a safe berths. The Assistant Health Officer
board and found all entirely
again came on
free from disease, a constable then ordered
me to pick up my
the order
regarded
as
of
old birth, saying
it was the executive. An order I dissented from, as complying with it might have
endangered the safety of the ship and all on board, I eventually shifted berth
assured the loss
the weather moderating his days after usual, when
an attempt was made to put on board
a ship from the Quarantine grounds, which I would not allow and should have
appreciated with force if necessary, as the
Constable, had a
the
wife and
family in Sydney
and was not considered fit to be at large. Citizens of Sydney I felt justified
in preventing
him
from coming
on board
among my passengers
to spread disease. My ship was kept
in strict Quarantine
until July 22nd when by the distinct and positive orders of the Government the entire
clothing of the 228 Chinese passengers was taken and burnt.
Properly purchased new warm clothing in Melbourne. After
this was done the passengers themselves were taken out of the ship and on a bleak winter's day
were stripped naked
on an open beach, and were
given
one
set of clothes, and a blanket each, which the contractors Mens G. R. Stevens had been compelled by the Government to provide. It was the only condition on
which
the ship would be released. During the
interval that the passengers were out of
the
ship, the Superintendent of
the
Quarantine Station inspected the ship to see that all the effects and property of Chinese passengers had been destroyed, and
precautionary measures were adopted. The whole
of the ship's fittings, the Officers',
effects
by
the
Saloon Passengers and Crew's belongings
were left intact and none were interfered with. The unfortunate passengers, after having
been kept in the cold for about 3 hours, were sent on
board.
I
shaking with the cold, having
one suit of clothes and
nothing but the one suit
and a blanket, the ship was released from
Quarantine at 7 p.m., too late to advise
agents to send any bedding
to remain on board until the morning.
Dr.
One
of
The
unfortunate Cabineteers. Doctors who was bad with consumption took two coats when
allowed to keep himself warm,
was
roughly
handled and one taken
from him.
He never
rallied
and
died shortly after the ship's arrival in Sydney.
It was
never reported from
the ship by me that there was
a lack of food
on board, as
there
was
more than
sufficient to last another month,
the ship was exceptionally
well found with fresh provisions and water.