1843] FEVER AND ILLNESS. 43 



ship ; and when my letters, antecedent to that failure, 

 spoke confidently of ultimate success. 



To overcome the difficulties of the occasion, it now 

 became necessary to adhere to a more decided system. 

 Our crew continued to fail from fever and diarrhaea, and 

 at one time more than half were either in their hammocks 

 or disabled ; the three warrant officers fell ill, and not an 

 individual seemed to entertain the remotest idea of the 

 ' Samarang' being ever brought to float again on the 

 bosom of the ocean. Severely afflicted myself, with 

 partial loss of my right arm and hand, as well as suffering 

 mentally, I continued, however, to superintend my 

 plans. 



The three upright spars before mentioned were re- 

 placed by larger ones, arranged as follows : the first was 

 stepped just abaft the fore-channels, in three fathoms 

 mud, the second between it and the starboard gangway, 

 and the third on the fore side of the main-channels. The 

 two last were used as sheers ; and to these and the fore- 

 most, the main strain was to be applied ; their length 

 enabled their heads to reach above the tops, and a spar 

 was lashed horizontally, to keep them steadily in their 

 places. To the heads of these the vertical purchases 

 were attached in the following manner : 



On the head of the main, an iron-strapped top-block, a ; 

 on the lashing, which was formed by the bights of the 

 breeching hawser passed through each of the main-deck 

 ports and over the skid beams, a lashing block, b ; the 

 top pendant was rove through a, down through d, and 

 secured round the head of the spar. The top tackle 

 purchase was brought upon this, and, by a leading block 



