FEDERAL QUARAISTTI^E. 
837 
When Dr. McKellar first brought this question before us, and 
proposed it as a modification of our present arrangements, calculated 
to give the colonies much better protection at less cost and trouble, 
he justified himself by the following remarks, which appear to me to 
be full of wisdom and timely warning. The quotation is taken from 
the address given by him before the Royal Society of New South 
Wales in the year 1883 : — 
14 Hitherto we in the Australian colonies have enjoyed a remark- 
able immunity from epidemic sickness, owing, no doubt, chiefly to 
our geographical position. Situated as we are at a great distance from 
those countries with which we have had any considerable trade, 
diseases have had time to develop and die out during the necessarily 
tedious voyage of vessels carrying passengers to our shores ; but now, 
when in a few weeks rapid mail steamers bridge over the distance 
which at one time took as many months to traverse, we can hardly 
hope to obtain protection in this way. And, moreover, our trade with 
India, China, and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago — countries 
distant but a couple of weeks’ sail — is rapidly developing ; and I am 
afraid that it is from this source that we may one day receive a blow, in 
the shape of some terrible epidemic, which half a century’s prosperity 
will hardly suffice to repair.” 
Since the utterance of these words we in Queensland have had 
more than one object lesson calculated to emphasise the doctor’s 
prophecy. During the months of last May, June, and July, as you 
all are no doubt aware, an outbreak of the terrible bubonic plague 
or black death occurred at Hongkong, and carried off during that 
period no less than 150,000 of the inhabitants of that city, besides 
many thousands more at Canton and in other towns in the vicinity. 
A steamer called the “ Chingtu,” regularly trading between that city 
and Sydney, brought with it, it was supposed, a case of this terrible 
disease. I say “supposed” because I believe there was some doubt 
in the matter. However, on touching at Thursday Island, the 
quarantine officer reported the case to the Government, who were 
not prepared for so terrible a visitant, and instructed the authorities 
at Thursday Island to have every precaution taken to prevent the 
extension of any disease on board the steamer, whilst she was directed 
to proceed in quarantine to the port of destination at Sydney, not 
touching at any other port. As far as I have been able to learn, 
the patient died on the way down, and no other case appeared, and 
thus happily this colony was possibly saved from the catastrophe 
suggested by Dr. McKellar. 
Nor was this the only escape we in Queensland have had of a 
like kind since the doctor’s warning. But a few years since the 
plague of Asiatic cholera was brought to our shores by the steamship 
“ Dorunda,” recently wrecked on the coast of Portugal. 
She was one of the passenger steamers belonging to the British 
India Company trading regularly to this colony. On her voyage 
from Europe she always touched at Batavia, where on one such 
voyage she picked up this pestilence and brought it to Queensland. 
No symptom appeared on board until she had reached our northern 
coast, where the disease broke out in its usual malignant form. 
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