BIOGRAPHY OF THE VICTORY'S CREW. cxli 



WILLIAM LIGHT, Steward. 



This man was born in 1800, at Mcdbury, in Devon; he was five feet seven inches 

 high, and by his account had been fourteen years at sea. Having been in two of the 

 former voyages to the Arctic seas, it was considered that he would be an acquisition, and 

 he was entered as steward, in which capacity he had served before; but he turned out to 

 be the very worst subject we had. He was always shamming, or complaining of some pain 

 or other which incapacitated him for any thing but washing ; and was therefore excused 

 harder duties, and allowed to wash linen and mend stockings. He was often in the sick 

 list, especially in spring, and was decidedly the most useless person in the ship, as well as 

 the most discontented. This man has been circulating the most scandalous falsehoods, 

 as to my treatment of the crew ; and has been ftirnishing materials for a narrative of the 

 expedition, with which the public have been attempted to be deluded, in the form of 

 numbers, published weekly, and as he possessed no journal or record of the voyage, the 

 o-reatest part of his pretended narrative is fabulous, and I suspect that the publisher is a 

 considerable loser by the shilling trash. He attended, for some time, at the Panorama in 

 Leicester Square, and amused his hearers with wonderful adventures, in which he always 

 figured as the chief actor, although he was, of all the men on tlie expedition, the least 

 fond of fatigue or hard work ; and instead of his lie in carrying me thirty miles, it was 

 he himself that was carried. In consequence of his unfounded calumnies against me he 

 was dismissed by the proprietor : but as, were I to give his previous history, and a true 

 and full account of his conduct during the voyage, I might be supposed to harliour 

 vindictive feelings towards him, I desist in doing so. 



It was indeed with great pain I was compelled, conscientiously, to except him from my 

 recommendation of the crew to Government for future employment ; but I hope that the 

 good quaUties of which he so loudly boasts, will be better appreciated by those uith whom 

 he may be hereafter connected. 



The mterest which this expedition created, will be best expressed by my stating that 

 I could have manned my ship with officers of my own rank, while several offered also to 

 bear a part of the expense, if I would take them on any terms ; it was also productive of 

 many curious apphcations, of which the following is an amusing specimen : 



