With this I went to the mate, and told him
the case. Mr. Brown had been entrusted with the general care of the
medicine-chest, and although a driving fellow, and a taught hand in
a watch, he had good feelings, and was always inclined to be kind to
the sick. He said that Hope was not strictly one of the crew, but as
he was in our employ when taken sick, he should have the medicines;
and he got them and gave them to me, with leave to go ashore at night.
Nothing could exceed the delight of the Kanakas, when I came
bringing the medicines. All their terms of affection and gratitude
were spent upon me, and in a sense wasted, (for I could not understand
half of them,) yet they made all known by their manner. Poor Hope
was so much revived at the bare thought of anything's being done for
him, that he was already stronger and better. I knew he must die as he
was, and he could but die under the medicines, and any chance was
worth running. An oven, exposed to every wind and change of weather,
is no place to take calomel; but nothing else would do, and strong
remedies must be used, or he was gone. The applications, internal
and external, were powerful, and I gave him strict directions to
keep warm and sheltered, telling him it was his only chance for
life.
Pages:
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441