76 RETURN TO EAHIA DEATHS. May 



out of the port during a fresh sea-breeze, unless the flood-tide 

 should be running in strongly. 



On this passage one of our seamen died of a fever, contracted 

 when absent from the Beagle with several of her officers, on an 

 excursion to the interior part of the extensive harbour of 

 Rio de Janeiro. One of the ship''s boys, who was in the same 

 party, lay dangerously ill, and young Musters seemed destined 

 to be another victim to this deadly fever. 



It was while the interior of the Beagle was being painted, 

 and no duty going on except at the little observatory on Ville- 

 gagnon Island, that those officers who could be spared made 

 this excursion to various parts of the harbour. Among other 

 places they were in the river Macacu, and passed a night there. 

 No effect was visible at the time ; the party returned in apparent 

 health, and in high spirits ; but two days had not elapsed when 

 the seaman, named Morgan, complained of headach and fever. 



The boy Jones and Mr. Musters were taken ill, soon after- 

 wards, in a similar manner ; but no serious consequences were 

 then apprehended, and it was thought that a change of air 

 would restore them to health. Vain idea ! they gradually be- 

 came worse ; the boy died the day after our arrival in Bahia ; 

 and, on the 19th of May, my poor little friend Charles Musters, 

 who had been entrusted by his father to my care, and was a 

 favourite with every one, ended his short career. 



My chief object in now mentioning these melancholy facts is 

 to warn the few who are not more experienced than I was at that 

 time, how very dangerous the vicinity of rivers may be in hot 

 climates. Upon making more inquiry respecting those streams 

 which run into the great basin of Rio de Janeiro, I found 

 that the Macacu was notorious among the natives as being 

 often the site of pestilential malaria, fatal even to themselves. 

 How the rest of our party escaped, I know not ; for they were 

 eleven or twelve in number, and occupied a day and night in 

 the river. When they left the ship it was not intended that 

 they should go up any river; the object of their excursion 

 being to visit some of the beautiful islets which stud the har- 

 bour. None of us were aware, however, that there was so 



