No. 30. OCEAN MAIL OFFICERS REPORT. (W. F. BowES.) CANADIAN PACKET "PERUNIAN," HALIFAX, 23rd December, 1883. SIB,-In submitting my Report for the year now drawing to a close, I have the honour to state that the different pamphlets and books issued from your Department for the information of immigrants, were distributed to the saloon, intermediate and steerage passangers on the eastward and westward voyages of the Allan Royal Mail Steamers. I also forwarded to the different postmasters in the United Kingdom such information as was deemed necessary for circulation. From enquiries made, I have ascertained that there is every probability of a large exodus from Europe to the Dominion, during the coming year, and with the efforts of efficient Agents, the important position which the Dominion held in the Great International Fisheries Exhibition, the rapid advancement of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the interesting and instructive lectures and papers by the late Governor General, the Marquis of Lorne, will, no doubt, awaken a desire in many to dwell in a country which offers to the capitalist, agriculturist and the industrious, a legitimate reward. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, W. F. BOWES. 209 QUARANTINE OFFICERS' REPORTS. No. 31. ANNUAL REPORT OF GROSSE ISLE QUARANTINE STATION: QUEBEC, 31st December, 1883. SIR,-I have the honour to submit this, my Annual Report, for the Quarantine Station of Grosse Isle, for 1883. The barque" Frederica and Carolina," Lofvengren, Master, in ballast from Aspinwall July 5th, arrived at Grosse Isle on the 14th August. Two seamen had died during the voyage, and a third was very sick on arrival, all of typho-malignant fever. The sick were taken into hospital. The vessel was most thoroughly cleansed, fumigated and disinfected before being allowed to proceed. The S. S. "Malabar," Dixon, Master, with rice, from Bassien, in Burmah, 15th June, arrived at Grosse Isle on the 16th of August. This vessel had come through the Suez Canal and the Mediterrianean Sea. There was said to be cholera at Port Said. The only communication had there was the putting off of the Suez pilot into a boat from the bulks (the pilots not being allowed to go ashore). Passed Port Said on the 17th of July; was four days in the Quarantine of Observation at Gibraltar, where a twenty-one days' quarantine against all vessels from Egypt was in force; took coal there in quarantine and came on. I found, on arrival, that all were and had been throughout perfectly well, and as they had continued so for the thirty day since they left the neighbourhood of the infected port, and as they had already been under Quarantine of Observation at Gibraltar, I cleared the vessel after 8 most thorough and searching examination. 'The S. S. "Barcelona," Anderson, Master, with fruits, from Malaga, 15th October, reached Grosse Isle on the 31st of October. Having come from the Mediterranean Sea, she reported herself for inspection under the special proclamation concerning those waters, bearing date the 21st of July last. All well. The wood on the station has become so scarce now that it can no longer be counted upon for the necessary firewood. When it is considered how small the island is, and that all the firewood required for the station, varying from 200 to 1,100 cords per annum, has been cut on it for more than fifty years, it is matter for wonder that it has not been exhausted long ere this. Fuel will require to be purchasd this next coming summer. I took the liberty, in a letter dated the 12th November last, to submit a list of the improvements, works and repairs required at the station. These I would again urge upon your favourable consideration, and in particular the telegraph to the mainland. The great importance of, and the pressing reasons for, this long asked for telegraphic or telephonic connection between the station and the mainland, I dwelt upon at some length, in an official letter dated the 20th of August last. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, FREDERICK MONTIZAMBERT, M. D., Univ. Eden., L. R. C. S. E. &c. &c. &c. No. 32. ANNUAL REPORT OF INSPECTING PHYSICIAN, PORT OF QUEBEC. (A. ROWAND, M.D.) QUEBEC, 31st December, 1883. SIR, I have the honour to submit the following Report of the sanitary condition of the emigrants and passengers, who arrived at the Port of Quebec during the season of 1883. There were 45,120 altogether in number, who were all thoroughly inspected, both on board ship and while landing, and were found healthy and were in excellent spirits. There were no epidemic diseases of any kind among them. There are always some cases of measles and scarlatina. This season there were fewer than usual, and these few were of so slight a character as scarcely to merit the name of disease. They were nevertheless sent to the Marine and Emigrant Hospital, as a precautionary measure. They soon got well, and after being cleansed and washed, went westward, without having communicated any infection, in any single instance. It has been the invariable practice to send such cases to hospital by water, and in the ship's boats, to avoid the possibility of infection, and not, as has been stated, in public vehicles and ferry-boats. Several infants died at Point Lévis on landing, from exhaustion and debility, but not from infectious diseases. Cases have been now and then landed, which it has afterwards been discovered might become a charge and burden to the country, but the shipping companies have always been ready to take such cases back, if required to do so. Before closing this Report, I wish to add a word or two regarding a letter which the Mayor of Quebec addressed to the Government, on the 7th of August last, charging me with gross carelessnes and negligence, in the discharge of my duties as Inspecting Physician. On perusing a copy of his letter, I was not surprised to find that there had been a misapprehension as to the facts, in saying that a steamship had been allowed to land her passengers at Point Lévis, with epidemic diseases on board. This was a mistake, as you will perceive, when I inform you that I had twice told him, that he had been misinformed, and that the steamship in question did not arrive by the River St. Lawrence at all, but came to Halifax and landed her passengers there, whence they were sent on by rail to Point Lévis. Of this fact I had informed him, in 1882, long before he had written to the Government, first at his own private offices, and subsequently at his public office at the City Hall, and on this occasion in the presence of a number of persons, and among them some representatives of the press. As our personal relations had hitherto been of the most amicable kind, I am at loss to imagine what can have induced his Worship the Mayor to have been thus misled, in relation to my public duties. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient and humble servant, A. ROWAND, M.D., Inspecting Physician. |