A DEATH AT SEA. 
43 
latitude. Then standing west, in order to fall in with the trade 
winds, we reached 110° west longitude. We then headed north 
on our course to San Francisco, but there was no wind. We 
had a calm for several days, accompanied with rain and mist. 
The weather was excessively hot, causing everything on board 
to mildew. (5ur clothes, boots, trunks, &c., were covered with 
mould. Those who were sick became worse, and others were 
attacked. Our ship rolled about like a log, without sufficient 
air to cause a ripple. There was a general uneasiness mani¬ 
fested, and something foreboding in every face; all were indis¬ 
posed ; we felt that there was a destitution of vitality in the 
atmosphere. On the 6th of June one of the passengers was 
attacked with the ship-fever, which immediately proved fatal. 
He died at three o’clock in the morning, and at ten was brought 
out, sewed up in canvas, and laid upon the gang plank. A 
bag of sand was tied to his feet, a prayer read, and, at the sig¬ 
nal, the end of the plank was raised, and he slid gently into his 
grave. It being calm, we watched the spot until the last bub¬ 
ble had risen to the surface. This was to us an afflicting scene; 
a gloom seemed to rest upon every countenance. That one of 
our number should have been taken away by a disease thought 
to be contagious, and one so malignant in its character, gave 
rise to emotions of the most painful dejection. The ship was 
immediately cleansed, disinfecting fluid was distributed pro¬ 
fusely, and we escaped the farther appearance of the disease. 
