362 
REMOVAL OF THE SICK. 
Still in health, would be then relieved from the 
depressing influence on the spirits, occasioned by the 
presence of so many of their sick shipmates, and also 
that a pre-disposing cause of fever, in the closeness and 
impurity of the air, arising from a number of sick 
persons being thus crowded together, would be removed, 
while those patients whose state did not require a 
removal to the sea, would be benefited by being less 
crowded in sick quarters.” 
Captain Trotter, as Senior Commissioner, resolved, 
therefore, after receiving the opinions of his colleagues, 
that the same course should be followed in regard to the 
two larger vessels, which had been determined upon at 
the meeting of the 1 6th of September. 
The ‘ Soudan’ was accordingly got ready with the 
utmost possible dispatch, to receive her melancholy 
cargo, and Commander W. Allen was directed to send 
his sick on hoard. That officer, however, feeling 
perfectly convinced from his former experience of the 
river, and the present condition of the crews, that in a 
very short time, H. M. S. ‘ Wilberforce’ would be 
reduced to the necessity of following the ‘ Soudan,’ 
requested permission to send such only of the sick as 
might desire to go; especially as he considered — in 
which his surgeon. Dr. Pritchett, concuived — that the 
removal of the men in the state in which some of them 
were, would be attended with great risk. Only six 
expressed a wish to leave, the others, sixteen in 
number, preferred to remain by their ship. One man, 
on being asked whether he would like to go, said he 
