cape. 



Captain Gore attributed this difference in part, and pro- 

 bably with fome reafon, to the Difcovery having her fire- 

 place between decks • the heat and fmoke of which he 

 conceived might help to mitigate the bad effects of the damp 

 night air. But I am rather inclined to believe, that we 

 efcaped the flux by the precautions that were taken to pre- 

 vent our catching it from others. For if fome kinds of 

 fluxes be, as I apprehend there is no doubt they are, conta- 

 gious, it is not improbable, that the Refolution caught this 

 diforder from the Dutch iliips at Cracatoa. In order to avoid 

 this danger, when Mr. Williamfon was fent to the India- 

 man in the entrance of the Straits of Sunda, he had the 

 firicteft orders not to fuffer any of our people, on any ac- 

 count whatever, to go on board ; and whenever we had 

 afterward occafion to have any communication with the 

 Refolution, the fame caution was confluntly obferved. 



We were no fooner clear of Prince's Ifland, than we had 

 a gentle breeze from the Weft North Weft ; but this did not 

 laft long; for the following day the wind became again Sunday 20. 

 variable, and continued fo till the noon of the 25th, when 

 it grew fqually, and blew frefli from the North. 



On 



