Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/74

  8URV�Y OF THE INTERTROPICAL lSlS. On roundin Cape Leeuwin, 'our crew were leb. 1.' attacked with a bowel complaint, and symptoms of dysentery; the want of a surgeon to our establishment was most anxiously felt, from the fear- that, 'by an unskilful or improper use of medicines, I might increase, instead of lessen the progress of complaints, which from the'fa- tigues of such a service, in so warm a climate . and in the unhealthy season, threatened to be frequent and severe. One or two of the people had complained of th/s disorder before we left Oyster Harbour; but it was not until we had sailed, that it assumed any serious appearance. After two days it happily began to subside,.or I should of neces- sity have been obliged to resort to some place 'for relief, for we had, at one time, only four seamen to keep watch. This sickness prevented our examin/ng any part' of the West Coast, as we passed it; our course w as therefore held at a distance from the lO. shore, and on the 10th the land to the southward of the 2Torth-West Cape was dscried at day- light. �Its outline was so level, as to appear like a thick f6g on the horizon; but, as the sun rose, we were undeceived. At seven miles from the shore we found no soundings with 80 fathoms; but at eight o'clock, being three miles nearer, we had 35 fathoms, sand, coral, and she]Is. The

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