The journal of an Army surgeon during the Peninsular War / [by Charles Boutflower].

  • Boutflower, Charles, 1782-1844.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The journal of an Army surgeon during the Peninsular War / [by Charles Boutflower]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    185/192 (page 181)
    [May] latter are particularly civil to all their Guests; indeed the perfect harmony subsisting between them & the Military on board evinces how entirely the two professions are qualified to esteem each the other. May 3d. We this morning at daylight made Scilly, & as the wind appears likely to blow for some time from the Eastward, the Commodore has determined upon that Anchorage, till a change takes place; this is a severe disappointment to all as we may be detained there a very long time; as we are at present to leeward of the Roadstead, it is uncertain whether we shall be able to get in to-day. 7th. We anchored late on the 3d in St Mary’s Roadstead. On the following Morning, the Wind being fair, signal was again made to weigh ; we had time however to go ashore, and visit the Capital of the Scilly Islands; it is rather [a] pretty place, & the neatness & cleanliness of the Houses could not fail to strike a Person who had lived near four years in the Peninsula. We were scarcely out of the Roadstead, when the Wind again shifted to the Eastward, and we have since been beating about the Channel; we are at present off Plymouth, & the wind being at South, we are just enabled to lie our Course; there is however little of it.—We may possibly reach Spithead to-morrow, but our passage hitherto has been so unfortunate, that I am afraid to hope such will be the case ; had we not had Convoy with us, we should have been at the end of our passage upwards of a week since. Notwithstanding the many advantages a Man of War possesses over a Transport I will confess that my Philosophy was never put to such severe trials as it has been the last few days—What sickness so painful, as that sickness of the heart which ariseth from hope deferred.