318 SOME ACCOUNT OF A CAPTIVITY. 



been used in the hospitals until unfit for further service. Our al- 

 lowance of food consisted of a loaf of three pounds every three day, 

 half a pound of beef per day, and a small portion of peas and salt. 

 The bread was what any man who has visited France knows by the 

 name of pain ammunition, and was nearly black. As for the meat, it 

 was of the most wretched description. Each twenty-eight men, in 

 getting their three days' allowance of beef, had to take a portion of 

 the head, liver, lights, and melt ; so that, when it came to be portioned 

 out, each man had little more than two ounces of meat for his day's 

 allowance, and that, too, of the very worst kind, The whole of the 

 prison rations were supplied by contract ; and the bargain being always 

 made between the governor of the prison and the contractors, who 

 well understood each other, the unfortunate prisoners had no redress, 

 but were obliged to take whatever was served out to them. Com- 

 plaint was out of the question. 



The whole of the naval and military officers taken during the war 

 were sent to Verdun, where they were allowed to remain upon 

 parole, having the town and a few miles around it for their prison. 

 Captains and mates of merchant ships were sent to Auxonne, where 

 they were allowed twenty-nine francs (about twenty shillings) per 

 month, without rations. Passengers also were sent to this town ; but, 

 unfortunately, I not being acquainted with the French language, was, 

 in the first instance, returned to the Minister of War as belonging to 

 the ship, and was detained at Cambray with the other persons taken on 

 board of her, it being, when I found out the mistake, too late to rectify 

 it. In addition to the rations above-mentioned, the prisoners had an 

 allowance of three farthings a day from the French Government; 

 there was a further allowance of one penny a day from the English 

 Government. By arrangements made between the principal persons 

 confined at Verdun and the French Government, the surgeons taken 

 in the army and navy were stationed, on parole, at Cambray, Arras, 

 Valenciennes, and other depots where large bodies of prisoners were 

 confined, and dispensed medical advice as well as medicines to the 

 prisoners. They had also to pay this penny per day, or seven pence 

 per week, allowed by the British Government. One great advan- 

 tage resulted from the residence of these gentlemen in the different 

 towns in which prisoners were situated ; in Cambray, for instance, 

 we had a school, in which all boys under eighteen were instructed in 

 reading, writing, arithmetic, navigation, arid book-keeping. The 

 masters, appointed to give instruction in these different branches, 

 were selected from such captains of vessels, passengers, and other 

 persons as were found competent to the task ; and, for this service, 

 they were paid sufficient to support themselves respectably, and like- 

 wise enjoyed the privilege of going into town and a few miles into 

 the country. These schools were found of the greatest advantage, 

 and many skilful and intelligent captains of ships derived the whole 

 of their education, even to reading and writing, from them. In 

 Cambray, before I left it in 1813, there were no less than 300 boys; 

 the whole number of prisoners, amounting at that period, to upwards 

 of 3,000. 



It would be tedious to go through the melancholy detail of the 



