Tobias Smollett

(1721 - 1771)

Tobias Smollett joined the Royal Navy at the age of nineteen as a surgeon’s second mate, and in 1741 he landed in Jamaica, where he abandoned his duties and later met his future wife. Returning to London in 1744 to start his own practice, he published in 1748 his first novel, The Adventures of Roderick Random, drawing heavily upon his naval experiences. His translation of Don Quixote appeared in 1755.