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MEXICO. 



gainst these invisible foes, so that there was no- 

 thing for it hut to submit. It is perhaps worthy 

 of remark, that those persons invariably suffered 

 most who were least temperate in their diet ; and 

 that the water drinkers (that rare species) were 

 especially exempted from the feverish discipline 

 of these attacks. It was perfectly out of the ques- 

 tion to try to get any sleep before the land-wind 

 set in ; but this often deceived us, and at best 

 seldom came before midnight, and then it blew 

 over the hot plain, and reached us loaded with 

 offensive vapours from the marsh : but this was 

 nothing, as it served to disperse the sand-flies, 

 and gradually acquired a degree of coolness^ 

 which allowed us to drop asleep towards morn- 

 ing — worn out with heat, vexation, and impotent 

 rage. 



14ith of May, — Some days after I came to San 

 Bias, the chief secretary of the government call- 

 ed, to request that the surgeon of the Conway 

 might be allowed to visit his sick daughter, a 

 little girl of three years of age. I sent to the 

 ship for the doctor, and accompanied him to the 

 house, where we found the child not so ill as the 

 father's fears had imagined. The doctor thought 



