CONNECTED WITH THE SHIP «ENGLAND."

39

G.—No. 3

The ship on her return to the United Kingdom, to be consigned to Shaw Saville and Co., or their agents, the owners paying the usual commission. Penalty for non-performance of this agreement, amount of freight. (Signed) G. H. Haretngton. G. H. H. Witness—(Signed) G. W. Jones. 24th October, 1871. (Signed) Shaw, Saville, and Co. (Signed) Shaw, Saville, and Co. Witness—(Signed) John Greenway. H. Suegeon's Agreement, Ship "England." Moore and Co., Agents for appointing Surgeons to Ships to all parts of the World, No. 14 A, St. Mary Axe, London, E.C., 2nd December, 1871. It is this day mutually agreed between Mr. John T. Leigh, Eegistered Member of the College of Surgeons, and Messrs. Shaw Saville and Co., the ship "England," as follows: —Mr. Leigh agrees to perform the duties of Surgeon on board the above-named ship, during the voyage from London to New Zealand out, only attending any person in the ship who may require medical assistance. To provide all surgical instruments required by the Government Medical Officer. To sign the Government Emigration Book. To sign ship's Articles when and where required, and to deposit with Messrs. Shaw Saville and Co. his diploma and testimonials, which are to be returned to him by the Captain on the vessel sailing. In consideration of which Messrs. Shaw Saville and Co. agree to provide for Mr. Lei°h a chief cabin passage, with mess at the captain's table as an officer of the ship, and pay as follows, namely: —The sum of twenty pounds, ten pounds of which are to be advanced. Shaw, Saville, and Co., Witness—F. Moore. Per N. E. Sutherland.

J. Medical Eeport of the Ship " England," during the Voyage from London to Wellington, New Zealand. This ship left Gravesend on the morning of Bth December, 1871, laden with 103 emigrants, composed of English, Scotch, Dutch, Danish, and Norwegians. The married people with their families were placed in the midships between the decks ; they numbered altogether seventy-seven ; the single men, eight in number, were placed between decks, in a separate compartment of the fore part of the ship ; and the single women, who numbered fifteen, together with three children, were assigned a portion of the ship underneath the poop, alongside the saloon cabin. The majority of the emigrants had been exposed to great hardships and very severe weather immediately preceding their shipment on board this vessel. This, I believe, greatly contributed to the severity of the epidemic and other illness from which we have suffered. At the inspection which took place at Gravesend by Dr. Featherston, previous to our departure, no serious illness was observed amongst any on board the ship, although it was noticed that the general physique of the married people was under rather than above the healthy robust standard. During the first fourteen days, a great number of the emigrants suffered from influenza and catarrhal symptoms, as well as from sea-sickness. On 23rd December, 1871, being fifteen days out, measles first made its appearance in a child amongst the married people. The disease quickly spread, and as we neared the Line it increased in virulence, and assumed an unusually malignant character. When the epidemic attained its maximum of severity which it did, about 15th February, the symptoms of the disease very closely resembled those of variola confluens. In the worst cases the eruption became confluent, and in some of those who recovered it was followed by a troublesome erysipelas of the head and neck. The symptoms of this epidemic were those of incubation, eruption, and sequela). The incubative stage lasted nine days; the eruptive six days, and the decline of the rash and subsequent desquamation from ten to fifteen days, according to the severity of the disease. The sequelae were principally infantile diarrhoea, dysentery, laryngismus, stridulus, and bronchial affections. We have in all had sixteen deaths, being six from morbilli, eight from infantile diarrhoea, one from bronchitis, and one from inanition from birth. There have also been two births during the voyage. At the present time we have only two cases of the disease on board, one being a single man, and the other one of Ole Olsen's children. All the others are either well or convalescent. The sick list has been unusually heavy all through the voyage. The following is a list of some of the diseases that came under treatment:—Gonorrhoea, Ascaris Lambricoides, A scarides, Fecal Abscesses, Erysipelas, Cephalalgia, Catarrhs, and accidents, one of which was a fracture of the forearm. We have had on the whole remarkable fine weather, and been favoured with fair winds. The provisions and water have both been abundant and excellent. John T. Leigh, M.E.C.S., L.A.C., and L.M. Eegistered, Bth March, 1872. and Surgeon in Charge.

K. Mr. J. T. Leigh, Surgeon, to Captain Harrington. Deae Sir, — I am sorry you would not listen to me last night, for I hoped that by a little amicable discussion we might have been able to arrange our temporary estrangement, and even now I am