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'Then　I　lay　my　hand　upon　my　heart；　and　take　my　stand；'　said

Pangloss；　'by　the　pork；　which　was　the　best　of　all　possible　pork。'



'But　look　at　this　food　before　our　eyes；　if　one　may　so　misuse　the

word；'　said　I。　　'Would　any　Inspector　who　did　his　duty；　pass　such

abomination？'



'It　ought　not　to　have　been　passed；'　Pangloss　admitted。



'Then　the　authorities　out　there　…　'　I　began；　when　Pangloss　cut　me

short　again。



'There　would　certainly　seem　to　have　been　something　wrong

somewhere；'　said　he；　'but　I　am　prepared　to　prove　that　the

authorities　out　there；　are　the　best　of　all　possible　authorities。'



I　never　heard　of　any　impeached　public　authority　in　my　life；　who　was

not　the　best　public　authority　in　existence。



'We　are　told　of　these　unfortunate　men　being　laid　low　by　scurvy；'

said　I。　　'Since　lime…juice　has　been　regularly　stored　and　served　out

in　our　navy；　surely　that　disease；　which　used　to　devastate　it；　has

almost　disappeared？　　Was　there　lime…juice　aboard　this　transport？'



My　official　friend　was　beginning　'the　best　of　all　possible　…　'　when

an　inconvenient　medical　forefinger　pointed　out　another　passage　in

the　evidence；　from　which　it　appeared　that　the　lime…juice　had　been

bad　too。　　Not　to　mention　that　the　vinegar　had　been　bad　too；　the

vegetables　bad　too；　the　cooking　accommodation　insufficient　（if

there　had　been　anything　worth　mentioning　to　cook）；　the　water　supply

exceedingly　inadequate；　and　the　beer　sour。



'Then　the　men；'　said　Pangloss；　a　little　irritated；　'Were　the　worst

of　all　possible　men。'



'In　what　respect？'　I　asked。



'Oh！　　Habitual　drunkards；'　said　Pangloss。



But；　again　the　same　incorrigible　medical　forefinger　pointed　out

another　passage　in　the　evidence；　showing　that　the　dead　men　had　been

examined　after　death；　and　that　they；　at　least；　could　not　possibly

have　been　habitual　drunkards；　because　the　organs　within　them　which

must　have　shown　traces　of　that　habit；　were　perfectly　sound。



'And　besides；'　said　the　three　doctors　present；　'one　and　all；

habitual　drunkards　brought　as　low　as　these　men　have　been；　could　not

recover　under　care　and　food；　as　the　great　majority　of　these　men　are

recovering。　　They　would　not　have　strength　of　constitution　to　do

it。'



'Reckless　and　improvident　dogs；　then；'　said　Pangloss。　　'Always　are

…　nine　times　out　of　ten。'



I　turned　to　the　master　of　the　workhouse；　and　asked　him　whether　the

men　had　any　money？



'Money？'　said　he。　　'I　have　in　my　iron　safe；　nearly　four　hundred

pounds　of　theirs；　the　agents　have　nearly　a　hundred　pounds　more　and

many　of　them　have　left　money　in　Indian　banks　besides。'



'Hah！'　said　I　to　myself；　as　we　went　up…stairs；　'this　is　not　the

best　of　all　possible　stories；　I　doubt！'



We　went　into　a　large　ward；　containing　some　twenty　or　five…and…

twenty　beds。　　We　went　into　several　such　wards；　one　after　another。

I　find　it　very　difficult　to　indicate　what　a　shocking　sight　I　saw　in

them；　without　frightening　the　reader　from　the　perusal　of　these

lines；　and　defeating　my　object　of　making　it　known。



O　the　sunken　eyes　that　turned　to　me　as　I　walked　between　the　rows　of

beds；　or　…　worse　still　…　that　glazedly　looked　at　the　white　ceiling；

and　saw　nothing　and　cared　for　nothing！　　Here；　lay　the　skeleton　of　a

man；　so　lightly　covered　with　a　thin　unwholesome　skin；　that　not　a

bone　in　the　anatomy　was　clothed；　and　I　could　clasp　the　arm　above

the　elbow；　in　my　finger　and　thumb。　　Here；　lay　a　man　with　the　black

scurvy　eating　his　legs　away；　his　gums　gone；　and　his　teeth　all　gaunt

and　bare。　　This　bed　was　empty；　because　gangrene　had　set　in；　and　the

patient　had　died　but　yesterday。　　That　bed　was　a　hopeless　one；

because　its　occupant　was　sinking　fast；　and　could　only　be　roused　to

turn　the　poor　pinched　mask　of　face　upon　the　pillow；　with　a　feeble

moan。　　The　awful　thinness　of　the　fallen　cheeks；　the　awful

brightness　of　the　deep　set　eyes；　the　lips　of　lead；　the　hands　of

ivory；　the　recumbent　human　images　lying　in　the　shadow　of　death　with

a　kind　of　solemn　twilight　on　them；　like　the　sixty　who　had　died

aboard　the　ship　and　were　lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　O

Pangloss；　GOD　forgive　you！



In　one　bed；　lay　a　man　whose　life　had　been　saved　（as　it　was　hoped）

by　deep　incisions　in　the　feet　and　legs。　　While　I　was　speaking　to

him；　a　nurse　came　up　to　change　the　poultices　which　this　operation

had　rendered　necessary；　and　I　had　an　instinctive　feeling　that　it

was　not　well　to　turn　away；　merely　to　spare　myself。　　He　was　sorely

wasted　and　keenly　susceptible；　but　the　efforts　he　made　to　subdue

any　expression　of　impatience　or　suffering；　were　quite　heroic。　　It

was　easy　to　see；　in　the　shrinking　of　the　figure；　and　the　drawing　of

the　bed…clothes　over　the　head；　how　acute　the　endurance　was；　and　it

made　me　shrink　too；　as　if　I　were　in　pain；　but；　when　the　new

bandages　were　on；　and　the　poor　feet　were　composed　again；　he　made　an

apology　for　himself　（though　he　had　not　uttered　a　word）；　and　said

plaintively；　'I　am　so　tender　and　weak；　you　see；　sir！'　　Neither　from

him　nor　from　any　one　sufferer　of　the　whole　ghastly　number；　did　I

hear　a　complaint。　　Of　thankfulness　for　present　solicitude　and　care；

I　heard　much；　of　complaint；　not　a　word。



I　think　I　could　have　recognised　in　the　dismalest　skeleton　there；

the　ghost　of　a　soldier。　　Something　of　the　old　air　was　still　latent

in　the　palest　shadow　of　life　I　talked　to。　　One　emaciated　creature；

in　the　strictest　literality　worn　to　the　bone；　lay　stretched　on　his

back；　looking　so　like　death　that　I　asked　one　of　the　doctors　if　he

were　not　dying；　or　dead？　　A　few　kind　words　from　the　doctor；　in　his

ear；　and　he　opened　his　eyes；　and　smiled　…　looked；　in　a　moment；　as

if　he　would　have　made　a　salute；　if　he　could。　　'We　shall　pull　him

through；　please　God；'　said　the　Doctor。　　'Plase　God；　surr；　and

thankye；'　said　the　patient。　　'You　are　much　better　to…day；　are　you

not？'　said　the　Doctor。　　'Plase　God；　surr；　'tis　the　slape　I　want；

surr；　'tis　my　breathin'　makes　the　nights　so　long。'　　'He　is　a

careful　fellow　this；　you　must　know；'　said　the　Doctor；　cheerfully；

'it　was　raining　hard　when　they　put　him　in　the　open　cart　to　bring

him　here；　and　he　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　ask　to　have　a

sovereign　taken　out　of　his　pocket　that　he　had　there；　and　a　cab

engaged。　　Probably　it　saved　his　life。'　　The　patient　rattled　out　the

skeleton　of　a　laugh；　and　said；　proud　of　the　story；　''Deed；　surr；　an

open　cairt　was　a　comical　means　o'　bringin'　a　dyin'　man　here；　and　a

clever　way　to　kill　him。'　　You　might　have　sworn　to　him　for　a　soldier

when　he　said　it。



One　thing　had　perplexed　me　very　much　in　going　from　bed　to　bed。　　A

very　significant　and　cruel　thing。　　I　could　find　no　young　man　but

one。　　He　had　attracted　my　notice；　by　having　got　up　and　dressed

himself　in　his　soldier's　jacket　and　trousers；　with　the　intention　of

sitting　by　the　fire；　but　he　had　found　himself　too　weak；　and　had

crept　back　to　his　bed　and　laid　himself　down　on　the　outside　of　it。

I　could　have　pronounced　him；　alone；　to　be　a　young　man　aged　by

famine　and　sickness。　　As　we　were　standing　by　the　Irish　soldier's

bed；　I　mentioned　my　perplexity　to　the　Doctor。　　He　took　a　board　with

an　inscription　on　it　from　the　head　of　the　Irishman's　bed；　and　asked

me　what　age　I　supposed　that　man　to　be？　　I　had　observed　him　with

attention　while　talking　to　him；　and　answered；　confidently；　'Fifty。'

The　Doctor；　with　a　pitying　glance　at　the　patient；　who　had　dropped

into　a　stupor　again；　put　the　board　back；　and　said；　'Twenty…four。'



All　the　arrangements　of　the　wards　were　excellent。　　They　could　not

have　been　more　humane；　sympathising；　gentle；　attentive；　or

wholesome。　　The　owners　of　the　ship；　too；　had　done　all　they　could；

liberally。　　There　were　bright　fires　in　every　room；　and　the

convalescent　men　were　sitting　round　them；　reading　various　papers

and　periodicals。　　I　took　the　liberty　of　inviting　my　official　friend

Pangloss　to　look　at　those　convalescent　men；　and　to　tell　me　whether

their　faces　and　bearing　were　or　were　not；　generally；　the　faces　and

bearing　of　steady　respectable　soldiers？　　The　master　of　the

workhouse；　overhearing　me；　said　he　had　had　a　pretty　large

experience　of　troops；　and　that　better　conducted　men　than　these；　he

had　never　had　to　do　with。　　They　were　always　（he　added）　as　we　saw

them。　　And　of　us　visitors　（I　add）　they　knew　nothing　whatever；

except　that　we　were　there。



It　was　audacious　in　me；　but　I　took　another　liberty　with　Pangloss。

Prefacing　it　with　the　observation　that；　of　course；　I　knew

beforehand　that　there　was　not　the　faintest　desire；　anywhere；　to

hush　up　any　part　of　this　dreadful　business；　and　that　the　Inquest

was　the　fairest　of　all　possible　Inquests；　I　besought　four　things　of

Pangloss。　　Firstly；　to　observe　that　the　Inquest　WAS　NOT　HELD　IN

THAT　PLACE；　but　at　some　distance　off。　　Secondly；　to　look　round　upon

those　helpless　spectres　in　their　beds。　　Thirdly；　to　remember　that

the　witnesses　produced　from　among　them　before　that　Inquest；　could

not　have　been　selected　because　they　were　the　men　who　had　the　most

to　tell