the prison walls at night, observing strictly never to tarry out longer than the appointed time.

There were a great number of farm houses within our limits, to which we used to resort, the inhabitants of which treated us with hospitality and kindness; and where I spent many agreeable hours with the Cornish girls* who are generally tolerably handsome and good company; but at the same time they are very ignorant, and credulous sometimes.

We went to the exhibition of cockfighting; a place called a cockpit, made on purpose, was within our limits. At this diversion I have frequently seen the mayor of Falmouth, magistrates, merchants, ladies of distinction, and almost all grades of people. The cockfight is generally announced in public advertisements, when and where to be exhibited. At one of these (notwithstanding against the laws of the country) I have seen great crowds of people. They make large bets upon the cocks which are to fight as soon as they are gafted, and brought into the pit. At the last exhibition of this kind that I went to see I believe there were at least two thousand men, women and children; when I saw the sum of two hundred guineas staked on the head of a cock, but their common bets are from one to twelve guineas each, upon a single battle. This kind of diversion (though a barbarous one in my opinion) lasts a day; during which time there are a great many cocks slain in the field of battle, besides broken heads among the men.

After having tarried here about six weeks, we were exchanged, and arrived in Cherbourg in France, the latter end of June, from whence all of us who came over in the cartel, to the number of one hundred and twenty-five, including several Americans, were conducted under a strong guard through the country to Brest, in order to help man the grand French fleet of war, then lying at that place.

*It was in the county of Cornwall where we were prisoners.

(From Cherbourg to Brest is about two hundred and sixty English miles.) Upon the road I was plundered of the greater part of my wearing apparel, for which I never obtained any redress, neither did I know who did it; I however suspected the guard who accompanied us. We were ten days upon our march, but no more than about seventy out of the whole number of those who had been exchanged reached Brest at the expiration of that time; the rest deserted on the road. Arriving at Brest, I applied to the French commissary (with whom I had previously formed an acquaintance) for a passport to go to Morlaix. He condescended to grant me one, and at the same time told me that if I had arrived before the grand fleet had sailed, I should have had the honour of serving his most Christian Majesty in the navy at least one campaign.

Soon after this, I set out from Brest for Morlaix, where I arrived in a few hours, and where I found a French brigantine letter of marque ready to sail for the West Indies, on board of which I engaged a passage, and room for some freight. I made a partial settlement with my owners, and obtained of them some wines, and a quantity of dry-goods, which I shipped on board of said vessel. I received also of them five thousand livres Tournois* in cash. I embarked on board of said vessel with my little all in high spirits, hoping once more to see my native country. Having taken leave of all my friends, we set sail for our port of destination on the 12th of July, 1781, with a favourable wind.

The brig on board of which I had embarked was cutter built, and consequently a prime sailer. She mounted 16 guns, and carried 41 officers, men, and boys, besides seven men passengers. On the 14th, about 5 leagues N.W. of Ushant, we were chased by an English frigate four or five hours, but night came on and we lost sight of her. The same night we experienced a violent gale of wind which forced

A livre Tournois is about 191⁄2 cents.

us ashore a few leagues to the westward of the Isle of Bass,* no great distance from Morlaix. Here the brigantine and cargo were totally lost. And it was not without the greatest hazard and difficulty that we all got safe on land. By this sad and lamentable shipwreck, I had lost every farthing of money and property which I possessed or owned in the world, and which reduced me once more to beggary. After I got safe on shore, I could not help reflecting on my past misfortunes, which it seemed to me were never to end. However, I soon recovered from such visionary ideas; I grew calm, and I came to this determination, never to attempt again to cross the vast Atlantic Ocean until the god of war had ceased to waste human blood in the western world. I considered that it made but a little difference whether I fought under the French or American flag, as long as I fought against the English; and besides, the French at the time were our allies and best friends.

I therefore once more set out for Morlaix, where I arrived on the 17th, and was very kindly received by the ladies and gentlemen of my acquaintance. I had by this time made some progress in the French tongue, and could converse a little with the ladies, who always seemed to be very anxious to instruct me, and to put me right when I made any blunders, or pronounced an indecent word, which often happens to a new beginner, who has but a small smattering of their language. I had now some leisure hours to visit the public amusements and diversions in this place *

The latter end of August I set our for Dunkirk, which is about six hundred miles between the north and the east from Morlaix, with an intention of going another cruise with my old friend Captain Anthon, in a large cutter of eighteen guns, the command of which had been conferred on him. The first day (having a good horse) I arrived at Dinan, a very considerable inland town, lying on the

Isle de Bas.-[ED.]

eastern boundary of the province of Brittany, situate upon an eminence, a noted place for the confinement of English prisoners of war. The town is pretty large, and it is defended on all sides by a prodigious strong castle large enough, it is said, to contain ten thousand men. The town is walled in, within which there were confined at this time, four thousand English prisoners of war. The next day I entered, and travelled on in the province of Normandy. said to be the largest and best province in France. I passed through a great many towns and villages, part of which were walled in, and arrived at the city of Caen, the capital of this province, a handsome built flourishing place. In my travelling along through the small towns and villages,* I found most of the houses only one-story high, without any floor but the naked ground, and the people who dwelt in them without anything better to sleep upon than straw, and even in this their cattle partook a share with them.

The public roads in this country swarm with beggars; and whenever a carriage passes or men on horseback, men, women, and children, all in rags, will be seen running and hallooing after those who pass for charity. I have often thrown a handful of sous among them to prevent them from following me any farther, and while they were scrambling after these I would steal a march upon them, and get out of their sight, but it was not long before I would meet others of the same description, and their importunities would be so incessant and so moving, that I could not get rid of them until I had thrown some more change in among them. A great many of these beggars live upon each side of the public roads, in caves made or dug out of the earth, and covered over with the same, each of these generally contain a little family; they do not appear to have any household utensils; and nothing to lie on but straw. They are

*These towns and villages are mostly built with stone, and are very low. I have frequently seen in one of these houses a family of men, women, and children; cow, horse, goat, sow and pigs; all huddled together in a single room without any floor.

for the most part very dirty. At the door of each hut or cave, one of the family keeps a look out, and whenever they hear or see any carriages, people on horseback or otherwise passing, the beggar on duty or watch gives the rest the alarm. In a moment the road

will be nearly filled with them. And night or day, it is morally impossible to pass without giving them some money; and even if you throw them any there will be some among them who have not got a share of it, and who will follow after you as fast as their legs will carry them for several miles together; and the boys will run almost as fast as the fleetest horse upon these occasions. I remember one instance on the road which I was travelling at the time on horseback, in company with a gentleman between Paris and Dunkirk, that we overtook three of these beggar boys, who had at that instant crept out of their den; neither of us had any change, accordingly we agreed as soon as they began to beg charity of us, to clap spurs to our horses and leave them. These boys appeared to be from eleven to fourteen years of age; they had not then upon them anything but a few rags, not sufficient to cover their nakedness without any hats, and their hair appeared as though a comb had never touched it. We accordingly set off upon a full gallop, and they after us close to our horses' heels, until we had rode about ten miles, when the youngest boy began to fall astern. The other two still held out and kept as near us as they were when they first started with us. At length I was tired myself in riding so fast, being mounted upon a hard going horse, and I spoke to the gentleman in company with me to halt, which we both did. I then gave the largest boy a crown, and bade him divide it equally between the three, whom I now found to be brothers, by enquiring of the largest boy, and that they dwelt together in one cave, where they had left their father and mother when they came in pursuit of us. The beggar boys now appeared to be satisfied, and we pursued our journey.