on. Suppose you commanded a British vessel,
and ten or twelve of my men, if I was unlucky enough to be taken by you,
should volunteer for your ship, and say they were natives of Newcastle,
would you refuse them? Besides, before we went to war with you, you
made no ceremony of taking men out of our merchant-ships, and even out
of our ships of war, whenever you had an opportunity. Now, pray, where
is the difference between your conduct and ours?"

I replied, that it would not be very easy, nor, if it were, would it
answer any good purpose, for us to discuss a question that had puzzled
the wisest heads, both in his country and mine, for the last twenty
years; that my present business was a case of its own, and must be
considered abstractedly; that the fortune of war had thrown me in his
power, and that he made a bad use of the temporary advantage of his
situation, by allowing my men, who, after all, were poor, ignorant
creatures, to be seduced from their duty, to desert their flag, and
commit high treason, by which their lives were forfeited and their
families rendered miserable; that whatever might have been the conduct
of his government or mine, whatever line pursued by this or that
captain, no precedent could make wrong right; and I left it to himself
(seeing I had no other resource) to say, whether he was doing as he
would be done by.

"As for that matter," said the captain, "we privateersmen don't trouble
our heads much about it; we always take care of number one; and if your
men choose to say they are natives of Boston, and will enter for my
ship, I must take them. Why," continued he, "there is your best man,
Thompson; I'd lay a demi-John of old Jamaica rum that he is a
true-blooded Yankee, and if he was to speak his mind, would sooner fight
under the stripes than the union."

"Damn the dog that says yon of Jock Thompson," replied the Caledonian,
who stood by. "I never deserted my colours yet, and I don't think I
ever shall. There is only one piece of advice I would wish to give to
you and your officers, captain. I am a civil-spoken man, and never
injured any soul breathing, except in the way of fair fighting; but if
either of you, or any of your crew, offer to bribe me, or in any way to
make me turn my back on my king and country, I'll lay him on his back as
flat as a flounder, if I am able; and if I am not able, I'll try for
it."

"That's well spoken," said the captain, "and I honour you for it. You
ma