HOW THEY TREAT SMALL-POX PATIENTS IN WANGANUI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 40, 18 February 1869, Page 3

HOW THEY TREAT SMALL-POX PATIENTS IN WANGANUI.

It wbiild have been very amusing, if ifc had not involved elements of painful reflection, to have seen the way in which a small canoe was ksacked about the river on tbe evening of Tuesday last. Its passengers or rather passenger, for only on© remained steadily in the frail thing, while the others operated 'on land, was shipped at the bathing-house, and the intention seemed to be to tow the canoe down the r river, but as the wind blew freshly to the right bank, it continually took the ground =and the tiny waves swept over it, gradually drenching the solitary passenger to whom we have referred, who lay at foil length in its bottom. After a latge expenditure of pushing and pulling—leaping out and getting into the canoe— a couple of hours being thus spent — the towing process was •given up as a failure, and the canoe at -length paddled boldly out on the river with the 'determination of making land at Putiki. The left bank was neared, when ; a crowd of natives yelling and shouting •like maniacs, forbade the landing of the •canoe on their ,'shore. Driven from the land in this way the canoe kept dodging ; about — now up now down, one time coming to Ibe wharf— until nightfall, when it it was anchored -on the right side •about a mile and a half from town— the vicinity of the only house at this part of the river-bank being chosen for some Teason which does not appear. It looks a curious escapade; the actual facts make it more so. Will our readers believe that the canoe thus drifting about contained 'the small-pox patient, and that yesterday -morning he lay in it, anchored as we have ■described, under a drenching rain* If the man lives he is mote indebted to a strong constitution than to any care bestowed upon him by the authorities in Wanganui. The case is -a peculiar one, and consequently very -difficult to deal with, still the arrangements, or rather want of arrangements, were extremely loose and inefficient. The •hired attendants got drunk. We hope no -evil consequences will follow. The patient was yesterday taken to the Sonth Spit, and put under a tent with parties to "wait upOn him. We learn that the poor ■fellow is since dead.