PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
Medicines and
hospital
appliances.
Sheep
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offered at inspection, and which are soon burnt out. They are required at all times and should be serviceable, and I think the number might be increased to eight for voyages with return coolies and to Fiji via the South of Tasmania, as ships have then to go into high latitudes, 40° to 45° South, and less than six are useless to warm the 'tween decks, and the other two gould be used, one for the Compounders' cabin as they suffer from the cold in these latitudes, and the other for use in the hospital when women are confined in cold weather.
I also get the contractor to send on board a couple of "janta" or grinding mills, to provide women who mis- behave themselves with a little gentle exercise.
While the Surgeon Superintendent is inspecting the stores his Interpreters and Compounders should he engaged in unpacking the medicines and hospital appliances so that he may be able at once to check these off by scale No. 3 on pages 96, 97, and 98 of the Rules. The scale is at present rather deficient, in purgatives especially, but there is a hope of this being amended, and as the Surgeon Super- intendent is entitled by terms of his letter of appointment from the Crown Agents to spend 57. in extra medicines he will be able to supply himself with any he has a fancy for. The Surgeon Superintendent is now spared a great deal of trouble, as these Medicines are supplied direct from Apothe- caries' Hall and their quality is thus assured. The Medi- cines not required for immediate use should be sent below, but the Surgeon Superintendent should instruct his Com- pounders to take a list of the contents of each box, so that, when anything is wanted, that box aloné need be brought
up.
It is customary, for obvious reasons, not to insist upon the vegetables being sent on board till the final inspection, and the sheep have also been exempted, but I should advise the Surgeon Superintendent to have them on board and sec them properly penned, as sheep brought on board at the last moment will weigh a good deal more than they would if weighed a day or two after, a curious physiological fact which seems inexplicable, but which the Surgeon Super- intendent will learn the truth of, as I have done, by expe- rience, if he does not follow my advice.
Having completed his inspection and satisfied himself that all stores, medicines, &c. are on board he will give his certificate (Form No. 27, p. 36 of the Rules), on receipt of which by the Protector he will appoint the time for the final inspection. I would recommend the Surgeon Superintendent to make a note of the exchanges he requires, and of the
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quantities the contractor can give, and appoint a time (as soon as possible and at once if possible) for the contractor to meet him at the office of the Protector so that his sanction may be obtained and the articles be on board to be examined at the final inspection. As the ship has generally not dropped down to her moorings at the depôt at the time of the Surgeon Superintendent's inspection it is customary for him to inspect the extra clothing and blankets at the depôt, where they are put on board. The Surgeon Superintendent will find that the Protector cannot, as the law stands, allow the exchange of the whole of the articles I have advised him to exchange, so that he will have enough of each left to experiment upon and endorse or not my opinion of them by his own experience.
Lastly, he should inspect the stores for the cabin table Cabin stores. intended for the use of himself and his compounders and see that there is a sufficiency, remembering that the Captain and Mates of the ship have also a share in these.
THE FINAL INSPECTION OF THE SHIP AND STORES
Is held by the Protector and the Medical Inspector of Emigrants and the Government Emigration Agent, and, as the ship should be ready for the coolies to come on board as soon as this is finished and the stores, &c. are stowed, all fittings must be completed and stores and medicines, &c, on board and the condensing apparatus at work. This takes place 48 hours before the embarkation, and I should advise the Surgeon Superintendent to be on board early, and see that all the tittings as required are finished. The stores, &c. will be inspected by the Protector, weighed, and samples sent to the cabin to be compared, if necessary, with the approved samples from his office. The crew also will be mustered, and the Surgeon Superintendent should inspect cach man for his physical capacity. It is a moot-point whether English Crew. or Lascar crews should be employed, and, "where doctors differ, who shall decide," so I shall merely state that per- sonally I have the strongest objection to Lascar crews, and for the following reasons:-
1. That their food is the same as that of the coolies.
2. That they speak the same language.
3. That they bring "ganja" on board, and some coolics will do anything for a little ganja.
4. That they are utterly unreliable in times of danger, as the conduct of what may be termed a picked crew at the wreck of the "Boyne" on her return voyage from Fiji in 1886 proved.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885/
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Cores.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
ה
Reference :-
CO. 885/5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
C