MORTALITY ON BOARD THE VESSEL. 199 



was mounted on the bows of the boat, and got 

 under weigh, with the canoe in which I came 

 towing astern. 



We made the best of our way, and reached the 

 Alburkah at 3 p. m. on Monday, December 30th, 

 after having rested only two hours out of the 

 forty-two. I felt truly grateful that we had ac- 

 complished the journey in so short a time and 

 without accident ; but my satisfaction at this was 

 quickljf damped by finding that Hugh Dunleary, 

 the engineer — Samuel Harvey, boatswain, and 

 two men, had died during my absence. Being 

 now left without an engineer, I had only to trust 

 to the black firemen. I also found the carpenter, 

 William Miller, and Francisco, a Spaniard, on 

 the point of death. The mate, Mr. Huntington, 

 was very ill, and labouring under delirium tre- 

 mens from excessive drinking. It is difficult to 

 account for the infatuation of some men, who go 

 out to the coast of Africa, and commit all kinds 

 of excesses, drinking to intoxication, and expos- 

 ing themselves to the heavy dews by sleeping 

 on the deck, when they are aware of the conse- 

 quences inseparable from such a course. They 

 are seized with fever, become alarmed, give 

 themselves up to despair — refuse advice, medir- 



