EFFECTS OF DRINKING SALT-WATER. 95 



distressed and astonished to see one of the men on 

 a sudden start up under the influence of delirium, 

 and attempt to throw himself into the water, from 

 which the combined strength of three or four of the 

 crew with difficulty restrained him. He was one of 

 the best men I had with me ; his sudden and se- 

 rious illness had doubtless been produced by the 

 draughts of salt water which he had swallowed 

 during the night. He had been accustomed to in- 

 dulge in very liberal potations while we were up the 

 river, and now, when from necessity the allowance was 

 restricted to a gallon per day, he had most foolishly 

 attempted in the dark to quench his thirst with the 

 salt waters of the advancing tide. In the afternoon 

 we rejoined the ship, and he was placed under the 

 care of Mr. Bynoe ; but it was some time before he 

 fully recovered from the efibcts of his rash experi- 

 ment. The day was very oppressive, the thermometer 

 beinor 105° in the shade, and there was no wind. 

 We were cordially greeted by our shipmates upon 

 our return, and both Mr. Forsyth and myself en- 

 joyed the luxury of a night's rest in our hammocks ; 

 a most agreeable change after the hot stones upon 

 which we had generally been compelled to court 

 repose during our exploration. We had both suf- 

 fered much inconvenience from the attacks of flies 

 upon our visual organs, necessarily exposed and un- 

 defended as they had been when we were occupied 

 during the observations and in viewing the strange 

 scenes of the last eighteen days. The irritation upon 



