send me to Halifax as a prisoner. The next day I negotiated with a
merchant of that place for a loan of eighty dollars, by giving a draft
on my friend in New-York for eighty-six dollars, and pledging my watch,
quadrant, charts, &c. and a note I held against a merchant in New-York
of one hundred dollars, as a security for the payment of the draft.
This, with thirty dollars in bills, which I had in my pocket, was more
than sufficient to ransom my vessel.

I returned to the Ramillies that afternoon. The boatswain, a grave
looking old gentleman, very hospitably took me by the hand and asked me
to go and live with him. He conducted me down two or three pair of
stairs into his own room, which I found well furnished, but had no other
light than a lamp, as his room was below the water. He told one of his
boys to make a clean cot for me to sleep in, and to wait on me if I
wanted anything. He treated me with some old rum he said he had kept on
board for three or four years. He lamented much that England and America
were at war with each other; that he never could realize us as
prisoners, because we both spoke the same language and sprung from one
nation.

The next morning I rose early, put on my best suit of clothes and went
on deck. I saw the first lieutenant on the starboard side of the deck
with his hands in his breeches pockets, walking very gracefully to and
fro. To amuse myself I put my hands in my pockets, and commenced walking
the opposite side of the deck in the same manner. He immediately stopped
and looked at me with some surprise, exclaiming, "Is that you? Damn it,
you have better clothes than I have. When we captured and brought you on
board you had on an old short jacket and cotton trowsers, and looked so
pitiful that most of the crew offered to give up their share of your old
shallop if the commodore would let you go. But I give you credit for it.
You have Yankeed us better than any one we have taken yet." I looked
about to see my old vessel which I left at anchor about half a mile from
the ship, but she was missing. He asked me if I was looking for my old
sloop. I told him I was. He said that I would never see her again. I
told him I was not alarmed about it, for I had the commodores word for
it. He said he would be damned if I ever got her again. I told him the
commodore had promised me to give her up in three days, and if he did
not keep his word I would take my boat, land at New London, and get a
warrant for