A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“pee A QUEER RACE. At All gave back exclamations of dismay. It was the most revolting sight I had ever set eyes upon; the face was putrid, swollen, and almost black. One eye was wide open; the other, together with a part of the cheek, had been eaten away. One of the poor wretch’s arms having been stretched out as he fell, had stiffened as he died, and now pointed its yellow and almost fleshless fingers at Captain Peyton. ‘God bless me!’ he exclaimed, in an awe-struck voice. ‘1 do believe it’s a fever ship!” ‘* You surely don’t mean that all the crew have died of fever?” ‘* | am afraid so; but we will soon see.” There were two houses on deck, one of them being evidently the master’s quarters, Peyton opened the door and peered in fearfully. I looked over his shoulder. In the bunk lay a blackened corpse; a troop of hideous rats gnawing at the face. On the floor was another corpse and more rats. The captain drew back with a shudder, and closed the door. “Yes,” he said, ‘they are all dead, sure enough. I wonder where she hails from and what her ecargois? If i could only get alook at the manifest, or the logbook! I dare say they are in the poor skipper’s cabin, and I am not going there again. We wil! just have a peep at the hold, though. No harin in that.” As he spoke, he slipped down the hatehway, and in five minutes came back with the news that she was tim- ber laden. ‘* Does anybody know her name?” he asked. ‘* Yes,” says Bill; ‘it is on the binnacle and the wheel —lLady Jane.” ‘*} know her,” I said, drawing on my recollection of *« Lioyd’s Register.” ‘‘ She belongs to Hart & Coverdale, of Liverpool—master, Williamson; built in Nova Scotia about ten years ago, if I remember rightly. I think we once insured her for a voyage to Honduras and back.” ‘That’s it; I thought so. She hails from Belize—- that is where they got the fever, no doubt—and her cargo consists of mahogany and logwood. A valuable cargo that, Mr. Erle. What do you think she is worth, now— (E(0) mm G JOO SH (E(0)