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Sir/

I hope you will excuse the liberty I take in informing you that I have been for some time past very much troubled with an inveterate Scurvy and as from the nature of this Country and the impossibility of my procuring those refreshments from which I could expect Relief, I find myself growing daily so weak that I am at present almost incapable of doing my Duty; this together with the weakness the disorder has occasioned having brought on the return of Fitts to which I had been formerly subject to, these and the frequent Scorbutic erruptions which make their appearance in various parts of my body and limbs, induce me to pray the favour of your leave to go on Half pay; so far am Sir I from a wish at leading an inactive life that I should be happy as soon as my health may be re-established to again be employed and that in some more active Service than that I am at present employed in will admit of; should you think it proper, I should be happy to have the opinion of three Surgeons to justify the opinion I entertain of the State of my health, and more fully to make apparent to you my incapacity of doing my duty from Your humble Servant