136 CONDITION OF THE SETTLEMENT. 



absence of more than three years, I mi^ht naturally 

 have looked for some signs of improvement in the 

 appearance of the settlement and condition of the 

 unfortunate residents, had I not been aware of the 

 non-prog-ressive nature of the system which had 

 long- been established there. I saw no such indica- 

 tions of prosperity except in the flourishing and 

 improved appearance of the cocoa-nut trees now in 

 full bearing, as if nature boldly asserted her rights 

 in opposition to the dormant or even retrograde 

 condition of everything else in the place. 



We found the settlement in a ruinous condition. 

 Even the hospital, the best building in the place, 

 had the roof in such a state that when rain came on 

 some of the patients' beds had to be shifted, and 

 the surgeon found it necessary to protect his own 

 bed by a tent-Hke canopy. With few exceptions, 

 every one was dissatisfied, and anxiously looked 

 forward to the happy time when the party should 

 be reheved, or the settlement finally abandoned. 

 The unhealthiness* of the place, so often denied, 



* As illustration of this point, I would direct attention to the 



following tabular view of the Detachment of Marines at Port 



Essington, from the time of the arrival of the second party to 



their final departure, embracing a period of five years. I have 



not been able to procure any authentic statement of the mortality 



among \he, first party. 



Found there . 1 officer men") 



A • J 1. r^ J . o 1 .„ 1 fNov. 19th, 1844. 



Arrived by Cadet 3 do. 52 do. j ' 



Do. by Freak 2 do. 6 do. 1847. 

 6 58 



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