172 
CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
find the wind dead ahead, and are obliged to run several days 
sharp on the wind. 
On the morning of the 14th another death was announced; 
the deceased, Dr. Reed, of Massachusetts, had been, for some 
days, conscious of his approaching end, and manifested a strong 
desire to have his remains conveyed to his friends. This was 
his last and almost only request; the fear that this might not 
be complied with seemed to linger with him to the last, and 
died only with his last pulsation. He received some encour¬ 
agement from the captain, but one short hour after his death, 
he followed his unfortunate companions to the grave. He was 
buried in Lat 16° 3' N. 
A report is in circulation that there are dead bodies on board. 
On inquiry, we learn that there are three—a man, a woman and 
child; they were preserved in casks of spirits, and being con¬ 
veyed to the States. This created the greatest consternation in 
the minds of the sailors, and they unanimously resolved to leave 
the ship at the first port. They have a superstitious idea that 
vessels cannot be safely navigated with dead bodies on board. 
Many of the passengers were confined to their berths, some of 
them destined never again to leave them, until removed by 
death. The scurvy had appeared in its worst form, and there 
was nothing on board to relieve its victims. The food served 
out was most execrable; those in robust health were pining 
away, and for the invalids, there was no hope. Among the latter 
there were five who were deranged; they were all confined to 
their berths, and seemed waiting to be relieved by death. There 
is a physician on board, (whose father and captain Smith are 
sole owners of the ship), his services, however, are not at the 
disposition of all. The captain has flour, but pretends it does 
not belong to the ship, and refuses to serve it out to the passen¬ 
gers. He, however, offered to sell it, and two or three of us 
joined and bought a quantity of him, together with a quantity 
of sugar; all to be paid for in Panama, at Panama prices, and 
for all of w T hich we never had the most distant idea of paying him 
a farthing. We hired the cook to prepare it for us, and thereaf¬ 
ter were well served. With this supply, we were in a condi¬ 
tion to invite the invalids to our table, where we could furnish 
them something more palatable than sea-biscuit and salt beef. 
