ctly
that which might be expected from any traitor to his country. Then,
turning to the prisoners, he said, "The infamy of your first crime could
scarcely have been increased; but your treachery to the new government,
under which you had placed yourselves, renders you unworthy of the name
of men; nor have you even the miserable merit you claim of having
contributed to the capture, since we never lost sight of the chase from
the first moment we saw her, and from the instant she hauled her wind,
we knew she was ours."

The men hung down their heads, and when dismissed to go below, none of
the crew of the frigate would receive them into their messes; but the
real Americans were kindly treated.

We shaped our course for Simon's Bay, where we arrived in one week after
the capture.

The admiral on the station refused to try the prisoners by a
court-martial; he said it was rather a state question, and should send
them all to England, where the lords of the Admiralty might dispose of
them as they thought proper.

The _True-blooded Yankee_ was libelled in the Vice-Admiralty-Court at
Cape Town, condemned as a lawful prize, and purchased into the service;
and, being a very fine vessel of her class, the admiral was pleased to
say, that as I had been so singularly unfortunate, he would give me the
command of her as a lieutenant, and send me to England with some
despatches, which had been waiting an opportunity.

This was an arrangement far more advantageous to me than I could have
expected; but what rendered it still more agreeable was, that my friend
Talbot, who was the first to shake me by the hand on board the prize,
begged a passage home with me, he having, by the last packet, received
his commander's commission. The admiral, at my request, also gave
Captains Peters and Green permission to go home with me. Mungo, the
black man, and Thompson, the quarter-master, with the midshipman who had
been with me in the boat, were also of the party. My crew was none of
the very best, as might be supposed; but I was not in a state to make
difficulties; and, with half a dozen of the new negroes taken out of the
trader, I made up such a ship's company as I thought would enable me to
run to Spithead.

We laid in a good stock of provisions at the Cape. The Americans begged
to be allowed to pay their part; but this I positively refused,
declaring myself too happy in having them as my guests. I purchased all
Captain Peters' wine and