" who could act as
interpreter when required. The poor man, who appeared as if he had fallen
from a balloon, apologised for the intrusion, which he said did not lie
with him, he had been sent for and came, but that when the turnkey
unlocked the door he would withdraw. "No," said I, "as you are here and
you speak good English," which he did, "I will, if you have a grammar,
take a lesson in French, and you may come every day during our stay in
this abominable place, which I suppose will not be long." He pulled a
grammar from his pocket, and I began with the verbs. "I intend sending a
letter to the Comte Lemaroix. Will you," said I to him, "take it for me?"
"Willingly," replied he. I drew it up, and he translated it. It was to
request that myself and officers might have our parole, but as day after
day rolled on I do not think he received it, as my request was not
complied with.

I was again examined by a military court respecting those fearful papers,
but they, as well as myself, were not satisfied, I for being sent for on
so useless an errand, and losing my French lesson, and they because they
could not discover whether I was a spy, or prove that I had circulated
those papers among the fishing boats. After this tedious and ridiculous
examination the President, who appeared half sailor and half soldier,
asked me in so mild a manner as if sugar-candy would not have dissolved in
his mouth, "Pray, sir, will you acquaint me how many cruisers you have in
the Channel?" "Your question, Mr. President, is a delicate one," replied
I, "and the only way you can gain that information is to send all your
frigates that have been lying at anchor so long in your different harbours
to ascertain the fact." I thought my answer made him look cross, two
others look sulky, and the remainder smile. "I think we may discharge the
prisoner," said he, turning to the other wise men; "we can elucidate
nothing." "No," said I to myself, "you will get nothing out of me." On the
tenth day after the shipwreck we were ordered to march, and had the honour
of having two livery servants, in the shape of gendarmes on horseback, to
attend us. I begged to have a carriage, but I was refused, although I
offered to pay liberally for one.

We reached Montreuil-sur-Mer in the evening, where we marched into the
common gaol. I was much fatigued, as I had never walked so far in my life;
my feet were becoming blistered, and I was very hungry. "Do," said I,
"doctor, let u