AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 169 



pleasure, and that, notliwitbstaiidiiig your menace, I would not rather 

 go with you, if I could P These words calmed him ; he brought the 

 sugar, the coffee, and the tea claimed by the Moorish chief and we again 

 set sail, though without having exchanged the usual farewell. 



We had already entered the (lulf of Lyons, and were approaching 

 IVIarseilles, when on tbe 16th August, 1808, we met with a Spanish cor- 

 sair from. Palamos, armed at tlie prow with two24-pounders. We made 

 full sail; we hoped to escape it: but a cannon shot, a ball from wliich 

 went through our sails, taught us that she was a much better sailer than 

 we were. 



We obeyed an injunction thus espressed, and awaited the great boat 

 from the corsair. The captain declared that he made us prisoners, 

 although Spain was at peace with Earbary, under the pretext that we 

 were violating the blockade which had been lately raised on all the coasts 

 of France ; he added that he intended to take us to Eosas, and that 

 there the authorities would decide on our fate. 



I was in the cabin of the vessel ; I had the curiosity to look furtively 

 at^the crew of the boat, and there I perceived, with a dissatisfaction 

 Avhich may easily be imagined, one of the sailors of the "mistic," com- 

 manded by Don Manuel de Yacaro, of the name of Pablo Elanco, of Pala- 

 mos, who had olten acted as my servant during mj^ geodesec operations. 

 My false passport would beccm.e frcm this moment useless, if Pablo 

 should recognize me. I went to bed at once, covered my head with a 

 counterpane,anci lay as still as a statue. 



During the two days which elapsed between our capture and our 

 entrance into the roads of Eosas, Pablo, whose curiosity often brought 

 him into the room, used to exclaim, "There is one passenger whom I 

 have not yet managed to get a sight of." 



When we arrived at Eosas it was decided that we should be placed 

 in quarantine in a dismantled windmill, situated on the road leading to 

 Pigueras. I was careful to disembark in a boat to which Pablo did not 

 belong. The corsair departed for a new cruise, and I was for a moment 

 freed from the harassing thoughts which my old servant had caused me. 



Our ship was richly laden ; the Spanish authorities were immediately 

 desirous to declare it a lawful prize. They pretended to believe that I 

 was the proprietor of it, and wished, in order to hasten things, to inter- 

 rogate me, even without awaiting the completion of the quarantine. 

 They stretched two cords between the mill and the shore; and a judge 

 placed himself in front of me. As the interrogatories were made from 

 a good distance, the numerous audience which encircled us took a direct 

 l)art in the questions and answers. I will endeavor to reproduce this 

 dialogue with all possible fidelity : 



"Who are you?" 



"A poor roving merchant." 



" Whence do you come f 



"Prom a country vvherc you certainly never were." 



