Narrative of Bahama Expedition. 117 



Meanwhile the vessel was thoroughly washed above and 

 below, every article on deck, as well as the entire cabin, 

 <^alley and hold, being carefully gone over w'ith a solution of 

 mercuric bichloride. The hatches were then battened down 

 and sealed, the cabin dDors and windows closed, and quantities 

 of dense sulphur fumes forced into the hold by means of a 

 steam fan. For several hours these fumes were poured in great 

 volumes through a large hose-pipe, after which the hatches 

 were kept down for about eighteen hours. A kettle of burn- 

 ing sulphur was placed in the cabin and another in the galley. 



This process ^^'ould seem to be suthcientlv thorough to 

 insure the destruction of any living germs, and yet there 

 are reasons to suppose that there is room for failure. There 

 is no ground for assuming that the bacilli of yellow fever, if 

 such there be, w^ould not find lodgment in the provisions as 

 easily as almost anywhere else, and yet the provisions are 

 necessarily exempt from the fumigating process. Aside from 

 this, however, the fumigation was of real benefit to us, as it 

 resulted in a complete cleansing of the vessel and a renovating 

 of our effects, besides affording us an opportunity to re- 

 arrange and re-stow our stores and collections, a thing which 

 would under other conditions have been almost impossible to 

 accomplish. We had here an ample dock upon which to work, 

 with no hangers-on to molest our effects, as would have been 

 the case at any other available port. We were also permitted 

 to fill all our water casks with excellent rain-water from the 

 huge tank on the dock, from which a hose was passed 

 directly into the hold of the schooner. 



On the whole, we regarded the enforced visit to the Drv 

 Tortugas as a decided benefit to us from a sanitary stand- 

 point. It is exceedingl}' difficult to keep so small a vessel 

 occupied by twenty-eight persons, really sweet and clean 

 while cruising in the heat of the tropics, and our complete free- 

 dom from sickness throughout the cruise may be largely due 

 to the kind although enforced ministrations of Dr. Murray 

 and his associates. 



The Dry Tortugas is probably the best station on ou. 



