50 EPILEPSY 



of the men, or, indeed, to any part of the ship or 

 anything alongside. 



During our stay at this presidency my time was 

 principally occupied in going to and from the dockyard, 

 in charge of one of the boats, either to discharge old 

 stores or to receive new, as we were very short of petty 

 officers ; but I managed to obtain a day to visit the cave 

 of Elephanta, an island situated about two hours' sail 

 from that part of the harbour of Bombay where we lay, 

 and where are still to be seen those gigantic monuments 

 of a bygone age, whose history, like that of our own 

 Stonehenge, is lost in the remoteness of antiquity. 



From Bombay we were ordered to proceed with convoy 

 to China, touching at Poulon Penang, or Prince of 

 Wales's Island. In our passage across the Bay of Bengal 

 and through the Straits of Sumatra I had repeated 

 attacks of what the doctor now decided was epilepsy, 

 and I was ordered not to go aloft in consequence. 



Becoming enervated both in body and mind, the 

 captain one day sent for me into his cabin, and, after 

 lamenting with much feeling the malady that had 

 rendered me incapable of doing my duty any longer, and 

 the little chance there appeared to be of my recovery 

 in that climate, he said he thought he was best con- 

 sulting my interest and fulfilling the promise he had 

 made my parents by advising me to return to England, 

 where I mi^ht obtain the best medical advice, and under 

 proper care in my native land be rescued from the effects 

 of so distressing a disorder. He then informed me that he 

 should, therefore, on his arrival in China, seek out some 

 homeward-bound Indiaman with whose captain he was 



