250 SOFFBRINGS OF LIEUTENANT o'bRIEN. 



After two or three days more of toilsome walking, we at midnight one uight 

 descried the long wished for river, and were on its banks. Each washed 

 himself and rested a few mieutes. There was an excellent wood hard by, 

 this we reserved to retreat to, in case of not falling in with a boat that night, 

 and we agreed to proceed on, at least for an hour, towards the northward, 

 which course we commenced, prying into every little creek and nook. The 

 morning was starlight, beautiful and serene, could hear the cocks crowing, 

 dogs barking, 6cc., on the German side. A beautiful river, abont a mile in 

 breadth, not an island to impede the view, which is not a common thing io 

 this river. My God ! how we longed to be conveyed across ! this anxiety 

 prevented our enjoying the delightful prospect before us. It was certainly a 

 terrestrial paradise ; we continued nearly an hour, admiring and advancing, 

 when the Omnipotent Ruler of all human affairs, whose providence had so 

 much favoured us throughout on this attempt to escape, exposed to onr view 

 II boat, made fast with a chain to a stake driven into the bank, close to a heap 

 of wood, which I supposed she was to have been loaded with at day-light. 

 We all got in and in al>out twenty minutes were safely landed on the opposite 

 side, whence we proceeded into the conntry as fast as possible. We con- 

 tinued our march day after day, through Wirtemberg and Bavaria, having 

 however, much to our regret, been obliged to leave one of oor comrades 

 in a village at some distance behind, through illness. After passing over a 

 bridge which connected the Bavarian with the Aostrian territories, and 

 passing the sentinels of the former, we were suddenly seized by a guard of 

 Austrians, and by them conveyed before their superior officers. Here, not 

 knowing the disposition of thv Austrian government towards the English, we 

 represented ourselves as Americans, but, on finding that they were on friendly 

 terms with each other, we declared ourselves to be Englishmen, and in the 

 course of a few days were politely provided with passports by the comman- 

 dant. 



Having by means of easy stages arrived at Trieste, we, on the 7tb of No* 

 vember, embarked on board Hi» Britannic Majesty's ship L'Unite, which 

 was then cruising in the bay, and were in • very sbort space of time clear of 

 the harbour. 



On the 29th of March, 1809, I was appointed lieutenant oa board His Ma- 

 jesty's ship Warrior, in a Court Martial vacancy ; I joined her iailantly, tad 

 on the 3Ist left for Malta, where I conclade my narrativ*. 



