[Page 2]
mentioning, which is one of the Men being very lousy, by which this evil is greatly increasing, and I am afraid it still will do so, until the Capt. comes on board and uses proper means to suppress it, for none yet have been used. It is with difficulty that I can keep clear from them. In my opinion, such cases as these, should not be delayed, when they have made their appearance, for cleanlyness is certainly a great presentation to health.
For the liberality that you have bestowed upon me, I am afraid I shall never be able to return you an ample satisfaction, and now am under the obligation of asking you for more money, though at the same time I am greatly ashamed by so doing. Whether I remain on board, or go on shore, expences keep still presenting themselves by consuming matters that ought to have been done while in foreign ports. As the season is greatly advanced, and I never expect to have an opportunity of being any lenght [length] of time in the south of England again, I should like to make an excursion every now and then about the distance of 20 miles from Portsmouth. But in these excursions, I cannot make that discovery as a person that is settled; for when any thing presents itself, that I do not thoroughly understand, I have not the opportunity of cultivating it. This is the method that Mr. Curtis's late Gardiner used to do; if they proved to be what was known before, they were easily cast away. Parcels of this description are not worth the courage of sending to town for to be cultivated. I flatter myself in saying, that I can travel upon as little expences as most people, but I found the Isle of Wright to be an expensive place. I imagine this is owing to its being a place of great resortment to in the time of summer, and to the great number of Soldiers that are stationed along the coast, but it is certainly a delightful place for a Botanist to visit.