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Transcriber’s note:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
A RELIC
OF THE
REVOLUTION,
CONTAINING A FULL AND PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF
THE SUFFERINGS AND PRIVATIONS OF ALL THE
AMERICAN PRISONERS
CAPTURED ON THE HIGH SEAS, AND CARRIED INTO
PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND, DURING THE
REVOLUTION OF 1776;
With the Names of the Vessels taken—the Names and Residence of
the several Crews, and time of their Commitment—the Names
of such as died in Prison, and such as made their Escape,
or entered on board English Men-of-War;
until the exchange of prisoners,
March 15, 1779.
ALSO,
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL CRUISES OF THE
SQUADRON UNDER THE COMMAND OF
COMMODORE JOHN PAUL JONES,
PRIZES TAKEN, ETC., ETC.
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BY CHARLES HERBERT, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASS.
Who was taken prisoner in the Brigantine Dolton, Dec., 1776,
and served in the U.S. Frigate Alliance, 1779-80.
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BOSTON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, BY
_CHARLES H. PEIRCE._
1847.
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847,
BY RICHARD LIVSEY,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
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Stereotyped and Printed
By George C. Rand and Company,
No. 3 Cornhill, Boston.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
The Dolton sailed—Was taken—Breach of Honor—Disagreeable
Lodgings—Advantage of being Small—A Report—English
Women—Royal Salute—Removed—A Prize brought in—Daily
Allowance on board His Majesty’s Ships—The Charming
Sally—Orders. 17
CHAPTER II.
Disease and Vermin—Reports—Pressed Men—Removal to the
Tarbay—Cold Berth—Sickness prevails—General Lee—A
Friend—An Act of Parliament—Removal for better—Better
Quarters—Special Favors—Liberal Distribution—Great
Contrast—A good Friend—Sickness increases. 22
CHAPTER III.
Death of E. Hunt—Gets the privilege to Work—Good Pay—Act of
Parliament—Poetry—A Captain’s Compliments—Wish granted—A
Report—Paper—A Prize—Prayers on board—A
Privilege—Reckoning—Critical
Situation—Small-Pox—Visitors—Report from America—Small-Pox
prevails—Captain Rowe—Ship Nancy taken—Terrible
Punishment—Carried to the Hospital—Treatment for Itch. 27
CHAPTER IV.
Royal Hospital Buildings—An Adventure—Taken down with
Small-Pox—Three Prisoners Escape—Re-taken—Severe
Sickness—Second Death—Joseph Hatch—Recovery—Kind attention
of the Nurses—Samuel Shriggins, the third of the company,
died—Attempt to Escape. 34
CHAPTER V.
Fourth Death—Captain Brown’s Escape—His Men sent to
Prison—Discharge from the Hospital—Yellow Fever—Fifth
Death—Cruelty to the Dead—Examination—Commitment to
Prison—Prison Allowance—Hunger—Prison Employments—Charity
Box—Hard Fare—Guard Alarmed—Friendly Visitors—A Mean
Trick. 40
CHAPTER VI.
More Prisoners—A Present—Visit from American
Gentlemen—Black-Hole—Fleet of Transports for
America—Prisoners Escape—Death—Prospect of War with
France—First Breach in the Prison Wall—Fox Frigate taken
by the Hancock—A Newspaper—Number of Prisoners—Escape of
thirty-two Prisoners—Bounty—Punishment—Cruelty to the
Old—Captain Lee taken in the Fancy—Hears from Home—Bad
News—False Reports—Daniel Cottle died. 48
CHAPTER VII.
Attempt to Escape discovered—Awful description of
Suffering—Dreadful Starvation—Gloomy Prospects—Death of
Gideon Warren—Detection—Close Examination—Commissioner—A
Newspaper—Relief Prohibited—Attempt to Escape—Oath of
Secrecy—Another Attempt to Escape—Captain Johnston and the
Lexington—Sea Fight—The Press continued—Love of
Liberty—Meeting after a long absence—A Privilege
granted—Agent in a good humor—A Purchase—More
Prisoners—Running the Gantlet. 58
CHAPTER VIII.
More Prisoners—Hears from Home—Suspicion—A hot Press—1500
Seamen wanted—News from America—Disagreeable
Company—Destitution of the Prisoners—Digging and
Detection—A Pious Wish—Twenty Years of Age—Mournful
Reflections—Letter from Bilboa—Bad Bread—Unpleasant
Reflections—King’s Speech—Bold
Project—Failure—Reports—Strictness of the
Guard—Suspicion—Privation from the Gospel—Prisoners
Threatened—Voluntary Sacrifice—Good News reported—Detail
of General Burgoyne’s Defeat—Washington and Howe. 69
CHAPTER IX.
Christmas Pudding—Christmas Presents—Clothes Served—Happy
New Year—Friends appear—Presents—Friends increase—Large
Donations reported—Donation from British Recruiting
Parties—Private Donations—Exhortations to a Civil, Sober
Life—Large Distribution of Clothing—Royal Salute—Regular
Allowance from Donation Fund—Increasing Privilege. 82
CHAPTER X.
Price of Tobacco—Cleanliness—Not to be
Discouraged—Blankets—Distribution—Letter from
America—Officers Escape—Arrival of a Fleet—Paper—Dr.
Franklin to the Council—State of Troops—Deserters
Taken—Visit from the Governor and Lady—Removal of
Officers—General wish for Peace—A
Newspaper—Commissioners—Public Fast—Allowance
Withdrawn—Liberality—Petition Refused—A Newspaper—Reward
of Bravery—Lights Continued. 92
CHAPTER XI.
Awful Penalty for Desertion—Public Indignation—Remarkable
Health of the Prisoners—Recruiting Party in Cornwall—Howe
in Trouble—Two Fathers—Scarcity of Provisions in the West
Indies—Black-hole—American Privateer—Hot
Press—Detection—French Brig run down—Prisoners sell their
Clothes to Gamble—“Preceptor”—Extreme
Punishment—Sports—Examination—Use of Poverty—English
Ambassador returns from France—Captain
Boardman—Titcomb—Hope of Return—Commissioners to
America—Newspapers. 102
CHAPTER XII.
Letter from Portsmouth—Debate in Parliament—Cost of the
War—Petition for a Trial—Traitors Detected—Traitors
Punished—Attempt to Escape—Sickness in Prison—Paul Jones
at Whitehaven—Letter from Portsmouth—Death of John
Foster—Prison Wrangle—Commissioners Sailed—Another Hole—It
Founders—Joseph Kensington died—Sick Prisoners Neglected. 113
CHAPTER XIII.
French Privateer—French Fleet—Patience scarce—Escape—One
Missing—Man with Red Hair—Blockade—Ball Play—Severity of
the Guard—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Effects of Rum—A Widow—A
Surprise—Press of Fishermen—Another Detection—Voluntary
Suffering—Captain Pulford—Attempt to Escape—Taken—Cruel
Treatment. 122
CHAPTER XIV.
Death of the Doctor—Sailing of Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Rev.
Mr. Heath—Cold reception of Proposition of Peace in
America—Effort to Escape—Gen. Burgoyne’s Compliment to
American Troops—French Frigate taken—Preparation for the
Fourth of July—Amputation—Another Hole—John Dam—Allowance
to French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel’s Fleet sail—Boys
attempt to Escape. 131
CHAPTER XV.
Bad Conduct in Prison—Digging out—Four Escape—Fire, and
Officers Escape—Sad News from Portsmouth—Pay Day—Admiral
Keppel returns—England’s pride humbled—A curious plan for
Escape—Battle Report—Wounded in the Hospital—Effort to
Escape by Swimming—Invitation to join the Fleet—Americans
pressed to the Ships of War. 145
CHAPTER XVI.
French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel sails—Another attempt to
Escape—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—A Gale—General Clinton’s
Retreat from Philadelphia—Fever and Ague prevails—Captain
Burnell and Wife—Escape from Portsmouth—French
Privateer—Distribution of Clothing—Hot Press—Letter to
Captain Lee—French Prisoners increase. 157
CHAPTER XVII.
Rols’ Escape—Very Sickly—Another Escape—Unfaithful
Doctor—Frenchmen Escape and Return—Captain Ravel’s
Escape—Mr. Kirk’s Escape—Prisoners join
Men-of-War—Cartel—Letters from Portsmouth—The Man that was
punished unjustly, Rescued—Captain Lee’s Escape—New
Arrangement—Spotted Fever among the French—Second Draft
for the Ships—The Albion taken by the French—Sabbath
Privileges lost. 168
CHAPTER XVIII.
Oil of Tar for Prison—Frenchmen Break Out—One Shot—Reduction
of Donation—Two Americans in Irons—Various opinions about
the Cartel—Several Holes in hand—Fearful
Apprehensions—Dominica taken by the French and
Americans—King’s Troops on Martha’s Vineyard—Drunken
Prisoners delivered up—Forbearance of the Guard—Fire in
the Black-hole—Four American Boys—Dolton as Fortune
Privateer—Base Treachery—Plans Discovered—Mitchell the
Villain—Letter of Thanks—Two Years from Home. 179
CHAPTER XIX.
Twenty-one—Fort on Drake’s Island—Breach in Black-hole
King’s Speech—English Prisoners at Brest—Hyfield’s
Escape—Exposure of the Sick—John Lott died—Public
Prayer—Captain Ross’s Escape. 198
CHAPTER XX.
Cruel purposes of the Ministry—Petition for Pardon—Mr.
Salter’s Escape—Cruel Act renewed—Last of the
Donation—Court Martial—General Elopement—Discovered and
carried back to Plymouth—A sorrowful New Year—Extreme
Suffering—Good Friends—New Year’s Gift—Large
Fleets—Captain Boardman Escapes—Heavy Bounty for
Prisoners. 200
CHAPTER XXI.
A Hurricane—Great Distress—Kills a Dog—Dog Divided—Cooked
and eat—Rats Eat in Prison—Voluntary Surrender—Good
News—Cartel Arrived—Pardon—Great Joy—A Small
Donation—Spanish Fleet—Another Pardon—A Wonder—Number of
Prisoners left—Wait Impatiently—Another Hole in
hand—Eleven Frenchmen Escape—Good News from Bilboa—Happy
Event—Twenty-six Months a Prisoner—Penitent Sick
Prisoners—King’s Pardon. 211
CHAPTER XXII.
John Foster, Elias Vickey, and Asa Witham died—Mr. Deal’s
Escape—Milford Transport—Keppel
Acquitted—Bonfires—Escape—Cartel Arrives—Leaves the
Prison—Bonner Darling died. 220
CHAPTER XXIII.
Journal Lost—Thirty enter with Jones—Joins the
Alliance—Arrive at L’Orient with Prize—Second
Cruise—Journal Lost—Extracts from Paul Jones’ Life—At Dr.
Franklin’s House—Joins again the Alliance—Sails Home. 229
PREFACE.
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In presenting the following pages to the reader, the publisher has no
ambition to aspire to the character of an author, and what is perhaps
more rare, he has no private interest to serve; he does not seek to
gratify the fastidious part of the community, who would have more
respect for the dress, or appearance, than for the subject matter. He is
perfectly aware that the Journal is not without some imperfections; but
it must be kept in mind that it was not written for the public, with an
eye to publication, or to make a book—but simply as a memorandum of the
events of each day. Yet when we take into consideration all the
circumstances, it is little less than a miracle; consider the author: a
youth of scarcely nineteen summers—then the places where the records
were made—the cable tier of a man-of-war, the gloomy recesses of a
prison, or on board the battle ship, where three or four hundred men
were crowded together for the purposes of strife and blood; then take
into consideration the prohibition of all materials for writing in
prison, the vigilance of the guards, and the frequent search made among
the prisoners, and it becomes a matter of surprise, not that it has some
imperfections, but that it exists at all, and especially that it was
never interrupted. For the long imprisonment of more than _two years_,
it seems to have been providentially preserved, for the purposes of
bringing to light the hidden things of darkness, that those who should
come after may be admonished and instructed.
The reader will find the Journal free from all appearance of _design_ or
effort; it is perfectly natural; what is seen or heard is recorded with
hardly a note or comment, from first to last; through their medium we
are conducted through the hold of the prison-ship, and witness the
privations and sufferings of the hapless victims; the prison hospital is
thrown open to our inspection, not as transient visitors, but as
witnesses of the daily occurrences; here we see justice and mercy
meeting together; the walls, the bars, the guards, tell that here stern
justice holds its victims, while the attendant physician, and gentle
patience of the nurse, speak of Mercy’s visits, and pity. Then the
prison doors grate on their hinges, and we enter; the vacant stare of
the sons of Sorrow meet us, while their meager forms, sallow
countenances and ragged habiliments, speak of their privations and
misery; we seem to listen to their tale of woe, and hear them tell of
happy homes and kind friends in their native land; we can almost taste
their scanty and uninviting portions, and our sympathies become deeply
interested, until we share in all their anxieties to obtain deliverance;
we are sometimes almost suffocated while following the diggers in their
excavations, to force a subterranean passage to the light of day and air
of freedom; anon we are bounding over the fields as the minions of
tyranny pursue us, until, weary and exhausted, we feel their ruthless
hands upon us to drag us back to our gloomy habitations; then we feel
the cold chill run over us, as we look forward to forty days and nights
in darkness and solitude in the “Black hole,” on half the usual
allowance of ordinary prisoners; we become acquainted with the “Two
Fathers,” the messengers of Love and Pity—and while the donations
continue we seem to enjoy a respite; hope and fear alternately rise and
sink, until the donation closes, and transient joy gives way to deeper
gloom, until some of the less determined seek relief on board the
enemy’s ships of war, where they will be compelled to meet their friends
and countrymen in the bloody strife—a destiny more horrible to the mind
capable of reflection, than the protracted miseries of the prison cell.
At length the star of hope rises, and the news of a cartel is received;
now it arrives, and we are straining our eyes through the dim light of
the grated window to look on the ship, as she lays in the creek. Post
after post is anxiously looked for until the agent musters his wretched
charge and reads as follows: “His Majesty has been graciously pleased to
pardon one hundred of you, in order to an exchange.” The names of the
hundred are read, while tears of joy point out the happy ones. Once more
the prison doors give way—and with what rapture they hail the breath of
freedom!
From the time that Mr. Herbert entered the service of the United States
under the command of Commodore Jones, the entries in his journal are
less frequent and less full; still, if it had not been for the
unfortunate loss of several pages of the Journal, it would have been
sufficiently full, to have conducted the reader through their several
cruizes, to their arrival home; as it is, we have endeavored to fill up
the vacuum by extracts from the official reports of Commodore _Paul
Jones_.
It is believed that the reader will receive profit and pleasure from the
numerous and various incidents here related, and from the information
imparted on a variety of subjects, especially as it shows the views and
feelings of the people of England on the subject of the war then raging
between this and the mother country; and that the strong sympathy
manifested towards the prisoners, in the collection of upwards of
_thirty thousand dollars_ for their relief, together with all the
private donations, not included in the above, will be an everlasting
monument to the benevolence of British Christians, and may tend to
soften our prejudices and lead to stronger sympathies for each other,
and greater efforts to promote each other’s welfare, and mutual feelings
of peace and good will.
A list of the prisoners, with the places to which they belonged, and
vessels in which they were taken, also a notice of such as had made
their escape, had died, or entered the service of Great Britain, will no
doubt be acceptable to such as had friends in the service of their
country, and of whom, perhaps, they have never since heard. The list was
taken, as will be seen, a short time before Mr. Herbert left prison.
The indulgence of the critic is hoped for, under the assurance that the
task of preparing the Journal for the press has been arduous, as much of
it was originally written in figures to secure secrecy, and had to be
spelled out by reference to the key; that the task was performed amidst
a press of more important duties, and with a fixed purpose of devoting
all the avails of the sales of the work to the widow of the author,
after paying the expense of publication.
SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR.
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It is perfectly natural to expect, in presenting any work to the public,
and more especially of the nature of a journal, that the reader will
desire to know something of the character of its author, in order to
determine what degree of confidence the writer is entitled to,—whether
the statements made are to be depended upon or not. In compliance with
this reasonable demand, we will endeavor to impart such information as
we possess, believing that it will be perfectly satisfactory.
CHARLES HERBERT was the son of John Herbert, of Newburyport, Mass. His
mother’s name was Jane, daughter of Colonel Pierce of that town. Mr.
Charles Herbert was born November 17th, in the year of our Lord 1757,
but, being deprived of his mother by death, at the early age of two
months, he was committed to the care of a maiden aunt—Miss Lydia Pierce,
sister of his mother. The influence of early training, as developed in
the life of Mr. Herbert, is very creditable to his early tutoress. Moral
and religious principle must have taken a deep root in his young heart,
to have preserved that heart from the gross and corrupting influence of
the society into which he was afterwards thrown. The fruit appears in
lovely contrast with the abandoned profligacy of many of his companions,
and no doubt afforded him abundant consolation in the hours of suffering
and solitude. His character gave to him a sort of pre-eminence among his
fellows, and an influence with his captors and keepers, which his
companions did not share. He was a true patriot; neither frowns nor
flatteries could move him to abandon his country’s interest. If good
tidings reach him, his heart exults with joy; if dark clouds hang over
the prospects of the patriot band, he is sorrowful, and will not be
comforted; he can endure hunger, confinement, or reproach—any thing but
the extinguishing of his country’s hope. Others, for the sake of
personal liberty, can join the standard of the enemy: but not so with
him; he cannot betray the cause of his country, or go to battle against
_his brother_.
From the Journal the reader will learn that Mr. Herbert entered on board
the Dolton, Nov. 15, 1776, being less than nineteen years of age, and
returned to Newburyport Aug. 23, 1780, having been absent nearly four
years, two of which he spent as a prisoner, in a foreign land. The
sufferings of this period were of the most distressing kind—hunger,
cold, sickness, and privation. After his release, by an exchange of
prisoners, brought about by the efforts of Dr. Franklin, then Minister
to France, Mr. Herbert joined the Alliance frigate, commanded by Captain
Landais, forming part of the squadron of Commodore J. Paul Jones. He was
one of those sent to Bergen, in Norway, then a part of the kingdom of
Denmark, with prizes—which prizes were seized by the Danish government
and delivered to the English Consul, which forms the basis of the
“Denmark Claims,” so called; and which amounted then, according to Dr.
Franklin, to at least fifty thousand pounds sterling. The crews of these
vessels, on their return from Denmark, were kindly entertained by Dr.
Franklin, at his house; and on leaving, he paid their expenses and gave
each person a crown. Mr. Herbert preserved his, as a sacred treasure, as
long as he lived, but it has since his death been lost. It is to be
hoped that those claims against Denmark will be brought to a speedy
settlement, and the few survivors of the eventful scenes of Paul Jones’
career be rewarded for their sufferings. Mr. Herbert possessed a
remarkably active mind, prompt and ready on all occasions; he met every
emergency with the utmost self-possession. This is seen in his conduct
when the brig was taken, and after he became a prisoner. He could be
carpenter, carver, shoe-maker, merchant, could make boxes, sell tobacco,
or labor in any way to make a shift, to prevent starvation. Nor did he
neglect his mind; he bought several books at extravagant prices, which
he read, and loaned to his fellow prisoners. Among other studies perused
in prison he became master of _navigation_. His journal, which is a
standing monument of his genius and industry, was concealed, while
writing, in his boots, and as each page became full, it was conveyed to
a chest with a double bottom, and there secreted until he left prison It
is probable the existence of the journal was known to very few, if any,
in prison, as the most serious consequences must have followed its
discovery. How often in the silent hours of midnight, by the light made
from the marrow of a bone, did he trace the record of each eventful day?
It has never been known that any journal of any length of time was kept
by any other person: it is believed none exists; and to the friends of
those who were taken by the enemy and died in prison, or escaped but
have not been heard from, or who went on board English men-of-war, “to
serve, and continue to serve in his Majesty’s service,” the journal of
Mr. Herbert must be of great interest and satisfaction. After Mr.
Herbert’s return to Newburyport, Aug. 23, 1780, we have no account of
his being employed in the service of his country, other than as a
private citizen; indeed, his constitution had received so severe a shock
by his long imprisonment and great exposure, that his health was much
enfeebled. He soon entered into business as a block-maker, and on the
8th of November, 1783, was united in marriage to Miss _Molly Butler_, by
Rev. John Murray, of Newburyport. He continued in the business of
block-maker until his death, which occurred on the 4th of September, A.
D. 1808. Mr. Herbert had one brother, who died in the morning of life,
by a fall occasioned by moving some freight belonging to him on board a
vessel. Mrs. Herbert became the mother of fourteen children, six of whom
are still living. She is still, at the advanced age of eighty-four,
lingering among us as a relic of a people precious in our memory; and
should there be a surplus after paying the expenses of publishing this
work, if still living, she will enjoy a liberal share thereof.
It is to be regretted that Mrs. Herbert has not been able to obtain
either the pension allowed by the law of our land to widows of
Revolutionary soldiers and sailors, or the prize money due to her
husband from government. How slow are we to reward those who struggled
hard for our liberties.
The above facts might be confirmed by the testimony of some of our most
distinguished citizens, if necessary.
Hoping that liberal sales will enable the publisher to render to the
widow of Charles Herbert a liberal donation, it is submitted to a
generous public, by the publisher.
R. LIVESEY.
_Boston, July, 1847._
RELIC OF THE REVOLUTION.
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CHAPTER I.
The Dolton sailed—Was taken—Breach of Honor—Treatment, &c.—Disagreeable
Lodgings—Advantage of being small—A Report—English Women—Royal
Salute—Removed—A Prize brought in—Daily Allowance on board His
Majesty’s Ships—The Charming Sally—Orders.
The brig DOLTON sailed from Newburyport, November 15th, 1776, and from
Portsmouth, on the 26th of the same month, and on the 24th of December
following, about nine o’clock in the evening, we were taken by the
_Reasonable_, man-of-war, of sixty-four guns. As her cruise was over,
she was bound to Plymouth, England. The first lieutenant of the ship was
the first man that boarded us, and he ordered us all on board the ship
as fast as the boats could carry us, and would give us no time to
collect our clothes, promising us, however, upon his word and honor,
that we should have them all sent on board the next day. Some of our
company trusted to this assurance, but I thought it not best to do the
like. I was stationed upon the main-top when we were taken, and had not
so good an opportunity to save my clothes, as those below; yet I saved
more than any of the foremast hands; for as soon as I found that we were
taken, I made all speed from the top down to my chest. I broke it open
and shifted myself from head to foot—putting on two shirts, a pair of
drawers and breeches, and trowsers over them; two or three jackets, and
a pair of new shoes, and then filled my bosom and pockets as full as I
could well carry. Afterwards, I found it was well for me that I did so;
for when the clothes were brought on board, we found that all the best
of them had been culled out, and nothing but a few rags and a dozen old
blankets were sent to us.
After we came on board, we were ordered upon the quarter-deck, and from
there down into the cable-tier, where we found very disagreeable
lodgings, having nothing but the bare _cable_ to lay upon, and that very
uneven. Besides this, we were almost suffocated with heat. Being,
however, very much fatigued, I slept about two hours, as soundly as if I
had been upon a bed of down. When I awoke I crawled aft upon the cable,
where was the sentinel, and spent the remainder of the night in
conversation with him.
In the morning the _boys_ were called by the officers of the ship to
come upon deck. Now, thinks I to myself, there is an advantage in being
small. I’ll embrace this opportunity, and try for my liberty upon deck,
too. Accordingly, I went up, and no sooner were we on deck than we were
thronged about by the seamen. They told us that a few hours after they
took us, they spoke twelve or fourteen sail of transports, bound to New
York, under convoy of a frigate, and she had thrown her guns overboard
in a storm. I learned that the name of the Captain of the ship which had
taken us, was Thomas Fitzherbert.
[The journal of the remainder of the passage to Plymouth, England, has
been lost, and the next record commences some day or two after their
arrival in this port.]
1777. January 15th. This morning our officers were brought on board
again. We hear that the British troops have taken “Fort Washington,”
with the loss of _eight hundred men_.
16. A number of seamen’s wives came on board to-day, and upon being told
that they had American prisoners on board, “Have you?” said one to the
other; “What sort of people are they?” “Are they white?” “Can they
talk?” Upon being pointed to where some of them stood, “Why!” exclaimed
they, “they look like our people, and they talk English.”
17. Nothing remarkable.
18. To-day is the Queen’s birth-day, and every ship in the harbor that
is in commission, fired twenty-one guns, as a royal salute.
19. Sunday. To-day we were removed from the Reasonable to the Bellisle,
a ship of sixty-four guns, after having been on board the Reasonable
twenty-seven days. Here we lodged in the cable-tier, on boards laid over
the cable, which is better than we had on board the Reasonable.
20. Nothing remarkable.
22. Last Sunday, “a prize” was brought in here, which proved to be the
brig Triton, from Newburg, Captain Tileston, master. The captain was
sent on shore and made his escape.
23. Nothing occurred worthy of notice.
24. To-day, two ships-of-war sailed from the sound. The Southampton, of
thirty-six guns, and the Thetis, of thirty-two guns.
25. There has been a great market on board to-day.
26. Sunday. But very little respect paid to the day.
27. The daily allowance on board His Majesty’s ships, is: Sunday, pork
and peas; Monday, birgu, butter and cheese; Tuesday, beef and pudding;
Wednesday, birgu and peas, butter and cheese; Thursday, pork and peas;
Friday, birgu and peas, butter and cheese; Saturday, beef and pudding; a
pint of wine, or half a pint of rum, when at sea; and when in port, beer
in abundance, and fresh meat twice in a week.
28. To-day I received a pair of stockings, a present from one of the
seamen.
30. This morning, the captain, doctor and servant, of the privateer
sloop Charming Sally, from America, came on board this ship. They inform
us that they were taken the 16th of January, by the None-Such,
man-of-war, sixty-four guns, and have been well used; having been on
full allowance, till they came on board this ship; and the captain that
took them allowed them all their clothes and bedding.
31. It is a time of general colds with us, and about eighteen of our
number are sick.
February 1. Windy, cold, blustering, unsteady weather.
2. Nothing worthy of record.
4. We are told that orders have been received from London, to repair all
the prisons along shore.