G—No. 8

28

REPORT OE COMMISSIONERS UPON MATTERS

others whom I cannot specify, agreed it was small-pox, and that it originated with Claus Petersen. I mentioned this to the doctor, and he said he believed the disease began with McDonald's child.

Tuesday, 23rd April, 1872. [Mr. Christian Julius Toxward was sworn as Interpreter.] Cheistoph.ee Eeicksen, duly sworn, saith as follows: — I come from Neas, a place in Norway; this is from twelve to thirteen English miles from Christiania. 1 have got friends out here who arrived last year. Four more of the emigrants come from the same place that I do ; their names are Ole Olson, Ole Amundsen, Gumierius Christiansen, Hans Larsen. I did not know Claus Petersen until I came on board the ship ;he is a Dane. We left Christiania on Wednesday, and arrived in London on the following Monday. Travelled 'tween decks on board steamer, and had plenty of food. We arrived in London at 9 o'clock in the morning ; there were six families of us, or might be seven. A person who could not speak our language met us, and conveyed us on board the ship " England." There was an agent on board the ship when we arrived who could speak our language. I first saw Swenson when the ship was about to leave ; the agent^ on the same day we arrived, showed us the bunks we were to occupy. I slept on board the ship this night, and every night afterwards. We got food the same day we arrived. We were not hungry, and we had not to wait for it; it was cooked on board the ship. All the other emigrants on board were treated in the same manner as we were ; I saw no difference. None of the emigrants after I arrived slept in a shed on the wharf; they all slept on board ship. There were emigrants from Hamburgh there, who came before I was there ; Ido not know how long. I heard of no complaint of any kind during the passage to London from Christiania. Claus Petersen occupied the bunk next to me. I made Claus Petersen's acquaintance directly I came on board ship. He'was not quite well, for he kept in his bunk for about a week after coming on board ; he did come on deck sometimes, and I saw him myself there ; I spoke to him there. At that time ho had some marks on his face ; these spots were a little red ; they were on his face when I first saw him ; the spots disappeared but again reappeared. He has not got these spots now. There was matter in these spots, but no matter ran from them; there were no scabs. I was a married man; my wife died on board ship. My wife's name was Bertha Maria Olsdatter. It was about six days before Christmas my wife fell sick. We had a child six months old; it also died from the same complaint as the mother. My wife, when she fell sick, first complained of her breast, then her throat, then her head; her skin broke out in little pimples ; she was ill for about a fortnight; the pimples showed themselves about the end of her illness. I saw them when they first broke out; they were white and glossy; when they got larger, a large red ring formed round them ; they were pointed at first, and then sunk down in the centre after a little while. They looked about the same as those I had seen on Claus Petersen's face ; this was at the beginning, by which I mean when they first appeared. I have seen small-pox at home in my own country. I thought at the beginning of my wife's illness, that it was nothing of any importance, but before her death I thought her illness was small-pox. I told this to Ole Bosen, and Johan Jespersen ; they thought it was small-pox too. I mentioned to Swenson the interpreter that I thought it was small-pox, also before my wife died. Swenson said the doctor said it was measles. I have seen measles in my own country ; I did not see measles on board ship. I did not see anything on board ship like the measles I have seen in my own country. There was a time during my wife's sickness, before the eruption became larger, that I thought it was measles. My wife was nursed in her sickness by Mina Bergersdatter. The doctor came and attended my wife at the latter end of her illness; he did not visit her at the commencement of her illness. I wished to have the doctor, and asked Swenson to request the doctor to come down to my wife. For three days after that he did not come. I did not see the doctor during these three days. The third day after the doctor was requested to attend my wife he did come, and he said that it was sea-sickness my wife had; there was then no spots or marks of any kind visible. Three days elapsed between his first and second visit. On his second visit the eruption was out; she was suckling her baby; the baby was taken from her the day after the doctor had been there the second time. From that time he attended her regularly twice a day, until she died ; that was about five days. He was there the evening before she died. I think the doctor should have looked better after my wife at the time she took ill. I thought this, because the doctor did not come when called. I believe Swenson gave my message to the doctor. Swenson brought the doctor on the first occasion. My wife was well attended to, and got everything she needed. Swenson brought her all the things. The captain came down frequently to see that everything was right, but I do not remember as to the captain's seeing my wife during her illness. When she was removed from her bunk, it was done in the doctor's presence. Ido not think the doctor assisted to remove her. It was the carpenter and Mina who principally assisted in moving her. The doctor gave her medicine, applied cold water to her face and a folded up piece of wet cloth to her forehead; also bathed her eyes with lukewarm water. I have been vaccinated. I had no disease similar to my wife during the voyage, nor had I ever. My wife had been vaccinated twenty years before. She had the same marks on her arm that I have. My child was not vaccinated. It is the law in Norway that all children must be vaccinated. The marks which I now show on my left arm are not so strong or distinct as those which were on my wife's arm. She was blonde, had blue eyes, and a delicate skin. Before I asked Swenson to call the doctor, I asked him what was the reason the doctor did not come to see us. This was three days before I first asked Swenson to call the doctor to see us. Six days elapsed between the time I first spoke to Swenson about the doctor's duty to attend before he did attend upon us, but only three days after the time I sent for him. The doctor did not see my wife until she was sick six days. I did not see the doctor 'tween decks during these six days. He might have been down without my seeing him. My child was removed from the mother by order of the doctor. I thought so because the doctor was there with Swenson. The child was taken to the cabin, and it was taken care of and nursed by

By request of Swenson, Interpreter.

By request of Dr. Leigh. By request of Captain Harrington.