52 MALIGNANT FEVER ON BOARD, 



CHAP. IV. he is not iu Europe, -when he sees rising in the horizon 

 ^ — ^ the great constellation of the Ship, or the phosphores- 



stcUutions. cent clouds of ^Magellan. In the equinoctial regions, the 

 earth, the sky, and all their garniture, assume an exotic 

 character." 



Intertropical The intertropical seas being usually smooth, and the 



Tciyage. vessel being impelled by the gentle breezes of the trade- 

 wind, the passage from the Cape Verd Islands to 

 Cumana was as pleasent as could be desired ; but as 

 they approached the West Indies a malignant fever 

 disclosed itself on board. The ship was very much 

 encumbered between decks, and from the time they 

 passed the tropic the thermometer stood from 93° to 



Malignant 9G'8°. Two sailors, several passengers, two negroes 



fever from the coast of Guinea, and a mulatto child, Avere 



attacked. An ignorant Galician surgeon ordered bleed- 

 mgs, to obviate the " heat and corruption of the blood ;" 

 but little exertion had been made in attempting to 

 diminish the danger of infection, and there was not an 

 ounce of bark on board. A sailor, who had been on the 

 point of expiring, recovered his health in a singular 



Onrativc manner. 11 is hammock having been so hung that the 

 sacrament could not be administered to him, he was 

 removed to an airy place near the hatchway, and left 

 there, his death being expected every moment. The 

 transition from a hot and stagnant to a fresher and 

 purer atmosphere gradually restored him, and his re- 

 covery i'urnislied the doctor with an additional proof of 

 the necessity of bleeding and evacuation, — a treatment 

 of which the iatal effects soon became perceptible. 



n u;;Ji On the 13th, early in the morning, very high land 



«».Mtlier ^y.j^^ gppjj_ rj,jj^ ^^.j^^j j^jg^^ j^^^.^^ ^j^^ g^^^ ^^.^g rough, 



large drops of rain fell at intervals, and there was every 

 appearance of stormy weather. Consideraltle doubt 

 existed as to the latitude and longitude, which was 

 however, removed by observations made by our tra- 

 vellers, and the appearance of the island of Tobago. 

 Tills little i.sland is a heap of rocks, the dazzling white- 

 ness of which forms an agreeable contrast with the 



