Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/376

348 a height, that every evacuation was attended with a degree of weakness which deprived him of recollection. His lower extremities were affected with violent spasms, which occasioned very great pain.

Although the disease was exceedingly infectious, no danger ought to have prevented us from paying to our distressed ship-mate, all the attention which he had a right to expect from our friendship; and accordingly we suspended our researches in natural history, till we should see him out of danger.

16th. The next day the symptoms became still more alarming. The pulse more and more depressed, with frequent intermissions in its motion, the hiccups, sometimes continued for half a quarter of an hour, a great prostration of strength and an appearance altogether discomposed, made us entertain serious apprehensions for the life of our patient.

In the night, the symptoms were equally alarming.

About break of day, on the 17th, the pulse sensibly increased, and a certain flexibility in the stroke of the artery, afforded us the happy presage of an abundant perspiration, which accordingly succeeded in a few hours, and snatched our friend from the gates of death. He