DAMPIER'S SOJOURN IN GREAT NICOBAR 275 



into the country, and only one of them and the Portuguese 

 remained with us, accompanying us to Achin, and they both as 

 sick as we. . . . 



"Three days after our arrival here (Achin) our Portuguese 

 died of a fever. What became of our Malayans I know not. 

 Ambrose lived not long after; Mr Hall also was so weak that I 

 did not think he would recover. I was the best, but still very 

 sick of a fever, and little likely to live. Therefore Mr Driscol 

 (an Irishman, and a resident in the factory which our East 

 India Company had there then) and some other Englishmen 

 persuaded me to take some purging physic of a Malayan 

 doctor. I took their advice, being willing to get ease ; but 

 after three doses (each a large calabash of nasty stuff), finding 

 no amendment, I thought to desist from my physic, but was 

 persuaded to take one dose more, which I did, and it wrought 

 so violently that I thought it would have ended my days. It 

 working so quick with me . . , and my strength being almost 

 spent, I even threw myself down once for all. ... I thought 

 my Malayan doctor, whom they so much commended, would 

 have killed me outright. I continued extraordinary weak for 

 some days after his drenching me thus ; but my fever left me 

 for above a week, after which it returned upon me again for 

 a twelvemonth, and a flux with it." 



