JOURNEY TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
227 
on the watch all night. Each deck foreman appointed day 
guard to stay below all the time. 
The steamship Corinthia was a regular stock boat and was 
better fitted up than most boats in the charter of the govern¬ 
ment. Had 1452 mules on board divided on three decks, with 
feed in the hold. The mules were loaded about as follows : 
one row clear around the ship, heads towards centre ; then two 
rows down centre, facing out, an alleyway about four feet 
wide between. They were in pens of from five to eight in a 
pen, all tied with ropes, which I was told had been steeped in 
aloes, to prevent their eating them. To my mind it seemed to 
stimulate the appetite so much that they ate rope tie-straps, 
then halters, finally the feed boxes on breast boards, and occa¬ 
sionally one another. The feed boxes were hung on the breast • 
boards. Ventilation was from wind sails made of canvas, which 
helped some to get air to the lower decks, then the open ports 
helped a great deal on the middle deck. Wasn’t expected to 
clean out at all; the result if that had been followed would have 
been scratches and thrush galore. 
The first few days out in the Gulf of Mexico, there were a 
few seasick mules, with about the following symptoms : cold 
sweats, shivering, extremities chilled, retching, leaning up 
against the head or breast board until wind was shut off, then 
some mad struggling, which generally ended in the animal 
falling and being trampled upon by the others, unless they were 
speedily removed. Temperatures were rather high, pulse slow 
and weak, and respiration accelerated. Some were very un¬ 
easy ; would often take a mouthful of hay, chew it a minute or 
so, and then stand and hold for some time; others wouldn’t eat 
or drink at all. Some cases lasted for three or four days, others 
only a few hours. Treatment: always gave them plenty of 
room to lie down ; if very uneasy, gave tinct. opii, later a 
physic. But as a rule, no treatment was needed. Had a num¬ 
ber of cases of strangles ; was unable to isolate them, and 
was told it was best not to, the theory being that the mules 
were likely to have it, and the sooner the better, in that way 
avoiding additional expense and having them ready for service 
when landed. 
Everything was in good shape until May 15th, at 8.15 P. M. 
The night was frightfully dark, and it was raining harder than 
I had ever seen it rain before. We were steaming about thir¬ 
teen knots per hour, when all of a sudden there was a very 
hard shock, followed by two of lesser force. I put on my 
