152 CAPTAIN STOKES VERY ILL. July 1828. 
they are skinned and cut up. The first night seven hundred 
pounds of meat were brought, and two thousand and forty-six 
pounds were obtained in a few days. 
This ample change of diet inspired me with the hope 
that our sick, at least those affected by scurvy, would recover, 
and that after another large supply, which we now knew how 
to obtain, we might be enabled to prosecute our voyage as 
was first intended. All hands were therefore allowed fresh 
meat for a week, and the residue was placed at the disposal 
of the surgeon, for the use of the sick, but all ineffectually ; 
the list still increased, and Lieutenant Wickham, with a vio- 
lent cold, and Mr. Rowlett, with scurvy, were added to it. 
The assistant-surgeon’s became the worst case of scurvy on 
board ; and our people, finding that the preparations for quit- 
ting the place were not going on, began to despond again. 
Captain Stokes was anxious to prepare his vessel for another 
cruize, being very averse to giving up our plans and returning 
to Monte Video, since he thought the crews, from utter disgust 
at the privations and hardships they had endured, would not 
be persuaded to go on another voyage; but that if they were 
to go to Childe or Valparaiso, to refresh, they might recover 
their strength and spirits, and be willing to renew the survey; 
which, however, he himself seemed to dread, for he never men- 
tioned the subject without a shudder. He was evidently much 
excited, and suspicions arose in my mind that all was not quite 
right with him. I endeavoured to prevail on him to give his 
people a longer rest, but he was the more anxious to make 
preparations. On the 3lst July he sent an application for pro- 
visions, and in the evening I received a note from him, which 
was written in his former usual flow of spirits. The officers, 
however, knew more of the diseased state of his mind than I 
did ; and it was owing to a hint given to me, that I desired 
Mr. Tarn to communicate with Mr. Bynoe, and report to me 
whether Captain Stokes’s health was sufficiently restored to 
enable him to commence another cruize. This was on the Ist 
of August. The provisions had been sent, in compliance with 
his application, and the surgeons were on board the Adventure, 
