Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1810-11-12

humanity and Justice. Far different wss
the conduct of the Hen MIR. Hale, of Do
yer, n. II o.'s Of the present Members Ct
Congress from that state, whose vesse' was
iransomed for certain sum and part Of
the crew were taken as hostages As soon
as Mr. Hale was apprixed ofthe transaction
N lie Immediately reunited money for the re-
demplion OF the people who were taken by
The French privateer. Such men are truly
honorable.
/ sailed from Liverpool on the 5.h
I Nov. 1909, for Amelia island, in the
snip Concord, William Sidney Smith,
master. On the 18th of the same
month We were captured by the French
privateer Decide--our Captain was ia
ken out and carried on board the priva-
teer where he remained but q short
time and returned back. He then went
forward and stated TO the crew that bis
ship was taken and that he had but ten
minutes 10 decide In, whether to have
his ship BURNT or give up three Amer
leans, as hostages for the payment of
Twelve Thousand Dollars. He called
the mate and asked bin if he would go
as one, aiiedging that he must give one
oflicer-he, (the Capt. then called me
and Mathew Christian and ordered us
to get our things ready and go J the
. boat on board the French pr lteer,
which we were compelled to d not
wlthstanding remonstrsnces to Il con.
trary. The Capt. told me TO be of
good courage, that he would shape his
' course for Philadelphia and send out
the ransom money, which he never did
: i, together with Samuel Hender-
: son, the mate, and Mathew Christian,
Z. were on board the said priyateer about
: five weeks-three weeks of which time
we were closely confined below in
: irons, subsisting on three biscuits per
! day. After our arrival at Port Passage,
!. We were kept on board nine days, still
E in irons-and then we were taken out
by guard of soldiers and marched to
, Bayonne; about sixty nniles-from
thence we were carried TO the prison
where we remaioed four days 7vifhout a
1lorseL Of any thing 10 car, and then the
American Deputy Consul, MIR. Lamb,
: came TO see us and ordered that we
f should be have Prisoners allowance,
! bread and 7cater. The room in which
we were confined had in it from three
TO FIVE hundred persons at different
. tlmcs--and out Of this humber | have
, counted twenty-five dead bodies ever
! one night There used 10 die from six
to twenty or upwards every day, ard
new prisoners coming in every week,
/, to add to the former victims My two
fellow associates in wretchedness I'm
gered cut their existence for about four
months, when both expired within a
day of each other. After this period
Of time | remained in a weak and Ian
guild state OF health in the same prison
for four months and eight days, when
a favorable opportunity presented for
my escape. They were bringing in
or 500 Spaniards, and during the con-
| fusion of the scene passed the guards
and got off. During the time of my
imp. lsonment we had often written 10
the the Consul for relief; we received
, no notice of any kind in consequence
Of this. When left The prison had
scarce rag on my back--worn down
by disease and hunger to a mere skele-
ton, and destitute, | wandered about
until found one of my own country
men and went on board his vessel,
where | experienced kind and humane
treatnent.--This was Capt. Desbitld,
of The schooner independence, of Balti-
more, whose kindness shall acknowl-
edge as long as live. / came home