Punjaub's Long Death-Roll.

Twenty-eight deaths were reported when the barque Punjaub reached Lyttelton from London on September 20th, 1873, and eight more deaths occurred after the passengers were sent into quarantine at Ripa Island. A vessel of 570 tons, commanded by Captain Renaut, she had on board 340 immigrants, 200 being British and 112 Danish. Typhus, measles, and other complaints took off 21 of the Danes and seven of the English passengers, and typhoid was still rife when port was reached, hence the health authorities had no option but to send the ship into quarantine. The eight deaths that occurred on the island brought the total to 36, which was a very high figure, even for those days, when ships were so crowded and sanitation was not well understood.

The Punjaub had a fine weather passage as far as Cape Leeuwin, up to which point she made quite good time, but within 300 miles of New Zealand she struck a severe gale, which delayed her. It was the same gale which blew the steamer Claud Hamilton and other vessels off the New Zealand coast and did considerable damage.