138 CONDITION OF THE GABEISON. 



land-wind. Within 400 yards of the hospital a 

 great extent of mud oiergrown with mangroves^ 

 dry at low water, must have exercised a prejudicial 

 influence ; at times while crossing this swamp, the 

 putrid exhalations have induced a feeling- almost 

 amounting to nausea. And if anything more than 

 another shews the comparative imhealthiness of the 

 site of the settlement, it is the fact, that invahds 

 sent to Point Smith (at the entrance of the harbour) 

 or Coral Bay,— both of which places are within the 

 fuU iufluence of the sea breeze, — speedily recovered, 

 although relapses on their return to Victoria were 

 not imirequent. 



Even in the important article of food — setting 

 aside other secondarj^ stores — the Port Essington 

 garrison have almost alwaj-s been badly supphed. 

 I have seen them obliged to use bread which was 

 not fit for human food— the refuse of the stock on 

 hand at the close of the war m China, and yet there 

 was none better to be got. In short, I believe, as 

 I stated some years ago in a Colonial paper, that 

 there is probably no vessel in Her Majest}''s navy, 

 no matter where serving, the men of which are not 

 better supplied with all the necessaries and comforts 

 of life than are the residents at Port Essington. AU 

 these have volunteered for the place, but their pre- 

 conceived ideas formed in England almost alwa}^ 

 on reaching the place gave way to feehngs of 

 regret at the step they had taken ; I well remember 



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