36
LETTERS,
[ 1781 .
inability; for I have been so ill since 1 have been here, that Iwas obliged to be carried to and from bed, with the most ex-cruciating tortures, but, thank God , I am now upon the mend-ing hand. I [am] physicked three times a day, drink the watersthree times, and bathe every other night, besides [ qu . not]drinking wine, which I think the worst of all. I am sorry to hearthe account of your friend, Captain Sutton; 1 but I well know thesituation of a Ship just from the River , and I have no doubtbut the Court-Martial will consider it in that light. Pray letme know how it ends. I suppose by this time you are aloneagain ; when you write to Mr. G. Smith, 2 3 pray remember meto him. 1 wish much for a new Navy List: if it is convenientto you, I should thank you much for one, for I do not knowhow to get one. I called upon Mr. Welch the day after I sawyou last. I beg you will make my compliments to him, andall other friends when you see them. I hope your health isbetter, at least that you have got rid of that cursed bile.Adieu, and believe me to be, your
Devoted humble Servant,
If you write, direct for me only at Bath , then if I shouldchange lodgings, they will always come safe.
1 Captain Evelyn Sutton, of the Isis, 50, on his passage from the Nore to Spit-head, in December 1780, had a short and indecisive action with the Rotterdam ,Dutch ship of war of 50 guns, the Isis being sixty men short of complement. ACourt of Inquiry into Captain Sutton’s conduct was held at Spithead, which ac-quitted him of misconduct and cowardice; but he was afterwards tried by a Court- Martial , and reprimanded. The Rotterdam was captured in January 1781, bythe Warwick, 50, Captain the Hon. Keith Elphinstone , afterwards Viscount Keith
, K.B. Captain Sutton, who died a Superannuated Rear-Admiral, is men-tioned in a subsequent Letter.
3 George Smith, of Camer in Kent, Esq. His son, William Masters Smith ofCamer, Esq., states that his father once took a cruize in the Lowestoffe with Cap-tain Locker, while Nelson was a Lieutenant of that Ship, when their acquaint-ance commenced. Letters from Lord Nelson to Mr. Smith will be found in an-other volume.