1787- next day being ulhered in with a very heavy gale of wind, made
v-ÏÜJ it ilnptadicable to Temove the OpnviKts from cm boardr the
Dunkirk prifon-lhip, where they were confined. So Violent
was the gale, that his Majeffy’s fhip the Druid, of thirty-
two guns, was forced to cpt away her main-mail:. to prevent
her driving on fhore.
The weather being moderSte the following day, the con-"
vi<fts were -put on board -the trapfports,, and placed ip .the.
different apartments allotted"; foiT tK'em ; ^ a l l . feélrèa^in
irons, except the women. In the evening, as there ’was but
little wind, we were towed by the boats belonging to the
guardfhips out df the ffamao?e,
into^ Plymouth -Sound.; When this/idtotywas oompieteêj
%he boats returned; ’and the wind now freihehing fo-hs *o
enable üs ‘tó clear ^the 4and, we= proceeded to .Spi(-,Kp^^
Where %e arrived; the feventeenth, and anchored On the
Mother Bank, among tfhe:reft o f thetranfports and -viduallers
intended för -the Tame expedition, under /the eondud iof his
Majefty s. fliip the Sirius.- As foon ns cth e 'ffïip>eame * t o ">
anchor, I vifited nil the other tranlports,. and -wasreally
fiirprifed to find the convids-on board them fo very , healthy^
When I got on board the Alexander, I found there a medf*
cal
cal gentleman from PortfmOuth, among whofe acquaintance
I ;Ha4;ltrot the* honour to be numbered.' He' fcarcély, gave
mei time :to get upon the . quarter-deck, before he thus
addiicffed me— ^ I am ivory glad ; yop- %rje arrived, Sir; for
« yocur people have ,<got a malignant difeafe among them of
a moll dangerous kind; and it will be neceffary, for their
‘6 ; pr e fer va ti on, to get them immediately relanded!” Sur-i
prifed at Jfuch ,a falutation, .and alarmed; at the purport; of
it, I reqnefiCd o f my .adfiftant, Mr. Balmain., .an intelligent
young man, whom I had appointed to this fhip for the
voyage, to let ime ;^e? the-people who wore ill. “ -Sir,” re-?
turned Mr. Balmain, taking me afide, ‘ ; you will not find
t* Ithiggs by any means fo bad .as this, gentleman reprefents
P themi|^/ Jbe: they are- made much worfe by him than
«‘.'they, redlly are!. Unlike, a - perfgn wishing to adminifter
p. oomfiïrt to :thofe who are afilided., /either in body or in
*•*. .mjnd, he chas publicly declared before the poor creatures
(ffcjwho iare ïül, that trhey muff inevitably fall a faerifice to
$*.' the malignant diforder with which they are; a ffix e d ;—
“ the malignity, of which appears to me to exift only in his
f ‘ own imaginatlois.. II did not, however, ” continued Mr. Balmain,
ehink propèr tocontradidthe gentleman; fuppofing,
B 2 “ from