Star.
London, England, 1825-12-29 00:00:00

NARRATIVE OF JOHN JENKINS,

SUSPICTRD of RUNG 4 PRINCIPAL IN via CONSPIRACY
AT ST. MASTIAN.
On the sth April I left London, mate of the brig Sir
William Congreve, Captain Davidson, bound to Porto
Rico. Oa the 2d of July was wrecked at St. John's
(Porto Rico): in a hurricane; obtained a passport from
the Spanish Governor to proceed to St. Thomas s, from
which island I sailed as chief Mate of the Hope, bound
to St. Sebastian ; arrived at Passages llth November.,
On the 25th received my wages and disc.targe, and
proceeded to St. Sebastian, where I met Captain Buff,
of the schooner Redbreast, of Jersey, who prOinised me
a passage. On passing the gate, on my return to Pas
sages, entered a possado (wine-house),where I met some
soldiers ; I treated them, and made too fire, as 1 found
I had lost all my money. On the 29th I returned, and
found a corporal who had been drinking with me, who
honestly returned my property, having taken cha,ge of
it, seeing my intoxication: again treated him, and re
turned December 3. On passing the gate in the even-
ing was hailed by a sentinel ; being ignorant of their
language, I answered in English ; he again hailed, and
.1 made the same reply ; he then seized me, and called
the guards, who carried me before the Commandant.
On the 4th, after some insignificant questions, I was
or,lered to be released. December 5, attended a review
of the soldiers; on the 6th, went to the go iy to sneak
to the Captain of the Redbreast, where I was arrested
by an Officer and file of soldiers with fixed bayonets,
who conducted me before the Corregidor and the
French Commandant.

THE EXAMINATION.
Q. Your motive for coming to St. Sebastian?—A. To arrange
for a passage to England. •
Q. You were drinking with the French soldiers, and gave them
money. Your motive I—A. The honesty of the corporal, in re-
turning me my money, induced me to treat him and his contrarics
with drink, and I also gave hint a small reward in money.
Q. Yon were hailed by the gaud, and refused to answer?—l
answered him twice in &till'''.
Q. Yon were seen on the grounds on the review day. Your
motive?—Curiosity. •
I was remanded to prison the next day. I wa,
marched to Passages; identified on board the Hope;
and, on the Bth of December, was handcuffed, tied by
a chain to another prisoner, and matched to St. Jean
de Luz, under a strong gu ird, confined in a dungeon ;
the treatment dreadful, as Spaniards and French ap-
peared delighted when they found they had an English-
man in their fangs. Shackles were placed on our legs,
and secured by a bar, so that we could not move ex-
cept conjointly. On the 9th we marched to Bayonne,
pinioned and tied together, the cords in the hands of
the soldiers on horseback; was thrust into prison at
Bayonne, wrote all the particulars of my treatment,
and sent it to the Inglish Consul ; the reply was im-
mediate, with full assurances of protection, and that
means would be taken for my release. Next morning
I was escorted to the residence of General Baron de
Gamin, when, after a few questions, I was told I was
at liberty. I said that was not sufficient, T must be
rendered up to the English Consul, as I had been cruelly
treated; that I was a prisoner, and innocent of any crime.
He then
.gave me a formal discharge, and &letter of
explanation to J. V. Harvey, Esq. his Britannic Ma-'
jesty's Consul at Bayonne.