{"id":"01KG8AKZ9R99MAQ6WZ6CNQWDWR","cid":"bafkreifczhxxxhgpnawnwtf5pxrugnqo2thldlzd2uupgghcyoxiqphzwm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":11387,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.843Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 2","source_file":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","start_line":11318,"text":"personal uncleanliness, brought on a malignant fever.\r\n\r\nThe first report was, that two persons were affected. No sooner was it\r\nknown, than the mate promptly repaired to the medicine-chest in the\r\ncabin: and with the remedies deemed suitable, descended into the\r\nsteerage. But the medicines proved of no avail; the invalids rapidly\r\ngrew worse; and two more of the emigrants became infected.\r\n\r\nUpon this, the captain himself went to see them; and returning, sought\r\nout a certain alleged physician among the cabin-passengers; begging him\r\nto wait upon the sufferers; hinting that, thereby, he might prevent the\r\ndisease from extending into the cabin itself. But this person denied\r\nbeing a physician; and from fear of contagion—though he did not confess\r\nthat to be the motive—refused even to enter the steerage. The cases\r\nincreased: the utmost alarm spread through the ship: and scenes ensued,\r\nover which, for the most part, a veil must be drawn; for such is the\r\nfastidiousness of some readers, that, many times, they must lose the\r\nmost striking incidents in a narrative like mine.\r\n\r\nMany of the panic-stricken emigrants would fain now have domiciled on\r\ndeck; but being so scantily clothed, the wretched weather—wet, cold,\r\nand tempestuous—drove the best part of them again below. Yet any other\r\nhuman beings, perhaps, would rather have faced the most outrageous\r\nstorm, than continued to breathe the pestilent air of the steerage. But\r\nsome of these poor people must have been so used to the most abasing\r\ncalamities, that the atmosphere of a lazar-house almost seemed their\r\nnatural air.\r\n\r\nThe first four cases happened to be in adjoining bunks; and the\r\nemigrants who slept in the farther part of the steerage, threw up a\r\nbarricade in front of those bunks; so as to cut off communication. But\r\nthis was no sooner reported to the captain, than he ordered it to be\r\nthrown down; since it could be of no possible benefit; but would only\r\nmake still worse, what was already direful enough.\r\n\r\nIt was not till after a good deal of mingled threatening and coaxing,\r\nthat the mate succeeded in getting the sailors below, to accomplish the\r\ncaptain’s order.\r\n\r\nThe sight that greeted us, upon entering, was wretched indeed. It was\r\nlike entering a crowded jail. From the rows of rude bunks, hundreds of\r\nmeager, begrimed faces were turned upon us; while seated upon the\r\nchests, were scores of unshaven men, smoking tea-leaves, and creating a\r\nsuffocating vapor. But this vapor was better than the native air of the\r\nplace, which from almost unbelievable causes, was fetid in the extreme.\r\nIn every corner, the females were huddled together, weeping and\r\nlamenting; children were asking bread from their mothers, who had none\r\nto give; and old men, seated upon the floor, were leaning back against\r\nthe heads of the water-casks, with closed eyes and fetching their\r\nbreath with a gasp.\r\n\r\nAt one end of the place was seen the barricade, hiding the invalids;\r\nwhile—notwithstanding the crowd—in front of it was a clear area, which\r\nthe fear of contagion had left open.\r\n\r\n“That bulkhead must come down,” cried the mate, in a voice that rose\r\nabove the din. “Take hold of it, boys.”\r\n\r\nBut hardly had we touched the chests composing it, when a crowd of\r\npale-faced, infuriated men rushed up; and with terrific howls, swore\r\nthey would slay us, if we did not desist.\r\n\r\n“Haul it down!” roared the mate.\r\n\r\nBut the sailors fell back, murmuring something about merchant seamen\r\nhaving no pensions in case of being maimed, and they had not shipped to\r\nfight fifty to one. Further efforts were made by the mate, who at last\r\nhad recourse to entreaty; but it would not do; and we were obliged to\r\ndepart, without achieving our object.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 2"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJT5SAHKG6V354KE5GRJR","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKZ8N3SQ33WA4S37HHMBF","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKZ9RENXCC5CQ7YQHCTYG","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:21.816Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:34.617Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}