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| To the Immigration Officer Christchurch Sir, I have the honour to report with reference to the Emigrants per ship 'Rakaia' under my charge as follows:- The Depot at Plymouth is well adapted for Emigrants and the system carried out there is a good one for preparing them for their mode of life during a long voyage. The Medical Inspection was sufficiently strict. The Inspector discovered that the children of one of the families had all suffered from Measles during the time that elapsed between their obtaining a medical certificate and their presenting themselves at the depot for embarkation. One of the children had been seized as late as twenty-one days prior to the day of inspection - This family was kept back at eight o'clock in the morning of the day after embarking. I discovered measles fully developed in a child of Josiah Seaman's family, and the Medical Inspector on a second inspection sent this family ashore and also the family of Timothy Burke one of whose children had a slight rash of no very marked character. The Berths were well arranged, there was free ventilation in all parts of the Tween-Decks. The Drugs were excellent in quality. The Medical Comforts were of good quality, and sufficient in quantity. Thee was not enough Milk under this heading. Captain Mc??is permitted me to use the excess of milk provided for the dietary scale during the last four weeks of the passage. The Condensed Egg was very good, but, though prepared in many ways, the children would not eat it. The Provisions were on the whole good in quality - they were served according to scale, and though the manner of service cannot be recommended and there were many complaints, all mistakes were rectified directly, I called attention to them. The Bread was very bad on many occasions - The Ships Baker was discharged after three trials, and an Emmigrant Baker employed who made slightly better Bread. I examined the flour on many occasions it always seemed sound, it was never wet nor musty - the Bakers blamed the flour, they said it was too strong, and the ovens, the draught was not strong enough. Carrots and Onions are most desirable additions to the Dietry Scale. I am of the opinion that it would be advisable to issue them as regular articles of diet - the Emigrants like them. The Water-Closets all worked very well. The Bath Tubs on the main deck for the women and children were never used as the curtains for them could not be found. The majority of the people were not clean: neither in their persons nor their places. The single mens compartment was particulary dirty. The Regulations worked excellently and the people conducted themselves fairly well. Captain Mc??is gave effect to all my suggestions for promoting the health and comforts of the emigrants as far as was possible and himself made many suggestions to that end. His officers were kind and considerate to the people. Their conduct towards the Emigrants was at all times worthy of great praise. There have been three Infectious Diseases on board, Measles, Scarlatina, and Mumps - two have produced extensive epidemics, Measles and Mumps, Scarlatina has been very limited. Measles broke out on the day after embarking, and two families were sent ashore, the disease again appeared on the 25th Nov, the eighth day after sailing, and spread rapidly, the last attack occurring on the 18th Dec. There were fifty-five cases, two of which were adult, mine? deaths resulted from this disease. Nine deaths resulted from this disease, three were infants, four children of one year, one of two and one of three years of age. In three cases which resulted in death there was great neglect on the part of the mothers, in two cases the children were just recovering from severe Bronchitis when Measles set in. Those attacked by the disease were removed to the hospital immediately until it was full, disinfectants were freely used in and about the hospital. Mumps appeared on the ninth day after sailing, and continued to spread throughout the voyage. There were about one hundred cases in thirteen ??utis occurred - no deaths resulted from this disease. Scarlatina appeared on the 4th Dec, eighteen days from the date of sailing. There have been eight cases only, the last occurring on the 27th Jany. They were all confined to the hospital, disinfectants were used in all possible ways, the nurse was obedient to the order, not to permit any communication with the hospital, and the spread of the disease was limited. In every case, subsequent to the first the attack could be traced to direct contagion - isolation prevented what would have otherwise been an extensive epidemic. No deaths resulted from this disease. One birth occurred; the infant was landed.
8 Males and 3 Females - 6 Infants and 5 Children representing 2 ½ Adults - Having been quarantined on arrival I append a report of the cases on Ripa Island. I have the honour to remain Sir, Your Obedient Servant W Ross Surgeon Superintendant |
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| Transcribed by Christine Parker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||