SMALL-POX ON BOARD 41 



feathers were often seen. One evening a booby lit on 

 one of the ship's boats, and I caught it in my hand. 

 The sailors wanted me to release it, and were very 

 angry when I killed and skinned it for my cabinet. I 

 suppose they had some superstition regarding the bird, 

 but I did not propose to lose my specimen on that 

 account. One day a young man, one of the steerage 

 passengers, was suddenly taken ill ; and in a day or 

 two his body was covered with a fine rash. However, 

 it was thought there was no danger of contagious 

 disease, until one morning, as we were nearing the 

 New Zealand coast, the doctor came on deck with a 

 very serious face, and, taking one of the officers aside, 

 whispered to him. 



In less than ten minutes every one on board knew 

 that the sick man was suffering with the small-pox. I 

 shall never forget the fearful apprehension the news 

 caused. 



We steamed into Auckland Harbor a homesick and 

 dejected crowd. The pale yellow flag was hoisted as 

 a signal to those on shore that a contagious disease was 

 aboard; and our vessel ran up near the quarantine 

 island, where the mail was unloaded, and taken ashore 

 to be fumigated. Everything belonging to the sick 

 man, except his watch and money, was thrown over- 

 board ; and he was taken ashore in a small boat, towed 

 behind a larger one, by the sailors. 



A poor fellow who did not have the small-pox at all, 



