MEMOIR Or DR WEIGHT.. 9 



says he to his brother James, in a letter of the 

 8th February 1758, " Oh ! my Dear Brother, ne- 

 ver come to this wicked place, but settle among your 

 own kindred, in your own country, and so you may 

 live happily. Had I been made some mean mechanic, 

 I should not have had occasion to range the world in 

 quest of bread." 



Mr Wright was accompanied in his journey to 

 Portsmouth by Mr Thomas Steel, a young surgeon, 

 who had been his fellow student at the University of 

 Edinburgh, and with whom he contracted an intimacy, 

 which was only terminated by death. Soon after their 

 arrival, Mr Wright entered himself on the books of 

 the Intrepid; but he and Mr Steel were obliged, for 

 some time, to reside on shore, until their luggage and 

 bedding should arrive. His first impressions, when he 

 took up his quarters on board, were very unfavourable. 

 The crew he describes as " the refuse of mankind, and 

 the very dregs of the human race," whose dissipation 

 afforded full employment to the medical officers of the 

 ship. The Intrepid he pronounces to be " a plaguy 

 old hulk," the sickliest in the Royal Navy, and in such 

 a state of filth as to engender contagion. The jail 

 fever raged on board, for which no less than seventy 

 of the crew were, at one time, under medical treat- 

 ment. Mr Wright himself was seized with it, and 

 twice experienced a relapse ; but being with three of 

 his brother officers sent on board the Ruby Hospital 

 Ship, in Plymouth Sound, he speedily regained his 

 wonted strength. 



The Intrepid was at this time commissioned by 



