212 



PICK UP THE SICK. 



extra shirt of foreign manufactured cotton, worn in the heat of the day 

 ■when not at work, or in the evening when the musquitoes are trouble- 

 some. The bark cloth is most frequently used at night, when they 

 particularly protect themselves. In the middle of the day they take 

 off their clothes, carefully fold them up, and place them aside until they 

 are required. "When it rains very heavily they always undress, but as 

 soon as the storm is over, or after the weather has been unpleasant for 

 some time, and the air becomes cold, they dress again. They undress 

 while at their seats in the canoe. As soon as we stop to breakfast, 

 ever^ man puts on his shirt before he leaves the boat ; the captains 

 always wear their clothes. The men seem to be very careful about the 

 temperature at night. I have seen them put one shirt over another, and 

 double their garments. 



May 28, 1852. — The night was cloudy, and morning foggy. At 

 daylight we were under weigh again, after sleeping comfortably in the 

 woods on the bank, which varies its height from four to five feet. 

 During the night the river rose three feet and fell again one. A short 

 distance below we ran into a canebrake, and there, to our astonishment, 

 stood three men belonging to this crew. The poor creatures had been 

 here seventeen days, with the small pox. A little shelter of canes 

 shaded them from the heat of the sun, but rain beat in upon them as 

 they lay helpless on beds of green leaves, with no one to attend them. 

 A knife was their only protection from the savage tiger, unless the 

 stench from the disease kept wild animals at a distance. 



Their faces brightened as they saw their friends ; but there were only 

 three. Where was the fourth, inquired the crew? Their answer was, 

 that during the fever, in the middle of the night, he had rushed into the 

 river ; they heard a splash and never saw their companion after; he was 

 carried down the stream by the current and drowned. 



One of them was still quite sick ; the others could work. Their usual 

 seats were in the after part of the canoe, but as the odor from their 

 bodies was great, I sent them as far forward as they could go. One of 

 them, called the padre of the crew, became very much affronted at this 

 order, and was disposed to disobey it, but the captain insisted, and he 

 moved. His duties were lighter were he was sent, and there he was not 

 so confined among us and the men. The idea of all being afflicted with 

 the small pox in this little canoe, was an unpleasant one. We were in 

 constant expectation of seeing some others taken sick. 



The first symptoms, as described to us, were fever with pain in the 

 back, which lasts three days. Then the breaking out commences, with 

 inflamed lips. At the end of six days the disease has attained its height, 



