TO THE COURT OF CANDY* 
305 
river next day, and appointed Colonel Torrens to command 
here in his absence. Daring upwards of a month that the 
detachment which he left behind remained encamped at 
Re Sue Orti Palagamby Watty, very few days passed with- 
out the most heavy falls of rain, attended with close and 
violent peals of thunder and lightning. This weather, which 
almost constantly closed the evening, and was followed by 
thick damp fogs at night, succeeded by excessive heat in the 
early part of the day, produced such a rapid change of 
temperature as was attended with the most pernicious effects 
to the health of the troops. Dysenteries, fluxes, and liver 
complaints, became frequent ; and the jungle fever, which 
often proves fatal where the person attacked has not an op- 
portunity of being immediately removed to the sea air, 
began to make its appearance. The woods around the en- 
campment were also so close, that no one could stir out of the 
camp without the greatest risque of losing himself in their 
mazes. Two soldiers happening to walk out one day, were 
in this manner unable to regain the camp, and remained in 
the woods a day and night exposed to all the inclemency of 
such weather as I have described : nor would they in all 
probability ever have been recovered, had not several parties 
been sent out in different directions, with orders to fire from 
time to time, in hopes that the stragglers would hear the re- 
port of the musquets. This had the desired effect, and these 
poor fellows were at last brought to the cainp, after having 
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