§ MR. DODSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether it is the fact, as stated in the "Times" of February 14th, that fifteen officers and a number of the men of Her Majesty's Ship "Undaunted," now on the Bombay station, have since November 30th been affected with fever, that one officer has died, and four officers and two men have recently been sent home invalided, and that smallpox has broken out on board; whether the statement is substantially correct that the "Undaunted" has, during the period of nearly three years that she has been in commission, invalided an unusually large number of officers; and, whether it is the fact that the "Un- 1850 daunted" has a broken back, and whether he considers her suitable for the station she is now on?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHSir, since November, 1877, there have been 25 cases of simple continued fever, and one case of remittent fever, which, I regret to say, ended fatally. The cases of continued fever were very simple, and easily yielded to medical treatment. During December four men were sent home invalided—two from debility, and two from other causes. No officer has been invalided since August last. One case of small-pox was reported on the 27th of December. The number of officers invalided from the Undaunted has been considerably less than from the previous flag-ship during the same period. The Undaunted has not a broken back, but has only dropped astern like many wooden frigates of her date. This defect in no way unfits her for the proper performance of her duties.