LORD COLVILLE OF CULROSSsaid, he wished to put a Question to the noble Earl the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, of which he had given him private Notice. It was, Whether it is true that, in consequence of the refusal of the local authorities at the Cape of Good Hope to allow some cases of small-pox to be sent ashore from H.M.S. "Boadicea" on her arrival at Simon's Bay from the West Coast of 1290 Africa on the 28th of January last, six days after the disaster at Isandlana, that vessel was compelled to remain at anchor and in quarantine in Simon's Bay during a period when her presence and that of her crew would have been of the utmost importance towards re-inforcing the troops and inspiring confidence in Natal. The Boadicea arrived at Simon's Bay from England; but on her way had touched at some ports on the West Coast of Africa, and in this way, unfortunately, small-pox got on board—so that on her arrival at Simon's Bay she had 13 cases on board. Her captain applied for permission to land these sick men; but leave was refused. He made a second application to be allowed to land them at a point of land which projected into the sea, where they would be completely isolated from the population in the neighbourhood; but this was also refused, and he was told he must remain in quarantine at anchor, and at the expiration of 21 days after the recovery of the last case he would be allowed praticque. The unfortunate ship was consequently detained pitching and tossing in Simon's Bay, exposed to a strong south-easterly wind, and it was not likely that with such treatment the epidemic could be stamped out. In February a fresh outbreak took place, affecting two officers and 23 men, amongst them being Captain Romilly. His was an aggravated case, and the greatest fears were entertained of his life; but he was happy to say that his life had been spared, to the great relief of his numerous friends in this country. He had now been invalided, and would come home. Sanitary precautions were, no doubt, all very well; but the Colonial official mind, in this case, appeared to have come to the conclusion that it was of much more importance to keep smallpox out of Simon's Bay than to send this magnificent ship on to Natal at a moment when her presence would have been of the utmost importance. He thought his inquiry of so much importance that he had ventured to bring the matter under the notice of the House.
§ EARL CADOGAN,in reply, said, that the facts were as stated by his noble Friend. Since the occurrence had become known, the Secretary of State for the Colonies had made strong representations to the Cape Government, with a view to induce it to modify its quaran- 1291 tine regulations. With reference to his noble Friend's statement that the presence of the Boadicea and her crew would have been of the utmost importance towards re-inforcing the troops and inspiring confidence in Natal—it was, no doubt, important to re-inforce the troops at the Cape; but he thought it more than doubtful that troops just landed from a ship in which there was small-pox would have been brigaded with the other troops. He must also say that he could hardly agree with his noble Friend that the presence of such persons would be calculated to inspire confidence at Natal.