The Sun.
London, England, 1816-08-15 00:00:00

WANT 01? PASSPORTB,

. • -7- •
An ithperreCt actottnt of the transaction to *bleb
the inclosed letter Mates has appeared in the
public prints. We are now enabled to (timid)
the. particulars by Mr.Wt onto's letter. 'Pie writer
is the so'n of Cot Wit:sotY, nehn 'commanded one
of the regiments of City Volunteers daring. the
war ; anti Mr. Espe, Mr. JOrotstai and be are
English 'merchants of respectability, resident at
Bonrdeaux.
. . .
LETrza FROM HENRY WILSON,- Esq. TO A rnIEN.D
AT PARIS.
,
flatitd6liik'b Aug. t, 1516.

iicar

I am sorry to acquaint you that our few remaining hopes
of thisyear's vintage have,been destroyed by one of the •.-
cerest knil storms ever known, which has just f4lisia uhlnine
of the beat districts; :Ind which has not only stripped tbe
Vines of the little fruit there was, but it is retired, has very
'Much Injured the plants themitives,
I am now to' nequaint you with an unfOrtanatk businiss itl
'Which I baste unexpectedly hero made Eprincipal party, and
which ha's much alarm aniong oar 'country-Men at
th,is
•

Istr.Einr, TitokAS bit:4ll6Sr, and ityfelf, Wet out on
..StitUrdrii lag, on our own horses, to make an-excursion into
the white wine country. Vie proceeded its !sir a; Langan, about
,thirty miles -fruit BoUrdeaux, Wheie we stopped to dine, and
like up eec quarters fur the night, We had scarcely finished
dioner„ when in walked two I,;ens d'armes, and demanded Our
passports : we informed them, thug we were evilideut .dotui-
.ciliateittierolmots at Ilitunleitux, and that as we bad merely
come.. to sea the. country, intending to return the next
day, we had, not thought it necessary to have Past.
port's: ode of thew then tilt the reorto, 'desiring the
Other to 'remain with , us I lit *thing Uri- minutes lie. re-:
turned, and told us to follow *flint: we begged to he
Conant:fed tn the Mayor. He 'Said We were in our 'Way to
tint; and took trs to tt bootie in the entranes >Sf -w3hich-
we
here Met by au eirdinary Man, who We were in,
formed was the Mayor (we afterwards learut ke Was only
one 'of the isithiht's), ninn obieb are Stated ohr tits: fry, and
requested if we wire oat of order, that We Mlglit be per-
Mitted to ritU rA Z) hotkl, and retinti4 there till the.
necessary infornititiott could be obtained, who .and what
we were. Ile told us that he had no authority over us, arid
that being in the custody of the gensd'artnes, we wee.' en-
tirely at their disposal. We mentioned the name of M.
git.Ubt, ishe tired close by, to whom We Were all of
its known, But Without wait. We were then desired to
'folloW the Van, d'arrues to the Consioandant : after passing
through' everal streets, we at last arriredist a house where
'stood wend other gees d'armes, and amongst them one that
`aPpeared superior to the rest. We inquired it this WAS the
Commandant, when, ott expressing our wish to speak to litutY'
and approaching for that purpose, he sternly said, without ttl.
lowing us le speak, " Pains lesentrer;" pointitig to the interidr
of the house. We were then led through a passitge, at the end
Of fihitit art iron door was thrown open, and we found our-
stiees in a dungeon, where abouteu iserable looldng wretches-
were lying in all parts of the place. These, as we afterwards
learnt, were condemned criminals Who were on their way to
the galleys for all sorts of crimes. We inquired if this eras
to be our place of colinitement, and were answered, that
1, that Was the place for prisoners, which we now were."
We then asked for pens, ink, and paper, to write to the
Mayor. They said if we wanted to write, we must pass
into another apartment. They then tools us into an °Poa.
site eell, where au entering we bound only one prisoner eon..
anede belt Irmo to the Mayor, revesting aim to point ,

at 'what mear,::ret ire ought .to take to be relieved from
our present intimtion) and also that be would forward fur
itt a letter to 'otr consul, at . Bourtleaux. It Ira., then
afloat nine u'elock4 We reatained in this situation the whole
With nothing but a plank to lie down upon, not even a
bundle of Straw to 'raise our heads. A.bout seeeit, its neat
morning oti entered, abed &tired us to fulloVi him.
We-were led Into a room tvhe're sot the Mitryor and the tont-.
•rnandant of •geus nut (repositions wece tatters
ieho and what We Were., When they tante to my isarif): it
'tAis observed, that it was ft vety suspicious ;mate in Francs
at thit moment. The hiityor then that he was sorry fur
','our situation; but that all be Could do Was to forward .t letter
:for us tonttr Consul at flountraut. We again requested to
he penatittedia teturu to our hotel,to retumn therein eat.
lady of the gens (Vannes. till an auswer'euuld arrive, but tbo
'bormatiallatit positively refused us. We:then wrote to the bon-
sai, and ilispatched'a courier with the letter: We Were thin
Meader, to our former place of confinement.' We detfiett to
hare liteatfast brought to tta iron, the hotel, hitt this al:u was
`refued tts,'aud we Were forged to put up with the miserable
'fireWhich 'the jail kitchen afelked.' We'retetained there the
whole of this day and the next night, when tihr sit nation was
somewhat alleviated by a ntaftiess upon which we all Of
us realizfeil. The next morning title ;messenger returned
'with a lettir from our Consul, inclosing an order front tho
prefect "for-ciur liberation, nhicb We scion after obtained,
and fetikried to the hotel, where', after 'cleaning ourseltes
from the filth and Vermin with which ‘ve were coveml,
we 'took our borie's and returned to 116tirdettax. t We have
'draWn up a statement of our case tit he laid befere the Authe.
titles here, attd shall sends copy to his hiej'?sty'is Minister, at
raris. I beg you will also Make this tts publle. wt's piissiblo
itn along our vOuntryinen there, who if not famished with lioSs.
'Torte, way lie subject to similar tnd;finitirs,-= 'ant,
tiny dear Sir, year rust obedient servant,
1-lENftY WILSON.