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lost during the sickly season of 1842, 50 died, of whom 20 were Marines. 110 men were invalided home, of whom few would recover. 110 had left England in May 1849.
The "Agincourt" has been obliged to send men ashore.
The cause assigned for the severe sickness of the Marines and Seamen of last year was the being obliged to mount guards at the fever hospital at West Point.
This year the "Agincourt" sends no men on night-duty; and out of 400 men, only 22, including slight cases, were in the sick list. This testifies to the salubrity of the shore.
The deaths in the Naval Force at Hong Kong, and Whampoa for the six sickly months ending October 1843 were 4 per cent; while for the same period among the troops on shore the deaths averaged 24.4 per cent, and even among the European Civilians the estimate was 10 per cent; in 1842 the left wing of the 55th Regiment had 16 officers and 218 men in Hong Kong. From May to November 2 officers and 218 men died - and the lives of the remainder were only saved by the prompt, judicious, and unsparing conduct of General D'Aguilar in immediately embarking the men for England.
The mortality as yet (July) during the present year has not been so great, but the sickness is equally destructive of the efficiency of the troops.
Stanley on the South side of Hong Kong it was hoped would be a healthy station on account of its being on the south side of the island. But in June 1844, out of 98 men at Chek Chow there were 18 in hospital, and out of 80 men stationed at another location, there were 31 in hospital.
It was supposed that Jaiwan on the South side of Hong Kong would afford...