SVLtFERlNGS OF LIEUTENANT o'bRIEN. Ill 



after their departure, made his escape and arrived safe at Jersey. The com. 

 mandant received the order by the same post. Mr. Bradshaw received also 

 directions from Captain Brenton, to supply us with cash to enable us to 

 proceed ; all this intelligence arriving at the same time, nearly overwhelmed 

 us wish joy : but the other poor fellows, who were to remain, were discon- 

 solate, fearing much the commandant's severity when we quitted them. 



1804. — The 16th of July was the day appointed for our departure. Mr. 

 Mahony had a bad foot, in consequence of which a cart was ordered, which 

 carried us both. Every thing was now arranged ; and we had previously been 

 permitted to see our ship's company, a pleasure we had been deprived of for 

 some weeks. We took an affectionate farewell of our shipmates and landlady 

 and began our route under the escort of two gend'armes. 



July 16, 1804.— We arrived early at Fiume, a village of which I have 

 already made mention. We were allowed to do as we pleased on our arrival, 

 and to go to any inn we liked. Our guard informed us that the commandant 

 of Givet had inserted in our feuille de route, that we should be considered as 

 officers of rank on parole, and treated accordingly. This was a circumstance 

 that greatly surpassed our expectations. In the course of the day, we were 

 joined by some British sailors, who also had a cart (some of them being sick). 

 The next morning we were all marched together towards Rocroy ; only one 

 cart was allowed, and my brother officer was obliged to mount with the other 

 sick. We took care not to go to the same scoundrel's house at Rocroy, where 

 we had been recently so ill used : found another more preferable. From 

 Rocroy we were marched to Mezieres ; put up at a tavern, being now officers 

 of rank ; which our landlady appeared to have been informed of. This old 

 lady was, if possible, more extortionate towards us than any we had yet met 

 with. We found that, unless we previously made an agreement, particularly 

 specifying what we wished, and regulating the price of every article, we should 

 be liable to the greatest imposition : and this indeed is the case throughout 

 France. From Mezieres we passed through Sedan, Stenay, a small village* 

 Sivry, and on the 23rd arrived at Verdun, where we so long had desired to be, 

 and where we were received by Captain Brenton, our officers and countrymen 

 in the most handsome manner. We were billeted at the Three Moors for two 

 nights, until we could procure lodgings. Two or three days after our arrival 

 Mr. Pridhara introduced us to General Wirrion, who gave us permission to 

 walk in the suburbs. In the course of a few days I procured lodgings, with 

 a Mr. Ashworth, midshipman, who was a messmate of mine in the late ship. 

 I met with a number of old acquaintances here, and passed the time among 

 them, considering we were in a state of captivity, tolerably well. 



As soon as I found myself a little settled, my friend and I employed a 

 French master, and studied with the greatest attention, never quitting the 

 town except on race days, or days of other amusements. We employed also 

 a fencing, and an Italian master, as soon as we were tolerably perfect in the 

 French language. Our studies amused us greatly ; made the time pass lightly 

 over ; and did away with that ennui which is the inseparable attendant of 

 sloth and idleness. 



In a few months after my arrival, a Mr. M'Grath (a near relation of mine) 

 was escorted to this depot, with a Mr. Wills, Mr. Mate, and a boat's crew of 

 the frigate Acasta. Mr. M'Grath was surgeon's assistant. They had been 

 made prisoners on the island of Beniget, near Brest. Mr. Wills had been 

 ordered early in the morning to land on that island, and load his boat with 

 sand for scouring the decks ; and Mr. M'Grath had received permission to 

 accompany him, merely for the purpose of taking a walk, and amusing himself 

 while the men were loading the boat : but they had no sooner landed, than 

 they were surrounded by a number of French troops, who were Iving in 



