March. 
6 WHITE'S JOURNAL OF A 
17S7. medical acquaintance ftill there; and before I could give 
fome diredlions to Mr. Balmain, as I was about to do, he 
thus once more addrefied me — I fiy^pofe you are now 
convinced of the dangerous difeafe that prevails among 
thefe people, and of the necefiity of having them landed, 
in order to get rid of it." Not a little hurt at the abfurd 
part the gentleman had adledj and at his repeated importu- 
nity, I replied with fome warmth,*" that I was very forry to 
differ fo effentially in opinion from him, as to be obliged 
V to tell him that there was not the haft appearance of 
" malignity in the difeafe under which the convi^ls labour- 
ed, but that it wholly proceeded from the cold; and was 
nearly fimilar to a complaint then prevalent, even among 
the better fort of people, in and about Portfmouth.'* 
NotwithRanding this, he ftill perfifted fo much in the pro- 
priety of their being landed, and the neceffity there was for 
an application to the Secretary of State upon the occafion, 
that I could no longer keep my temper ; and I freely told 
him, that the idea of landing them was as improper as it 
" was abfurd. And, in order to make him perfedlly eafy 
on that head, I affured him, that when any difeafe ren- 
" dered it neceffary to call in medical aid, he might reft 
fatisfied 
