pended upon so slight and fragile a barrier between us and the
unfathomable ocean! It seemed, however, that we had been preserved only
to perish here; Mr Banks and Dr Solander were so bad that the physician
declared they had no chance for recovery but by removing into the
country; a house was therefore hired for them at the distance of about
two miles from the town, which belonged to the master of the hotel, who
engaged to furnish them with provisions, and the use of slaves. As they
had already experienced their want of influence over slaves that had
other masters, and the unfeeling inattention of these fellows to the
sick, they bought each of them a Malay woman, which removed both the
causes of their being so ill served; the women were their own property,
and the tenderness of the sex, even here, made them good nurses.[123]
While these preparations were making, they received an account of the
death of Tupia, who sunk at once after the loss of the boy, whom he
loved with the tenderness of a parent.[124]

[Footnote 123: Dr Hawkesworth seems to have forgotten here the
superiority of a simple diet over the tribe of nurses; it would seem,
too, as if nature did not possess in this climate any considerable
skill in surgery or medicine.--E.]

[Footnote 124: Tupia merited some eulogium; and it is singular that Dr
Hawkesworth did not bestow it. This, however, has been done by Mr
Forster, in his account of Cook's second voyage.--E.]

By the 14th, the bottom of the ship was thoroughly repaired, and very
much to my satisfaction: It would, indeed, be injustice to the officers
and workmen of this yard, not to declare, that, in my opinion, there is
not a marine yard in the world where a ship can be laid down with more
convenience, safety, and dispatch, nor repaired with more diligence and
skill. At this place they heave down by two masts, a method which we do
not now practise; it is, however, unquestionably more safe and
expeditious to heave down with two masts than one, and he must have a
good share of bigotry to old customs, and an equal want of common sense,
who will not allow this, after seeing with what facility the Dutch heave
down their largest ships at this place.

Mr Banks and Dr Solander recovered slowly at their country-house, which
was not only open to the sea breeze, but situated upon a running stream,
which greatly contributed to the circulation of the air: But I was now
taken ill myself; Mr Sporing, and a seaman who