194 CAPTAIN ZACHARY G. LAMSON 



" Spy " had arrived before us, and as the 

 " Starling" was ordered under way immedi- 

 ately again, and as the order of Lord Falk- 

 land was that I should not communicate 

 with my officers, until we had gone through 

 with their thirty-two standing interrogato- 

 ries, 1 I was again sent on the " Spy " sloop of 

 war ; but as I knew I should be detained not 

 more than a day on board I felt quite easy, 

 but what was my surprise when I went on 

 board to see First Lieutenant Yates drunk 

 between two of the waist guns and unable 

 to get up, and as many as seven or eight 

 couples fighting. The Admiral's ship was 

 making signals every few minutes to vari- 

 ous ships, and the signal or quarter master 

 was looking out and repeatedly calling on 

 the officers to know if it was for their ship ; 

 if it had been I know not what would have 

 been the result. 



1 In the Boston Gazette of Aug. 1, 1807, is a copy of the 

 thirty-two "standing interrogatories." They were very 

 searching, and related chiefly to the ownership of the ship 

 and cargo, the origin of the cargo and its destination. 



