followed the example of her consort. The boat was now manned, and I was sent to take possession of these prizes, and to send the captains, with their papers, on board of the privateer. When I arrived on board of the largest I found that she was pierced for eighteen guns, but carrying at the time only eight carriage guns, and ten wooden (or Quaker) guns, manned with twenty-five officers, men and boys, burthen about three hundred tons, bound from Bristol to Cork. I dispatched the capt. of her on board of the privateer. It was now pretty dark. But I had not been on board of this ship to exceed fifteen minutes, before I saw a strange sail bearing directly down upon us, and by her manoeuvering I had reason to believe her an enemy. The handful of men which came on board with me I placed to the ship's guns, and made other preparations for engaging (not being at this time within hail of the privateer). The prisoners I also secured below. She boldly ran under our stern and hailed (I could now just discern the privateer's lights). The master of which, in a bold and resolute manner demanded "from whence we came, and where bound." In answer, I ordered him to go on board of the privateer, where, when he arrived he would probably be acquainted with, where we were from, and where bound. When he heard this he swore at a dreadful rate, and almost stove his speaking trumpet to pieces across the quarter rail. Arriving on board of the privateer (our bold captain who commanded the brig I had just brought to) asked for the captain of the privateer; when one of the lieutenants who spoke English, introduced him to Captain Anthon; who immediately asked him who he was. Who replied, 'Sir, I was master of the brig which the ship obliged me to bring to, the captain of which ordered me on board of this lugger.' 'Very well,' replied Captain Anthon, 'I will attend to your business when I have done with these other two captains (meaning the masters of the ships). The poor captain of the brig not rightly understanding what all this

meant, spoke again to Captain Anthon, and said, ‘Sir, I hope you are an Englishman, and this is an English privateer; for I certainly took the ship which brought me to, to be an English letter of marque.' 'She is so,' replied Captain Anthon (in broken English), 'but notwithstanding, she is my prize, and so is your brig; but it is the fortune of war, and therefore make yourself easy.' In fine, we ransomed the two ships, having first thrown overboard their guns, powder, &c., out of them (according to custom), for three thousand two hundred guineas; and the brig and cargo for five hundred. However, these two sums were not more than half the value of these vessels; but we thought it more prudent to ransom them for this sum than to run the risque of sending them to France. After this we shaped our course for Morlaix, having now on board ransom bills to the amount of ten thousand, four hundred and fifty guineas, besides eleven men as hostages, till that sum was paid. On our way thither we fell in with an English frigate called the Aurora, of twenty-eight guns, between Scilly and the Land's End; which after a chase of sixteen hours, part of which time it blew very fresh, and she out carried us, she captured us and carried us into Monts* Bay, which lies a little distance easterly from the Land's End, and where there is a small town called Penzance, about forty miles W.S.W. of Falmouth.

The captain of the Aurora, a Scotchman whose name was Collins, treated us exceedingly handsome, as he did not suffer any of his crew to take the least thing from any of us. Captain Anthon even saved his spy-glasses, quadrant, maps, &c., belonging to the privateer.

It was on the night of the 4th of May that we were thus captured, and on the day our hostages having been released, we were all searched for ransom bills. (Captain Anthon having before de*Mount's.-[ED].)

livered to Captain Collins two parcels for genuine ones; but they were such as we had filled up during the chase, for the express purpose of retaining those which were original. These last he concealed in his breeches, by which means they were saved, as will appear in the sequel. We went through another search without any better success on their part than at first.) The genuine ransom bills were afterwards sent to France by a safe conveyance.

It seems that during the last war there was an additional clause affixed to each ransom bill, which specified that the master of every vessel, after having been ransomed by an enemy, bound himself, his heirs, executors, and assigns, to pay the sum mentioned in the ransom bill or bills, in case the privateer should be taken, and the hostages released; provided, that the owners of such privateer could get the ransom bill or bills into his or their possession, to be afterwards produced in England for the final recovery of such sum or sums of money; and that the holders of said bills should bona fide be paid. This was the cause of our being so very strictly searched, and was the reason, or at least one among many more, why the British parliament passed a law not long since, purporting that no master or commander of an English vessel should on no pretence whatever ransom his vessel, &c.

On the 7th of May the captain of the Aurora ordered all of us but our first lieutenant, pilot, and boatswain (who were all three soon after tried and hanged, they having been in the English service previous thereto, and were known by some of the ship's crew which captured us). I say, all the rest of our privateer's crew were ordered to get ready to go on shore, which we did. And as Captain Anthon and myself were ready, and waiting to embark on board of the boats then lying alongside; the captain of the frigate, with his own hands, and in a very polite manner, handed us our side arms. Saying, as he presented me mine, “Sir, you are welcome to it, but I hope

you never will unsheath it again in anger against those who ever have esteemed the Americans as Englishmen." We afterwards landed, and the principal officer here under the king, invited Captain Anthon and myself to his house, where we were entertained by himself and family with hospitality and politeness. The next day we were allowed to furnish ourselves with a post chaise, and the king's officer furnished us with passports, and directed us to proceed with all convenient speed to Falmouth; and when we arrived there, he told us to call upon the mayor of that place who he said would parole us.

We accordingly set off in the post chaise without a single person to guard us, and we might, had we been so minded, travelled on so far as London. We had however pledged our words to the king's officer that we would go direct to Falmouth. On our way thither we passed through the town of Helston,* where we saw several French officers paroled in the town, some of whom we had been acquainted with in France. We arrived in the evening at Falmouth, when we called upon the mayor, who treated us with politeness. We had not been long at his house, before the English commissary for prisoners of war came into the room where we were, when we were introduced to him by the mayor who stated our case to him; but as soon as he cast his eyes the second time upon Captain Anthon, he knew him, and accused him of breaking his parole at Helston, some months previous to the time I am now speaking of, and which appeared to be true. This being the case with Captain Anthon, he was refused to be paroled. The commissary then turned to me and asked me if it was my wish to have my parole. I replied, 'that if my captain went to prison, I should certainly think it my duty to accompany him, and this was my choice.' He after paying me a compliment on account of my attachment to Capt. *In Hampshire.

Anthon, told me I should be indulged in my choice. A guard was now called and escorted us to prison the same night, which was about two miles from Falmouth. The very dirtiest and the most loathsome building I ever saw. Besides, we had no sooner heard the prison doors closed upon us than we were attacked on all sides with swarms of lice, remarkably fat and full grown; bedbugs and fleas. I believe the former were of Dutch extraction, as there were confined here at this time a number of Dutch prisoners of war; and such a company of dirty fellows I never saw before nor since. The first night I did not close my eyes, although fatigued; and I must confess I began to repent my not accepting of my parole when it was offered me. On the dawn of the next morning, I waited with no small anxiety for the prison doors to be opened, which however was not done until the sun arose. I now got out of reach of my nightly tormentors by walking out in the yard adjoining the prison. In the course of the day some of the prisoners were so generous as to cede to Captain Anthon and myself one corner of the prison which they had occupied and which we got cleansed. We then screened, with some sheets, our little apartment; and having provided ourselves with a large swinging cot, wide enough for both to sleep in it. This arrangement enabled us to live somewhat more comfortable, and to keep out of the way in some measure of the vermin.

On the 15th the commissary sent orders to the gaoler, for Captain Anthon and myself to be permitted to walk without the prison yard every day at the rising of the sun, provided that we would promise to return at sunset, and be confined within the prison walls every night; and provided we would engage not to go farther from the place of confinement than one mile and an half; to which we readily agreed with infinite pleasure. According to this agreement we had our liberty granted us every morning at sunrise, and returned to the prison every evening at sunset, and we slept within