rive us about like so many Frenchmen; but they have found
their mistake. A man escaped from the black-hole, who had been
condemned to remain in it during the war, for attempting to blow up a
ship. The prisoners were determined to protect him; and when Shortland
found that the prisoners would not betray him into his hands, he
resorted to his usual embargo of the market; and sent his soldiers in
after the prisoner; but he might as well have sought a needle in a
hay-mow; for such was the difficulty of finding an individual among
_six thousand_. They ransacked every birth, and lurking place, and
passed frequently by the man without being able to identify him, as
our fellow had disguised himself both in face, and in person. The
prisoners mixed in so entirely with the soldiers, that the latter
could not act, and were actually fearful of being disarmed. When these
Somersetshire militia found that we were far from being afraid of
them, they ceased to be insolent, and treated us with something like
respect. There was a considerable degree of friendship between us and
the late regiment of regulars, who were gentlemen, compared with these
clumsy militia.

There are about four hundred and fifty negroes in prison No. 4; and
this assemblage of blacks affords many curious anecdotes, and much
matter for speculation. These blacks have a ruler among them whom they
call _king DICK_. He is by far the largest, and I suspect the
strongest man in the prison. He is six feet three inches in height,
and proportionably large. This black Hercules commands respect, and
his subjects tremble in his presence. He goes the rounds every day,
and visits every birth to see if they are all kept clean. When he goes
the rounds, he puts on a large bear-skin cap; and carries in his hand
a huge club. If any of his men are dirty, drunken, or grossly
negligent, he threatens them with a beating; and if they are saucy,
they are sure to receive one. They have several times conspired
against him, and attempted to dethrone him; but he has always
conquered the rebels. One night several attacked him while asleep in
his hammock; he sprang up and seized the smallest of them by his feet,
and thumped another with him. The poor negro who had thus been made a
beetle of, was carried next day to the hospital, sadly bruised, and
provokingly laughed at. This ruler of the blacks, this _king RICHARD_
the IVth, is a man of good understanding; and he exercises it to a
good purpose. I