Sl}FFERI^GS OF LIEUTENANT o'bRIEN. 63 



until the next day ; but were determined to have nothing more until we knew 

 the prices. Our fellow prisoners were particularly polite and attentive to us ; 

 and gave us a hint, that we were greatly deceived in our opinion of the land- 

 lady ; which we easily perceived the next morning, when we insisted upon 

 knowing what we had to pay for what she called dinner and wine. She very 

 coolly informed us fifteen shillings : we imagined it might have been about 

 seven. However, it was in vain to attempt to explain ; we paid the bill and 

 were obliged to be more circumspect. At about 11 o' clock some naval 

 officers came to inspect our people, and gave some of them pieces of money, 

 with an intention to seduce them ; this I saw, as it was done publicly in the 

 jail yard, and I happened to be looking out of the window at the time. I 

 desired them to be particular in what they were about. One man, a Dane, 

 replied, " we will take what money they choose to give us, and that shall be 

 all they will gain by coming here." 



On the morning of the 14th of March, about 8 o' clock, a guard of cuirassiers 

 rode into the yard. The jailor was very expeditious in giving us notice that 

 they came to conduct us,— so the bills were paid, and every thing settled to 

 this fellow and his good dame's satisfaction. We were then marched down 

 into the yard, and joined by the people : the jailor observed to the officer 

 and cuirassiers that we were des bons garcons : he appeared to be a very 

 affable good kind of fellow, and informed us, that Mr. Galway, his predecessor, 

 left him no certificates, but he assured us, that with him, that should make no 

 difference. All matters being arranged, we commenced our march towards 

 Amiens, where we arrived on the 16th. Our officer was as good as his word. 

 In the small villages between Rouen and Amiens, he always took us to an inn, 

 and dined with us himself ; but in the latter city he could not prevent our 

 being put into jail. He, however, came frequently to see us, and remained 

 with us some time. Understanding there was an Englishman (a Mr. S. Pratt) 

 who kept an eating house in this town, we sent to inform him there were , 

 some countrymen of his, who wished to speak with him : but it appeared he 

 was busy. However, he sent Mrs. Pratt, who shed tears at seeing the distressed 

 condition of her poor countrymen. If she had it in her power, she would 

 give all the seamen shoes and stockings, and a good dinner, that she would : 

 but at all events she would go and get us a good dinner instantly — poor dear 

 creatures? we must be famished ?— With a great many more tender ex- 

 pressions, that I cannot at this moment recollect. She took a cordial leave of 

 each of us, and said, she would come again late in the evening, lest she might 

 be noticed. But the dinner should be sent as soon as possible — to her poor 

 dear countrymen. A small leg of roasted mutton arrived, in about an hour 

 without any kind of vegetables, with a little salt in a piece of paper, two 

 knives and forks, and two bottles of very inferior wine. We expected to have 

 had an opportunity of explaining to the lady in person the excellency of her 

 dinner in the evening ; but she never came near her dear, dear countrymen. 

 She only sent her man with the bill, which exceeded the gaoler's wife's at 

 Rouen. 



On the 17th of March, we commenced our route at about eight in the 

 morning, and at five we arrived at Albert, where we halted for the night. 

 The next morning our officer astonished us with a most elegant breakfast, of 

 every thing the little town could afford ; and he appeared under many obli- 

 gations to us. We made it a point never to allow him to pay when he brought 

 us to an inn, and this was (I believe) by way of return. Throughout 

 Brittany and Normandy, we found an abundance of cyder ; their fuel was 

 principally wood ; but as we advanced to the eastward, we found beer substi- 

 tuted for cyder, and turf and coals for wood. 



