BOOK IT. CHAP. XIII. 31 j 



the flandard of London or Vienna. Let us however compare the 

 above account (bad as it may feem) v/ith two examples, one taken 

 from the Eatl, and the other from the Well-Indies. It was not long 

 fince given in evidence, before the Houfe of Commons, that the 

 climate of the Eaft-Indies deflroyed 700 out of 1000 men, in one 

 campaign after their arrival. On the expedition to St. V'incent, one 

 regiment buried 122 in one year, and 309 in tliree ; tlie average of 

 whicli is about i in every 4. The truth is, as Dr. Lind has well 

 oblcrved, that every ifland in the Weft-Indies, and other parts of the 

 world, has its healthy and unhealthy fpots. The nature and exigen- 

 cies of tlie fervice prevent the troops, fent over to garrifon our 

 larger iflands, from being kept on any one particular fpot, which 

 might be fele^led on account of its good air ; in fome cafes neceffity, 

 in otliers inattention to the important evils, which originate from 

 leemingly trifling caufes, have occaiioned the eredion of barracks in 

 very improper ficuations ; near fwainps, the oozy banks of rivers, 

 and {linking lagoon waters. Sometimes an injudicious pofition of 

 the fick wards and offices, has thrown a conftant annoyance of an 

 impure air upon the healthy ; and fometimes a tendency to ficknefs, 

 and bad fevers, has arifen from the very materials with which the 

 barracks have been built. Thus, the barracks in Clarendon and at 

 Bath, being of ftone, were found infalutary to the men lodged in 

 them, until the walls were lined with plaifter. Some fpecies of 

 fione are extremely porous, imbibing and tranfuding moifture free- 

 ly ; others are lo firm and compavfl in their texture, that they con- 

 denfe the watery particles in damp weather upon their furface, which 

 trickle down the fides of walls, or pafs oft again in a reek. Stone 

 buildings, without lome precautions, are not wholefome habitations 

 in the Wefl-Indies. They ought to be furrounded with a flied, or 

 piazza, to keep off the beating of heavy fhowers ; the walls within 

 Ihould either be lined with a facing of brickwork, plaiftered, or of 

 boards, fet off about i or 2 inches, leaving a fpace behind for the 

 free circulation of air between, in order to prevent their becoming 

 damp. The ill contrivance of the barrack at Lucea, I have noticed 

 in the account of Hanover parifh ; if the hofpital there, thcfterco- 

 rary, and kitchen, were changed to leeward of the dwelling, this 

 barrack is in other refpeds not ill fituated for health. The lame 

 Vol, II, S f remark 



