176 FURTHER SICKNESS. 



letter from Mr. Lander, informing me that there 

 was not sufficient depth of water for the Albur- 

 kah, and therefore that she could not proceed 

 to Rabbah and Boussa, as was intended. It 

 stated that Captain Hill had sounded the river, 

 and that he could walk across it. 



For the last fortnight the weather had been 

 sultry and close : fortunately we had roofed the 

 Quorra in with long grass, and prepared for the 

 rainy season, which was fast approaching. We 

 had had two or three squalls, but no regular tor- 

 nadoes. The thermometer had varied from 82° 

 to 97° between seven in the morning and four in 

 the afternoon. The evenings now were no longer 

 pleasant and cool, and we found them even more 

 distressing than the days. Sickness had done its 

 work on us all. My boatswain, Harvey, was the 

 only man who had tolerable health ; the remain- 

 ing three seamen were confined constantly to 

 their hammocks. I was emaciated to the last 

 degree, while my joints were swelled to twice 

 their natural size, and excessive debility disabled 

 me from walking or even standing without as- 

 sistance. Dr. Briggs, although not so much re- 

 duced as I was, had one or two attacks of 

 dysentery, which alarmed me exceedingly. He 



