13 



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



Continued from page 251, of Vol. VI. 



He, and his companion, returned ; and, as we expected, they had every 

 single thing, together with the stock of a double-barelled pistol: he had made 

 a very diligent search for the barrels, but without effect ; we assured him we 

 had thrown them away prior to our quitting Verdun, and that we took the 

 stock and lock to use occasionally instead of a tinder box, which we had no 

 possibility of providing. They began to search us separately ; a few things 

 were found upon my comrades : but, fortunately for me, they did not find 

 another substitute for striking a light, which I had, and which was more 

 complete than the other. The brigadier could be hardly convinced that my 

 walking stick had not a small sword in it; he kept twirling and screwing it 

 about, and was not satisfied after all but that it was a sword cane ; he kept it 

 for the night, and we were reconducted into our den. After the door was 

 secured, and the jailer had departed, we began to discuss what had recently 

 passed. Each of my friends congratulated me upon ray success with respect 

 to the tinder box, and after some minutes we endeavoured to take a little 

 repose. 



Awaking about midnight, I deliberated upon the consequence of having so 

 complete a tinder box, with the necessary materials, in my possession ; and 

 having found a convenient place, I deposited a part of them, reserving the 

 stock, &c. At day-light we were again en route, chained and hand-cuffed. 

 The day was very rainy, and the roads prodigiously heavy, the march long 

 and fatiguing. I cannot omit observing, that one of the party, having occasion 

 to be unchained from his comrades, he could not obtain permission, before 

 one of the guard had pinioned him with a strong C(>rd, which the gend'armes 

 carry for that purpose, and which the guard held during the time. 



About six we arrived at Maubertfontaine, in a most miserable plight, 

 covered with mud and dirt. We found a new dungeon in this village also, 

 where we were very soon deposited. A boy, about sixteen years old, had 

 been confined there six or seven days ; he belonged to Lisle, not many 

 leagues distant ; his crime was, having no passport. He had nothing but 

 black bread and water during his confinement, and informed us, that we had 

 been expected to arrive two or three days before, that they were going to 

 search us very strictly, &c. I contrived, with this boy's assistance, to place 

 my tinder box in safety, just at the moment when a guard was entering to 

 search us. We had nothing about ns now but our money, which had hitherto 

 been respected and left us : but these rapacious animals very quickly deprived 

 us of it, prouiising to pay our expenses to Verdun, and deposit the remainder 

 with General Werrion, at that depot ; the reader may suppose how far this 

 promise was adhered to; however, we got a kind of supper; some straw, 

 blankets, and substitute for beds, in consequence of it, and they paid them- 

 selves. The poor boy felt hiiaself perfectly happy at having something good 

 (as he termed it) to eat. We gave him a share of every thing that was 

 brought us, and the guards were astonished at our generosity. 



I observed one fellow amongst them, who began to exclaim against the 

 English nation and its subjects, with great vehemence. He wished it at the 

 bottom of the sea : if he had his will, he would behead every British pri- 

 soner in France : he wouhl never desire better employment than to stand 

 executioner: with many more liberal remarks, too tedious to mention. 



The excessive passion he appeared to be m during these exclamations, 

 induced me to inquire from one of the set, the cause of so much inveteracy; 

 when I was informed, that he had been only two days liberated from Me- 



