acters by taking from their enemies the
contents of their chests and pockets, as the commanders of the British
frigates, whom we have captured, can testify. We were soon ordered on
board of his Britannic Majesty's ship the _Tenedos_, captain Parker.

I had always entertained a respectable opinion of the British,
especially of their national marine. I had read British history, and
listened to British songs, and had heard from my childhood of the
superior bravery and generosity of the British sailor, and had
entertained a real respect for their character; and being of a family
denominated _federalists_, I may be said to have entered the frigate
Tenedos, captain Parker, with feelings and expectations very different
from what I should have felt, had we been at war with the French, and
had it been a frigate of that nation that had captured us. The French
are a people marked by nature, as well as by customs and habits, a
different nation from us. Their language is different, their religion
is different, and so are their manners. All those things have
conspired in making a wall of separation between us and that lively
people. But it is not so with the English. Our language, religion,
customs, habits, manners, institutions: and above all, books have
united to make us feel as if we were but children of the same great
family, only divided by the Atlantic ocean. All these things have a
natural and habitual tendency to unite us; and nothing but the
unfeeling and contemptuous treatment of us by the British military
generally, could have separated us. With all these feelings and
partialities about me, I went from our schooner over the side of the
British frigate with different feelings from what I should, had I been
going on board an enemy's ship of the French, Spanish, or Portuguese
nation. But what was my change of feelings, on being driven with the
rest all up in a corner like hogs, and then marched about the deck,
for the strutting captain of the frigate to view and review us; like
cattle in a market, before the drover or butcher.

When our baggage was brought on board, the master of arms took every
portable article from us, not leaving us a jack-knife, pen-knife, or
razor. We Americans never conduct so towards British prisoners. We
always respect the private articles of the officer and sailor.

On the same day we were put on board the brig Curlew, lieutenant Head,
a polite and humane gentleman, and much beloved by his own crew