218 
A VOYAGE TO 
1803. 
February. 
[North Coast. 
8 3° to 87°, nearly as it had been from first entering the Guiph of 
Carpentaria ; ar d on shore it was probably io° higher. Several of our 
people were ill of diarrhoeas at this time, accompanied with some 
fever, which was attributed by the surgeon to the heat and the moist 
state of the atmosphere ; for since December,, when the north-west 
monsoon began, not many days had passed without rain, and thunder 
squalls were frequent. Exposing the head uncovered to the sun, 
more especially if engaged in strong exercise, was proved to be very 
dangerous here ; I lost one man in Blue-mud Bay from a want of 
due precaution in this particular, and at this place two others very 
narrowly escaped. Musketoes were numerous and exceedingly 
troublesome on shore, as also the black flies ; but no venemous 
reptiles were seen in our limited excursions round Caledon Bay. 
The mercury in the barometer stood between 29,90 and 29,95 
inches, in the rainy weather with strong winds from the eastward ; 
but with fine weather and variable winds, more especially from the 
south and westward, it descended to 29,80 inches. 
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