Normandie, prison-ship, Brest
Water, 7th Dec. 1794.
Admiral Bligh has been allowed to visit us twice or thrice since our
separation took place. He still remains on board Le Marat, with his son,
a little boy of ten years old, and two young midshipmen, who are also
permitted to be with him. Until this day he has been unable to give us
any information, and was even ignorant of what was to be his own lot. He
is now promised to be sent, on his parole, to Quimper, in Bretagne; and
in addition to innumerable proofs of kindness and regard, which I have
experienced from him ever since I have been under his command, he has
honoured me by obtaining leave for me to accompany him, as his
_aid-de-camp and interpreter_. Since my last letter he has been on board
_La Montagne_, to see Vice Admiral Villaret de Joyeuse, the commander in
chief of the fleet here, and who acted in that capacity against Lord
Howe on the first of June. He told me that he was very politely
received, and was pressed to accept of pecuniary assistance, which he
declined; but Admiral Villaret plainly hinted to him, that he was
obliged to suppress much of the regard which he wished to show to him,
from the delicacy of his situation, in the present temper of the times.
Monsieur Renaudin, late commander of the _Vengeur_, who was taken, after
the sinking of his ship, on the first of June, and is just returned from
England, has visited him on board Le Marat. This gentleman declares, in
loud terms, the humanity of the English, and the polite attentions he
received from many of our most distinguished naval officers, whose
generosity left him no want: Of this list I remember the names of Lord
Howe, Admiral M‘Bride, Captain Bentinck, and Captain Schomberg. Monsieur
Renaudin also made a tender of his purse to Admiral Bligh; but I have
reason to believe, that it was not done with that explicit frankness,
which could hope to supersede the offer of Monsieur Villaret, even had
it been made previously to it. By the way, the re-appearance of
Renaudin, does not a little astonish the French; for the convention, in
order to gratify the national vanity, and inflame the minds of the
people against the English, had publickly announced, that Le Vengeur,
with _all her crew_, sunk with colours flying, disdaining to accept of
quarter from slaves whom they despised; and a decree was even passed, to
perpetuate this heroic resolution, by erecting a monument to the memory
of the event.
I am sorry to say, that Monsieur Renaudin echoed the profession of his
commander in chief, in lamenting that the political prejudices which
reign here will prevent him also from acting up to the extent of his
wishes, in attending to the English, and the Admiral in particular. What
evils do not these political phrenzies generate? Be this as it may, I am
all alive at the thought of the scene about to burst upon me; and there
are moments when I am almost tempted not to regret a captivity, which
opens an inlet into this extraordinary country at such a period as the
present; but these momentary illusions flit before the memory of the
scenes I have left behind. Can curiosity, all-powerful as it is, stand
in opposition to love and friendship? Let me, however, but quit La
Normandie, and then we will strike the balance. To-morrow I am to bid
adieu to her darksome round: how joyfully! And yet I shall not leave
without a tear of commiseration those gallant comrades, with whom I have
so lately fought, and so severely suffered.
The few remarks I have been able to make are entirely nautical. I shall
detail them to you when I can revise them at my leisure at Quimper. From
a fear of being searched, I have used some extraordinary precautions to
secure them; and if they be found they will not be easily understood,
for I have so transposed the natural order of the sentences, and so
intermixed words from all the languages which I could recollect (not
excepting that of New Holland) that it would puzzle the interpreter of
the convention to decypher them.-------- Adieu.