He was horror-struck, as his
countenance showed; yet he had been among the worst cases in
our naval hospitals. I could not get the thought of the poor
fellow out of my head all night; his horrible suffering, and his
apparently inevitable, horrible end.
The next day I told the captain of Hope's state, and asked him
if he would be so kind as to go and see him.
"What? a d - - d Kanaka?"
"Yes, sir," said I; "but he has worked four years for our vessels,
and has been in the employ of our owners, both on shore and aboard."
"Oh! he be d - - d!" said the captain, and walked off.
This same man died afterwards of a fever on the deadly coast of
Sumatra; and God grant he had better care taken of him in his
sufferings, than he ever gave to any one else! Finding nothing
was to be got from the captain, I consulted an old shipmate, who
had much experience in these matters, and got from him a recipe,
which he always kept by him.