now doubtless be added, the troubled ghosts of
the murdered American prisoners; and hereafter will be distinctly seen
the tormented spirit of the bloody Capt. Shortland, clanking his
chains, weeping, wailing and gnashing his teeth! It is a fact that the
market people have not sufficient courage to pass this moor in the
night. They are always sure to leave Princetown by day light, not
having the resolution of passing this dreary, barren, and
heaven-abandoned spot in the dark. Before the bloody massacre of our
countrymen, this unhallowed spot was believed, by common superstition,
to belong to the Devil.

Certain it is, that the common people in this neighbourhood were
impressed with the notion that Dartmoor was a place less desirable to
mortals, and more under the influence of evil spirits, than any other
spot in England. I shall only say, that I found it, take it all in
all, a less disagreeable prison than the ships; the life of a prudent,
industrious, well behaved man might here be rendered pretty easy, for
a prison life, as was the case with some of our own countrymen, and
some Frenchmen; but the young, the idle, the giddy, fun making youth
generally reaped such fruit as he sowed. Gambling was the wide inlet
to vice and disorder; and in this Frenchmen took the lead. These men
would play away every thing they possessed beyond the clothes to keep
them decent. They have been known to game away a month's provision;
and when they had lost it, would shirk and steal for a month after for
their subsistence. A man with some money in his pocket might live
pretty well through the day in Dartmoor Prison; there being shops and
stalls where every little article could be obtained; but added to this
we had a good and constant market; and the bread and meat supplied by
government were not bad; and as good I presume as that given to
British prisoners by our own government; had our lodging and
prison-house been equal to our food, I never should have complained.
The establishment was blessed with a good man for a physician, named
M'Grath, an Irishman, a tall, lean gentleman, with one eye, but of a
warm and good heart. We never shall cease to admire his disposition,
nor forget his humanity.

The Frenchmen and our prisoners did not agree very well. They
quarrelled and sometimes fought, and they carried their differences to
that length, that it was deemed proper to erect a wall to separate
them, like so many game cocks, in different yards.