Star.
London, England, 1805-11-20 00:00:00

PRISUNERS. 41" nADLTN.

The following is the narrative oF a prifoner whn
made his &ape from Bitche, on the zd of
.oElober
le. As it contains lime circumaances r.f
and throws come light upon the prefent lunation of
the Englifh prifoners, we fubmit it to ow. readers.
Francis Betfon, native of the He of Jerfcy, was
taken on the 18th of May, t 903, in .the Bay de IA
Frene, on the coall of _Brittacy. He was immedi-
ately fent to Lambalit, and from thence, after a
Quart confinement, rerSoved to Fontainbleatt, where
he had the range r.f the town and three leagues be-
yond it : but received no allowatee, as war was not
declared at this petind. Flom FiAltainbleatt he
mede hi; efcape to Paris, but was unfortunately ar-
rested by the police a:al fent back to Fontainbleau,
and thrown into a common jail. He was detained
here until his removal to Apinal, a new depot for
Englith feamen, twelve hundred of whom are con •
fined there at prefent.
Apinal is about feventy leagues in the province of
Lorraine. He was here reflored to a greater fcope
f freedom, and, for a prifoner, to A tolerable degree
of comfort, until the depot was removed to Fall-
lsourgh, where he remained three months. He was
here enabled to fupport birnfellby obtaining the
fitu-
ation of interpreter to an hofpital, in which upwards
of fifty Englifignen were confined, and very hardly
treated. _ _ _ _

From Falfbonrgh, on the eft of April, 'So.}, he
was removed to Verdun, where about eight hundred
Englifb prifoners were confined, but fcarcely onto
thiid were prifoners of war, ate majority being de-
tained in violation of the faith of nations, and in
breach of the common obligations of hofpitality.
The ffination of thefe gentlemen is net alto-
gether deltitute of comfort. They are not con•
fined within prifons or barracks, or treated with
much harfimefs or fufpicion. They are allowed
elle liberty of the town' and a league around.—
They live without much refiraint, and minsle in
evet y amufement of the place with an apparent Gaiety.
_Many of them have permiffion to go (till further, to
es.move out of the gates, to maice a tour through the
country, and return when they like.
This, as may he fappofed, is a matter of favouri.
tifin. and not uottaquently of corruption.
The Englilh gentry at Verdun, Rime of whom are
of dillinguiffied lifhion and fortnne in their own
country, find it a very ear), matter to obtain credit
and remittances. They are very much careffed at
Verdun, on account of the money they fpentl, and
the gaiety they promote. They have ellabliffied a
private theatte, in which tome choice Englifh pieces
are frequently performed ; they have even arrived to
the luxury and expence ofhorle-racing, tennis-courts,
and billiard room,.
Mr. Beffon did not find his flotation at Verdun
anywife improved. His allowance was threeflus per
diem, and a pound and a half of brown breJd.
Charles Sturt, Oil. is live. lie lives tolerably
eafy, and always with his own countrymen.
Nothing was more generally lamented than that
they were denied all the Engin newfpapers, except
the Argus, which is always offici tttt Ily obtruded upon
them. Mr. Befron remained at Verdun about four
runnths, when he made a fecond efcape, and war
again taken and fent to Bitche, in Lot-mine. In this
fort many Engliffimen of great refpabbility were
confined ; front which Mr. Beifon made a third and
final efcape ; and the following is a flatement relat-
ed by hittifelf, of the circntnflances attending his
undertaking—
" After twenty-nine months imptifontrent, fifteen
of which were paired in the fort of Bitche, beito, ta-
lent from the Apelle, ou Itlontl,ty the 3oth of tSep-
tember, in the evening, I was ordered to clofe con-
Enement in a dungeon, about 20 yards under ground.
On the fecund day of my confinement I feized an op-
portunity to efcape.
" When my gaoler came down to bring me water,
he fortunately left his Lanthorn behind him ; he
Aced after my health, bid me liipport my 'pities, as
my confinement would terminate iotmediately. It
WAS dark, and
,we could fearcely fee each othet's
countenance. '1 hi; WaS the critical tinte—l acne
unperceived after my -keeper, followed him out oldie
door, ant the lock was turned upon the empty dun-
geon.
" Though now in the pafrage, and free from ob.
fervation, my efcape was not half complete ; I had
let to elude the fentmel, who was placed at the ave-
nue, and to gain the enure yard--I crawled fatly
upon the ground, and when the light broke in upon
me, and Chewed me the termination of the pa(iage, I
faw the fetter), hoz, but it was fortunately empty.—
immediately fptang forward, krambled over the
parapet of the Tampa, ts, and refolved to defeend the
wall by the affiftance t,e• the fmall cavities and buttref-
fes ; but kill as I had fized my fret, a none gave way,
And I was precipitated upon the ground from a
heigiat of fizty feet. I was thinned almoll in infen-
fibility by my fall, and, though much bruiled, for-
tunately no limbs were broken.
" In about ten minutes, being fomewhat recovered,
though fcarcely able to Hand, I fcrambled for about
two miles to a neighbouring ford', and, direaing my
courfe by the Ile. s, I proceeded, to the belt of my
conjecture, towards the Rhine. After fume time, I
found :elide* fo involved in the foreft, th.tt I could
tturfue no path with confidence. Exhaufted by hunger
and third, there ketned no profped of relief; bur,
ftiU comforted with hope, I laid myfelf upon the
ground, and flept feveral hours. I was awakened
by a man in a military habit, wito allied me fiend),
who I was, and what was my bufinefs there ?—I re-
plied, that I was a French grenadier, on my jour nay
to crofs the Rhine, to meet the enemies of my coon-
ary ; that I had been lick in an hofpital, and was left
behind by my regiment, which, being now recovered,
I was eager to rejoin.
" He regarded me with an air of incredulity, and,
to my alloniihment, anted me if my name V•Ab hot
Francis Belfon, and' whether I was not an Engliflo
man, who had jult made his efcape from the fort of
Bitche ? I affected furprize at his ignorance, and
&fired him fiercely not to detain me. lie interrogat-
ed me upon fume circumnances of my flotation and
profeffion, and my anfwers appeared to fatisfy him.
He defired me to follow hint to his bottle, and our
converfation turned upon the expeeted campaign.—
rie (fill me with fafpicion, but gave me
?eery refrelhment I wanted, and pointing out the
aearefl way to the Rhine, he difrniffed me treat a polite

fardwell. I was convinced, front every eitettinfianee
of his behaviour, that he fidpeetert ate, but had too
Irma humanity to deliver me back toimptiPonment.
64 I foon reached the Rhkie, and; upon fummon-
ing the ferryman, I found he bad been acquainted
with my efcape ; but he was a Mal of little ob-
recitation, and cared not if all the prifonersin France
were fet free. Whift I was in 6nverfation with him,
two par d'ahmt appeared at a final! diftance. My
herpes were now at an end—l was fatisfied that I
thould be arrefted, and nothing remained but to fub-
mit. To my furprife they paired without fpeaking,
and in a few minutes my milky Charon conveyed me
acrofs the river. Acknowledging my gratitude to
PROVIDENCE for my efcape, I took an eternal farewell
of the French dominions, and made the belt of my
way to Raftadt, in Germany. I was here relieved
I,y the Burgomafter, and ordered to proceed to Heffe
Cafftl. I afterwards paired through Fmnekfort,
where I was treated with the greateft hofpitality and
kindnefs, as well by the Gertnans as by two of my
00111 countrymen, whom I met in that city. I have
to acknowledge the frienclarip of Mr. Brook Taylor,
the Engllfh Minitter, who procured me • paffport to
Embden ; but, hearing on My way that the French
had partly evacuated Hanover, I paired through part
of tliat territory to Brunfwick, Herber h, and Ham-
burgh, where the Britifh Conful renewed my paffpott,
1 and from thence I found a paffage to England.'