OCT. 1770 BOUGAINVILLE ILLNESS OF PARTY 371 



Spanish colours, might choose to go quite across with them. 

 The iron, which most misled us, had undoubtedly been bought 

 in Spanish America. Besides the botanist mentioned above, 

 these ships were furnished with one or more draughtsmen, so 

 that they have probably done some of our work for us. 



21st. After petitioning and repetitioning the Council of 

 the Indies, our affairs were at last settled, and orders given 

 to heave down the ship with all expedition; so she this 

 day went down to Kuyper, called by the English Cooper's 

 Island, where a warehouse was allotted for her to lay up her 

 stores, etc. 



We now began sensibly to feel the ill effects of the 

 unwholesome climate we were in. Our appetites and spirits 

 were gone, but none were yet really sick except poor Tupia 

 and Tayeto, both of whom grew worse and worse daily, so 

 that I began once more to despair of poor Tupia's life. At 

 last he desired to be moved to the ship, where, he said, he 

 should breathe a freer air clear of the numerous houses, 

 which he believed to be the cause of his disease, by stopping 

 the free draught. Accordingly on the 28th I went down 

 with him to Kuyper, and on his liking the shore had a tent 

 pitched for him in a place he chose, where both sea and 

 land breezes blew right over him, a situation in which he 

 expressed great satisfaction. 



The seamen now fell ill fast, so that the tents ashore 

 were always full of sick. After a stay of two days I left 

 Tupia well satisfied in mind, but not at all better in body, 

 and returned to town, where I was immediately seized with 

 a tertian, the fits of which were so violent as to deprive me 

 entirely of my senses, and leave me so weak as scarcely to 

 be able to crawl downstairs. My servants, Peter and James, 

 were as bad as myself, and Dr Solander now felt the first 

 attacks of the fever, but never having been in his lifetime 

 once ill, resisted it, resolved not to apply to a physician. 

 But the worst of all was Mr. Monkhouse, the ship's surgeon ; 

 he was now confined to his bed by a violent fever, which 

 grew worse and worse notwithstanding all the efforts of the 

 physician. 



