CHOLERA, &c. AT THE FIJIS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VI, Issue 1011, 19 July 1883, Page 2

CHOLERA, &c. AT THE FIJIS.

HOW THE HEALTH OFFICER WAS SOLD. (United Press Association.) Auckland, July 18. The steamer Penguin came into port last evening at half-past 9 o’clock from Fiji, Her master brought the vessel alongside the wharf to enable passengers to get ashore without delay. Within half an hour of the time of her mooring to the wharf there was hardly a passenger on her decks. Whilst the Penguin was coming into port the following telegram, dated from Wellington, 25 minutes to 9 p.m., on the 15th, was being flashed along the wire to the health officer, Dr Philson : “ Fiji declared infected place. (Signed) G. S. Cooper.” The telegram reached, the hands of Dr Philson about 10 o’clock. In the meantime tho Penguin had reached the wharf. Dr Philson hurried to the wharf and found the vessel alongside. Capt. Cromarty assured Dr Philson he was ignorant of the fact that Fiji had heen declared an infected place by the New Zealand Government, but as all the passengers had by this time gone away, he could not see how the matter was to be remedied. Dr Philson ordered the mails to be fumigated before being sent ashore, and then agreed te give Captain Cromarty a clean bill of health. Captain Cromarty assured Dr Philson that there was no sickness at Levuka, his last port of departure on the 13th, but that cholera, small-pox, and measles were prevalent at Suva, which port he left on the 4th. The Herald blames the Government for delay, in issuing the notice after it was known a week ago that the other colonies had declared Fiji infected. The following, from tha Suva Times of the 23rd June, explains the action of the authorities at Sydney and Melbourne, in declaring the Fijian ports infected places : —“ The ship Poonah arrived on Monday last from Calcutta with 495 souls on board, exclusive of the captain, officers and crew. There had been twenty-six deaths from the time of her departure until her arrival, the majority from cholera. Five cases of smallpox were reported, but no deaths had occurred from that disease. The engineer died from cholera. The vessel is quarantined, and the present proposal of the Government is that she shall proceed to Nukalan and'there discharge the and stores, leaving the colony having obtained pratique. There a difficulty in placing the . men , proper authority and the necessity of placfngawatch over the cargo, which will also have to be landed, A fresh outbreak having been reported since the arrival of tho vessel, tho Government have printed in the Fijian language no|Ryigg)'ijatives that infected coolie immigrantiHfilvA&ecu placed in quarantine on the islahs JJufcalan, and warning them not to on the reef near it under penaltiei*f||p||