WEYMOUTH AND THE WAR, 1802-3. 53 



had had the charge of all the sick men belonging to the Navy 

 who had come into Portland Road during the late war ; and if 

 Captain Wolfe would comply with his request, he should be 

 able to obtain a renewal of his former contract." It is not to 

 be wondered at that by this time Captain Wolfe seems to have 

 felt that he had better have as little to do with Weymouth 

 folk as possible, and consequently refused. Anyhow, at the 

 trial, this surgeon appeared as a hostile witness, and on the 

 trial morning stated that a young girl who had been fatally 

 wounded in the riot of April 1st "had declared to him before 

 her death that she had been shot by Captain Wolfe." " The 

 Grand Jury rejected his evidence in toto." This girl, it appears, 

 was the sister of James Way, one of the two men impressed 

 by the Aigle's party. The Captain, on learning this, released the 

 man and sent two guineas to procure necessaries for the girl. 

 This produced an application from the father for a further five 

 guineas to pay the Surgeon's bill. This surgeon was the same 

 who had so eagerly solicited the Captain's employment. 

 When asked at the trial why he did not mention the girl's 

 statement when visiting the Captain, he replied that she did 

 not make the declaration till three weeks after. These instances 

 illustrate the tone of the people at large. The Weymouth of 

 that date was a small port containing a number of locally 

 owned and built small coasting craft, doing a lucrative trade 

 sometimes to the Mediterranean, but especially as colliers 

 which plied between Weymouth and Sunderland. In war- 

 time they boldly kept the sea, fought their way back and forth, 

 and made excellent freights. The same family often built, 

 owned, manned, and made a comfortable living out of, the 

 same craft. They did not want their seamen taken off, and their 

 trade hindered, by the Navy. The more adventurous built and 

 fitted out vessels for privateering. These hated the idea of 

 impressment more bitterly still. The fishing population also 

 infinitely preferred the often excellent profits of smuggling, 

 and. the then well-paying fishing, to being forced on board a 

 man-o'-war to endure the hardships and injustices such as 

 caused the mutinies of 1797. 



