Jones's influence was so great, and the people here caressed him in such a manner, that he was called king of Brittany. L'Orient is in this province, known in French by the name of 'La province de Britagne.' His power over the general and commandant especially was astonishing, and in consequence thereof the inhabitants of L'Orient thought he deserved that title.

On the 7th of October, 1780, we set sail from this port for the United States in the Ariel, at about 6 P.M. and at the time we had under our convoy fourteen sail of American vessels, among which were three letters of marque, with the wind blowing a leading gale, at E.S.E. At 10 P.M. the wind shifted suddenly into the W.S.W. and blew a heavy gale-took in top gallant sails, and close reefed our courses, and we carried them as long as the ship would bear them. The night was very dark, and we lost sight of the fleet. We were obliged to carry some sail in order to weather the Pin Marks,* a long range of sunken rocks about a league from the land, and which we judged to be to leeward of us. At midnight we were obliged to hand our courses, as it blew so violent that we could not suffer a single yard of canvas. The ship at the same time lay in a very dangerous situation, nearly upon her beam ends, and in the trough of the sea, and leaked so bad that with both chain pumps constantly going we could not keep her free. Some French soldiers which we had on board, and who were stationed at the cranks of the pumps, let go of them, crossed themselves and went to prayers. They were driven from this by the officers to the cranks again; and it became necessary to keep lifted naked hangers over their heads, and threaten them with instant death if they quit their duty, or if they did not work with all their strength; without this, they would again leave off and go to prayers. Soon after, one of our

This is variously spelled-in a contemporary French map, Penmarc, in a later Penmarch, and in the latest English atlas Penmark.

chain pumps got choked in such a manner that it would deliver no water. Jones in all this time shewed a great deal of presence of mind, and kept, with his own hands, sounding with the deep sea lead; and at last finding that we were shoaling water very fast, and that we should in a short time be upon the Pin Marks, without something was soon done to prevent it. In this extremity a consultation of Captain Jones and his principal officers was had upon the quarterdeck, and the result was, that orders were given for cutting away our fore-mast, and letting go the sheet anchor; and the latter was executed without loss of time. We sounded now in thirty-five fathoms of water. The sheet cable was now paid out to the bitter end: but she did not look to her anchor; and her cable was spliced to the first, and paid out to the bitter end; she did not yet bring up; the third cable was also spliced to the end of the second; when after paying out about seven-eighths of this last, and the fore-mast cut away at the same tine, and when it had fell overboard to the leeward, the ship brought to and rid head to the wind and the sea now run mountains high.* By the time of which I am now speaking we had not less than three hundred fathoms of cable paid out-in a few minutes after the ship brought to her anchor. The ship laboured so hard, rolled so deep, and would bring up so sudden, that it sprung our main mast, just below our gun-deck, and as this was now in the greatest danger of being ripped up, orders were given to cut away the main-mast above the quarterdeck, which was immediately carried into execution; and when this fell over the side to leeward, it forced off the head of the mizzenmast. By this time we had freed the ship of water, but when her masts were gone her motion was so quick and violent, that the most expert seamen on board could not stand upon their legs, neither upon the quarterdeck nor forecastle without holding on to some

*This was in the Bay of Biscay.

thing. The chain pump which had been choked was cleaned, and notwithstanding the gale kept increasing, yet our anchor and cables held on so well, that some faint hopes were now entertained that our lives would be spared: however the gale did not abate much until the morning of the 9th. At meridian of this day the wind had abated so much that we began to erect and rig our jury masts. At 4 P.M. we had them erected and rigged, and what spars and sails we could muster upon them; and there being at this time but a moderate breeze at about W.N.W., a fair wind for L'Orient and the sea tolerable smooth, we hove in upon our cable till it was short apeak, and then exerted ourselves every way which we could think of in order to purchase our anchor, and after trying a long time without being able to weigh it, orders were given by Captain Jones to save all we could of the cable and then cut it away, which was done and we made sail for L'Orient where we soon after arrived and came to anchor. Many of our friends now came on board to see us and appeared to be rejoiced at our safe escape, as they said they expected we were lost, as the gale was very violent and did a great deal of damage even in the harbour, among the shipping. and alongside of the keys.

Before we last sailed from this port in the Ariel, a number of American gentlemen came on board of us in order to take a passage with us for America. Some of them tarried on board with us with that view, and were with us in the late gale of wind, among whom was a young gentleman by the name of Sullivan, and who said he was a nephew of one of the American generals of that name. He had, it appeared, served some time in the quality of a lieutenant in Count Dillon's brigade in the French service, and the brigade was at this time stationed in garrison at Fort Louis, near L'Orient. He brought on board when he first arrived from Paris, and which were shown to Captain Jones's officers, several open letters of the best

recommendations from some of the first characters in that city, to some of the first officers in the American army. Besides, he had one letter from doctor Franklin to Captain Jones, in which the doctor desired Jones to take young Sullivan on board, treat him with kindness; and moreover, to give him his passage. Captain Jones's abusive treatment of this young man, who came on board with such unquestionable recommendations deserves a place in my journal. And as I was an eye witness to the whole of Jones's conduct towards this young gentleman, I shall here proceed to relate nothing but stubborn facts; the reader will, nevertheless, be at perfect liberty whether to believe them or not.

After the ship Ariel had returned to L'Orient and had come to anchor, all the passengers got ready to go on shore, and had their trunks embarked on board of the boats, which lay ready alongside of the ship to receive them. Young Sullivan among the rest, had made a preparation to go on shore also; when Captain Jones solicited him in a very polite manner, to tarry on board two or three days in order to have an eye to the marines, and see that they did their duty: in fine, to act as captain of marines, as the person who filled that station on board of our ship at that time was confined to a sick bed. Telling him (Sullivan) that he would fare equally as well on board as on shore, it would be expensive living there which in remaining on board, he would save. To this request, made in such a plausible way, the young man in question consented, and told Captain Jones that he would remain on board the time which Captain Jones requested him, and after which he should take the liberty to go on shore when he pleased, until the ship was ready to sail for America. Jones replied, that he should have no objections to that, for as he was considered on board of his ship only as a passenger, and in that character he (Sullivan) had an undoubted right to go where and when he pleased. Four days after this conversation was held, the

latter had a mind to go on shore, but Jones urged him to remain two or three days longer as the captain of the marines was not yet about. This was also assented to. After this time had expired, another request was made by Jones, for this young man to remain on board as much longer. And finally this kind of request was so often repeated that Sullivan lost all patience, and even command over himself, and told Jones in a manner somewhat harsh, that he had never been accustomed to such treatment, and not being under any obligation to him, he should take his baggage out of the ship, and go on shore in the very next boat which came alongside. 'What is that you say, you rascal,' says Jones, drawing his sword out of the scabbard and rushed on to Sullivan, 'Not a word! I will run you through in an instant!' To this the latter very calmly replied, without appearing to be intimidated in the least, and without retiring back an inch, 'You are on board of your own ship, Captain Jones, therefore I know the consequence of making at this time any resistance; but sir, remember what I have now the honour to say to you; if I have the good luck to see you on shore, depend upon it, I will make you repent of this unheard of insult and cruelty." To this Jones made no reply but as he went over the ship's side to go on shore, he directed his first lieutenant to have him turned below among the ship's crew, and to order the master at arms to put the rascal in irons, hands and feet, which was executed without delay. Some few days after this Jones's officers ventured to solicit Captain Jones, that Mr. Sullivan's hands might be liberated from irons, which he reluctantly consented to.

Some time after, the officers in Count Dillon's brigade heard of the ill treatment of their brother officer by Captain Jones, and one of the colonels of that brigade came on board of our ship, to know if it was true (having been intimately acquainted with Mr. S.). He mentioned to Captain Jones as soon as he came on board,