358 PROCEEDINGS OF TIE SECTIONS. 
of the case were taken into careful consideration. Thirteen 
assengers were known to have landed in Melbourne ; 200 citizens 
had visited the infected ship, and dispersed to their homes ; any of 
these might have actually been in Sydney before the “ Océanien” 
came into port. Under any circumstances, little of value can 
be done by inland quarantine; under these circumstances 
especially, nothing could be done. It appeared, therefore, that the 
usual detention, if it were enforced here, would be vexatious—its 
hardships would be incommensurate with any advantage which 
could be hoped from it with confidence. The detention therefore 
was not insisted upon. But, had this been the vessel’s first port 
of call in Australia, it would certainly have been enforced for 
the reasons already given. 
I am constrained to add, that there seems to have been a dere- 
liction of duty along the whole line. The Health Service at 
Réunion acted with sheer cruelty in condemning some 300 people 
to remain shut up with two cases of small-pox on board the ship. 
It was clearly a duty owing first to humanity, secondly to their 
countrymen, and thirdly to a mail-service subsidized by their own 
Government, to have taken all three patients into quarantine, and 
to have thoroughly cleansed the vessel. Had this course been 
followed, she would, upon the production of sufficiently detailed 
will be sought by the Company affected. Almost the same 
fumigation and cleansing. This, too, was a duty owing to 
humanity. It appears to me that in this case the intervention of 
our own Colonial Office might well be sought ; and, as Mauritius 
isa Crown Colony, no doubt its remonstrances would take the 
form of commands. The officers at both of these ports seem to 
there, and I therefore pass it over without further remark. 
last the “Océanien” reached our shores ; and here all was done 
that events and lapse of time had left possible. 
