DR. HARAN'S REPORT.

Somerset, May 22, 1865.

Sir,

It affords me much pleasure to have again to forward to your Excellency a most favourable report of the climate of this settlement, and of the uninterrupted good health of our small community, military and civil. the dreaded summer season, with its calms, light winds and heavy rains, has passed off without causing a single case of sickness, attributable to noxious exhalations, which prevail at that season in most tropical climates, but which, in my opinion, cannot exist here, owing to the preventive causes enumerated in my letter of the 13th January last; neither have we experienced that oppressiveness of the atmosphere which its saturated condition at that season through the sun's direct influence in favoring evaporation in the surrounding seas would lead one to expect. Some slight oppressiveness was felt immediately before the rains, but speedily disappeared on their occurrence. I can only account for this valuable immunity by attributing it to some peculiarity of climate, in all probability to the same causes which counteract the evolution of noxious exhalations; for we did experience calms and very light winds, and the hygrometer during the greater part of the time indicated a very large amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

2. The meteorological sheets forwarded by this opportunity, contain full particulars regarding the winds, temperature, etc., for the last four months, and having been prepared from a series of observations, conducted with care and regularly registered, they cannot fail, amongst other important objects bearing on general climatology, to afford convincing proof that, as a climate, even during the summer season, that of Somerset, although in close proximity to the equator, possesses many advantages not attainable in higher latitudes, and is, in my opinion, from its mildness and equable character, especially suited for such as may have the misfortune to be predisposed to, or suffering from, pulmonary consumption.

3. The S.E. Trade ceased as a continuous wind in these seas on the 24th December last. Calms, light winds, from all points of the compass, but chiefly from the points between North and West to South, or against the sun's course, and heavy rains, with electric phenomena of a comparatively mild character, succeeded and persisted until the 11th of March; when the sun's more direct influence having been diverted from its course, and in a manner dissipated by the great heat and evaporation, again resumed its ascendancy, and has continued since without interruption.

4. On the 25th of January two of the Marines were seized with a severe headache and other suspicious symptoms while working in the sun during a calm; and I consider it my duty at once to recommend such alteration in the working hours as would protect the men from sun-exposure during its period of greatest heat. These alternations were adopted, and continued in force until the 22nd of March, when the former working hours were resumed, as no danger was apprehended from solar heat at any time of the day during the prevalence of the S.E. Trade wind.

5. One well-marked case of scurvy became developed at the end of January; and a few of several cases of cutaneous eruption under treatment at the time closely resembled the symptoms characteristic of that disease. the only anti-scorbutic dietary available, viz.,—preserved meats and potatoes, compressed vegetables and lemon juice, was issued at once, and continued on the salt-meat days for three weeks, when all the indications of scurvy having disappeared, the usual dietary was resumed. Since then the entire adult community have enjoyed very good health.

I am, etc.,

T. J. HARAN, Surgeon, R.N.

His Excellency, Governor Sir G.F. Bowen, G.C.M.G.

JARDINE'S JOURNAL—NOTES BY THE ETEXT-MAKER.
Spelling errors and typos listed below are as shown in the paper text
and have been copied into the electronic text.
FRONT MATTER
The footnote in the INTRODUCTION does not have a referent in the text—
there is no asterisk in the text. It is not clear whether the
'settlement' it refers to as having been abandoned is at Adam Bay or in
Western Australia.
P ix—'loosing' instead of 'losing'
P xi—re-placed
CHAPTER 1
There are several words in this chapter which do not conform to today's
spelling, but which appear in the paper text as copied:
p 1—faciliate
p 3—agreable
p 5—speers
p 5—Gaala Creek—(should be Galaa Creek)
p 5—discription
p 7—amunition
CHAPTER 2
P 9—amunition
P 9—earthern
P 9—cheifly
P 10—stoney
P 10—occuring
P 11—villanous
P 11—vestage
P 16—potatoe
P 16—oppossum
P 17—apparantly
P 18—despatch
P 18—amunition
p 19—muscles—probably should be 'mussels'
p 19—(about 18 miles....—no closing bracket
p 23—a cawbawn saucy—should probably be 'as cawbawn....
p 23—agressors
p 24—succeded
p 24—'where' instead of 'were'
p 24—'frighened' instead of 'frightened'
p 26—emeu
p 27—double and single quotes on "Ferguson," don't match
p 27—'spenifex' instead of 'spinifex'
CHAPTER 3
P 30—too (too days)
P 30—dilirious
P 32—carcase
p 32—indispensible
P 32—chissel
P 33—'these' should probably be 'they'
p 33—pigmy
P 34—agreably
P 34—a-head
P 35—degnified
P 36—'course' instead of 'coarse'
P 37—steadilly
P 37—abondoned
p 37—wirey
P 38—cheifly
p 38—seives
P 38—permenantly
p 39—occuring
P 40 —frightended
P 40—bythe (all one word)
P 40—gratuitious
CHAPTER 4
P 42—they (no capital on beginning of sentence)
P 43—horses (no possessive apostrophe)
P 43—varities
P 44—varities
p 44—gulley
p 46—sheild
p 48—agressor
p 49—peices
p 50—bitcher plant—(instead of pitcher plant?)
p 50—pelluced
——————————————————————
CHAPTER 5
p 59—'course sandstone'—should probably be 'coarse'
p 63—a-head
p 64—the latitude measurements seem to have reversed the signs for
minutes and seconds in measuring latitude. I have spelled out the words.
p 67—'meet' instead of 'meat'
p 68—'eat' instead of 'ate'
p 69—horsmen
p 69—admonitary
p 70—Lichhardt
p 70—retreiver
p 70—mocassins
CHAPTER 6
p 72—distention
p 73—'gotting' should be 'getting'?
p 73—exhiliration
APPENDIX
p 75—weeps the stream—should be 'sweeps the stream'? or was the
author being poetic?
p 77—SPINIGEX—should be 'Spinifex'
p 77—genuis—genus
p 77—neverthless
p 77—loosing—losing
p 78—vigilence
p 79—Thozets'—Thozet's
p 82—easly—easily
p 82—entirley
p 83—surperseded

Map of the northern part of Queensland showing the route of Messrs Jardine from August 1864 to January 1865

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