Medical topography of Brazil and Uruguay; with incidental remarks / by G.R.B. Horner.

  • G. R. B. Horner
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical topography of Brazil and Uruguay; with incidental remarks / by G.R.B. Horner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    water on the bar. It was, therefore, determined to make an attempt to get her out the river at the next full moon; and to obtain assist- ance, Com. B. went in a schooner down to Quilimaine, 25 miles distant,and took with him his gigg, her crew, and purser Hart. They remained there ten days; then embarked in the gigg, though offered larger and safer means of conveyance, and made for. the river, to be present at the attempt to get the Concord out of it. Early in the morning the gigg was seen about two miles and a halt. from her, making for the bar, with the fore-sail set.’ All at once it disappeared and it was thought lowered, buithe boat had been cap- sized and overwhelmed by the surf on the bar. The commander, purser, and one man, were instantaneously drowned; the others hung on the boat, and were drifted with her into. the river and upon one side, where they got ashore safely. The launch. was sent to re- cover the bodies of the drowned; but only that of the purser was found, and it was so decomposed as 1o be: immediately buried in the sand upon the beach. Useless efforts were made to repair the injuries done the ship; she had lost kee] and rudder, could not be extricated from her prison, and her commander, Lt. Gardner, very properly hauled her into a-creek.-. There the: crew, 200 in number, and mutineers, became more aflected with a violent miasmatic fever, at first intermittent, lastly remittent, and continued, attended with hepatic derangement. The fever began while the ship was on shore, on the side of the river; also attacked the convicts, and destroyed a number of them after they-were sent to Quilimaine. Forty-eight cases occurred among the crew, but merely two proved fatal, and all the others were eventually restored to health — principally, surgeon J. C. Spencer informed me, by the use: of calomel and sulphate of quinine. These and other medicines became scarce; the provisions were almost exhausted; the dis- ease still prevailed; it could not be expected to subside in such a place—a narrow creek,with low banks, covered by jungles almost in- terlocking over the vessel — no reasonable hopes were entertained of her delivery, and for these reasons she was abandoned by the crew, and left in charge of a guard. of Portuguese soldiers. Such articles belonging to her as could be carried away were transferred to the Union, a brig chartered to take the crew to’ Cape-town. There she met with the John Adams, which took a portion of them, and sailed with her for Rio Janeiro.. Arrived there — the crew were partly taken on board the Delaware, and remained. in her until a vessel was chartered to take them and the rest of the unfortunate crew, except a few men, to the United States. These men were sent back to the Makooza, in a brig purchased for the pur- pose, to obtain from the wreck whatever could be saved. ‘It was calculated that the copper would amount after the vessel was burnt to twenty thousand pounds. - t Sang bv os ees . After the above arrangement’ had been made, no business: of importance remained to be despatched by the commodore, and ty