246 

 SUFFERINGS OF LIEUTENANT D. O'BRIEN, R. N. 



Continued from page 211. 



One was now deputed to go to reconnoitre the lionse ; it was about ten 

 o* clock— the house on the side of the road — a number of soldiers passing on 

 their route to the camp : this circumstance retarded our project, as we were 

 obliged to keep under a hedge, until those fellows had passed, which was 

 eleven o' clock. Then Mr. Tuihill (the deputed person), advanced, and in a 

 short time returned, and informed as that he had seen a man who had given 

 him some hopes — that he would join us shortly ; this was most welcome news. 

 The person made his appearance, and told us he would direct us to a friend's 

 house on the other side, who would, he believed, do what we wished — My 

 God ! what joyful intelligence ! his boat would put us across, as soon as she 

 should be afloat ; the tide of flood was then making, and be would return 

 again to where we were in an hour, which was the time he supposed the 

 boat would be afloat. We were now in wonderful spirits — changed our 

 situation, lest this fellow might have been a scoundrel sent to deceive us, and 

 placed ourselves where we could easily discover, whether he had any people 

 with him when returning. At the appointed time he came, where he supposed 

 to And us, by himself, which convinced us his intentions were more honest 

 towards us than we had imagined. In a few minutes we were transported to 

 the opposite side, where he secured his boat, and guided us to the house 

 above mentioned, assuring us that they were people we could depend upon, 

 and who had many friends, fishermen, on the water side : he would not enter 

 the cottage, or hut, but quitted us at the threshold, having received a suffi- 

 cient recompense for the trouble we had given : we knocked repeatedly at 

 the door— it began to rain very heavily — nor could we gain admittance, until 

 we had given repeated assurances that we were particular friends, who only 

 wished to he sheltered a few minutes from the inclemency of the weather. 

 These protestations at length gained us permission to enter. 



The man and woman of the house stared at us with amazement; and 

 fmding we were utter strangers to them, they begged to know our mission. 

 We requested they would make themselves quite easy upon that head — that 

 we were absolutely come as friends in distress, to solicit ilieir assistance and 

 protection, and not to do them the smallest injury. We then informed them, 

 that we were Frenchmen, who anxionsly wished to be transported, as quickly 

 as possible, into some part of Normandy or Brittany. We made them 

 handsome oft'ers to encourage them, but without effect. The woman observed, 

 that it was true, she had a brother, a fisherman, in a village on the sea coast, 

 but his boat had been taken round to Estaples, and he was obliged, when he 

 wished to go out to fish, to embark at the town, going through the forms 

 already observed ; this induced us to credit, in a great measure, what the 

 shepherd had already stated. This history was also atVirmed by the husband. 

 They informed us, that, on our arrival, they suspected us to be gens d 'amies 

 in disguise. These scoundrels, it appears, are frequently in the habit of 

 imposing upon their poor countrymen in this manner. These good folks 

 insisted upon our quitting the house ; we pleaded the badness of the weather, 

 begged of them to allow us a barn, cow-house, or even a hog-sty, sooner than 

 be compelled to proceed any further in such inclement weather; they were, 

 however, positive, and we were under the necessity of proceeding, literally 

 in a deluge. They, however, had the goodness to point out a direction to us, 

 that led to a barn at some distance from a farm-house : this barn, they 

 observed, was full of hay, and very seldom visited, therefore, we could very 

 safely remain concealed in it, until the following night : they advised us also 

 to proceed towards Dieppe, or St. Vallcry, as the most probable places for 

 finding a boat. 



