G—No. 3

24

REPORT OE COMMISSIONERS UPON MATTERS

I am sure he was her husband ; he was a tall fine-looking man afterwards, but looked very sick then ; we used to think he was as likely to die as his wife. We noticed him sick from a few days after we started. Ido not know if he was sick when he came on board ; I observed no marks on his face, but I never was very close to him ; I would not say that he had not. A single man, Douglas, was sick about that time with measles ; he lived forward in the forecabin ; it was about the same time Olson fell sick I saw him ; he had red spots in his face; there was no matter in them ; he was well again in a few days. There was another man there who also looked very sick ;he was a foreigner. Ido not know his name ; he had a wife and three children, one of whom died. I do not remember seeing this man early on the voyage. I saw Maria Olson several times after moving the bulk-head, which was only a few days before she died ; she was very ill by that time, her face disfigured, and an eruption on her. Never saw any person like that before. It w ras quite different from what Douglas had. The doctor was there when we shifted her. I saw the doctor examine her throat; he said she had ulcerated throat; the spots were on her face at that time. The doctor said it was foreign measles. I have had smallpox when I was young ; cannot say if I have been vaccinated ; I do not think that the marks have grown out. The sailmaker had headache ; we both had it at same time ; this was the latter part of the voyage. At that time Spring was sick forward ; I saw him frequently. His case was like Maria Olson's, but he had a cold besides, before the eruption came out. The storekeeper, Cullen, was also sick ; he had an eruption ; I saw it throughout the whole time. He was attended by the doctor. The eruption on the storekeeper came out in sharper points than on the others, and not a quarter so large ; they had white heads, but were not flat; there was no watery stuff about his skin. It differed in this respect from Maria Olson's. In her case there was a great deal of water on the face and surface of the body ; it had to be wiped up constantly; it looked more like from the heat of the bod}-. I do not think it came from the pimples, because the pimples seemed to be white; they were much the same, but the surface of her skin was drier when I first saw her. I knew Mina, who nursed Maria Olson; she was laid up about ten days after Maria Olson died. I saw her frequently from that time up till her death ; as far as I can judge, the eruption was much similar to Maria Olson's. Maria Olson's baby had also the same eruption. Another foreigner, who died about a week before we came in, had the same eruption. Ido not remember any other cases so bad —that is, so much all over the face. I heard the remark passed that it was not like measles. I did not know what it was, but that it was not the same disease Douglas had; it was quite different. The first time I heard it was similar to small-pox, was when the doctor's report was read by Dr. Johnston, from the Health Officer's boat. The second night before we came in the doctor called me and asked me if I heard what the captain called the disease, as he said he had to make out his final report to-morrow, and he must give it a name. I replied he had better go and ask the women below; I refer to the women generally. Next day the doctor went down, and afterwards came on to the poop, where I was working, and told the captain that they said it was a disease with a foreign name, which he explained to the captain was cow-pox. The doctor asked the captain, in my hearing, for his homoeopathic medicine book, which he received, and took away with him for some time ; and in giving it back said to the captain that the days did not agree with smallpox. lam sure he used the word small-pox. McCarthy, who was one of the men who was sick, told me, after he was better, he fancied it was small-pox ; that was not long before we reached Wellington. I heard the captain remonstrate with Mr. Bligh's foreman (Mr. Bligh was the contractor for Messrs. Shaw Saville and Co., for fitting up the ship) in regard to the skylight. The booby-hatch over the fore-cabin was insufficient; we had to make it good and water-tight during the voyage. If the sea had struck it, it would have been dangerous to the ship. The fore-hatch was done at the time of the inspection at Gravesend, the skylight over the main-hatch was being finished; the day before we left the dock, the bunks were up 'tween decks but not finished, the emigrants being then on board three days; the poop fittings were being put up that day, and the single girls slept in them that night. The fittings were all of planed clean wood, and dry. As we went down to Gravesend, there was a hole cut in the poop to ventilate the poopcabins. There were four water-closets on deck, but I think they could have been better arranged; they were of the same description as I have generally seen for emigrants. These closets were not ready for several days after the emigrants came on board; I think they were not finished until the day before we started; this exposed the emigrants to more inconvenience than would have been the case if they had been ready. I know Captain Scott, managing man for Shaw Saville and Co.; he was on board at Gravesend at the time of inspection, and he was also frequently on board when she was in dock. Captain Scott gave all orders to the joiners and carpenters. I have heard Captain Harrington continually find fault with Shaw and Saville's foreman at the work being behind-hand, and the water-closets unfinished. On the Saturday night before the emigrants came on the following Monday, there was very little cargo in. I recollect that after all the emigrants were on board on Monday night, the stevedores were working all that night, and the hatches were open. Weather was very cold and foggy, also snow. The emigrants got no food on Monday on board ship. Ido not think the emigrants' galley was up on Monday, nor do I think the ship's galley was up on Monday. Ido not think it was until Tuesday evening the emigrants got any food on board. I was busy, and do not know whether they got food elsewhere or not; I only know there was no food on board the ship for them. The hatches were also open on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The loading was not finished until after the ship was hauled away from the quay. The hatches being open would have occasioned much suffering 'tween decks during these three nights and days. I remember seeing charcoal stoves sent down 'tween decks for the use of the passengers during this time, and saw them used. The loading of the ship was under direction of Captain Scott. The hatchways were kept open by Captain Scott's orders. William Geoege Speing, being sworn, saith: — lam an apprentice on board the ship "England," and came out last voyage. I joined the ship about the 23rd of November, and remained with her all the time. I saw the emigrants when they arrived on board. They all looked pretty healthy. I did not remark any of them sick. I was never

By request of Captain Harrington.