Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/363

] made us ardently wish for a favourable wind. Their disorder had been greatly influenced by the perpetual rains at Carteret harbour; and most of them were afflicted with great pains in the loins.

One of their first symptoms was the appearance of whitish tubercles, frequently as large as a pullet's egg, in different parts of the body, particularly on the arms, and which were commonly succeeded by others on the lower extremities.

It was remarkable that the skins of those patients were not discoloured with what are called scurvy spots, as that disease, in hot climates, rapidly suffuses the cellular membrane with a lymphatic humour, which scarcely alters the colour of the skin.

I must farther observe, that, although salted provisions be one of the principal causes of the sea-scurvy, yet two of our men, who did not subsist on such provisions, were violently attacked by that disorder. But one of them worked in the hold, the humid and spoiled air of which is a powerful cause of the malady.

By means of tacking, we came near enough the western extremity of Amboyna, to allow us to enter the road in the night. By the direction of Valentin's plan of it, we kept along its eastern side, at the distance of about 510 toises.

As soon as we had passed Portuguese-bay, we brought