Permission to go on shore was readily granted, and I was
rewarded by seeing every one return to his ship at the time promised,
and every one sober. On the morrow, which was sailing day, every man was
at his post and all sang "Cheerily, ho!" and were happy; all except one,
who complained of slight chills and a fever, but said that he had been
subject to this, and that with a dose of quinine he would soon be all
right again.
It appeared a small matter. Two days later though, his chills turned to
something which I knew less about. The next day, three more men went
down with rigor in the spine, and at the base of the brain. I knew by
this that small-pox was among us!
We bore up at once for Maldonado, which was the nearest port, the place
spoken of in "Gulliver's Travels," though Gulliver, I think, is mistaken
as to its identity and location, arriving there before a gathering storm
that blew wet and cold from the east. Our signals of distress, asking
for immediate medical aid were set and flew thirty-six hours before any
one came to us; then a scared Yahoo (the country was still inhabited by
Yahoos) in a boat rowed by two other animals, came aboard, and said,
"Yes, your men have got small-pox.
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