172 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



severely blamed ; but wlicii a man breakfivsts and dines to tlie sound of 

 liarmouious music, can be accord bis interest to a poor devil sleeping 

 on straw and nibbled by vermin, even tbougli be bave manuscripts under 

 liissbirt? I may add tbat I (unfortunately for me) bad to do witb a 

 captain of an unusual cbaracter. For, some days later, a new vessel, tbe 

 Colossus, baving arrived in tbe roads, tbe Norwegian, Captain Krog, 

 altbougb be bad not, like me, an admiralty passport, made an applica- 

 tion to tbe commander of tbis newsbip; be was immediately claimed 

 and relieved from captivity. 



Tbe re[)ort tbat I was a Spanisb deserter and proprietor of tbe vessel, 

 acquiring more and more credit, and tbis position being tbe most dan- 

 gerous of all, I resolved to get out of it. I begged tbe comnuiudant of 

 tbe place, M. Alloy, to come to receive my declaration, and I announced 

 to bim tbat I was Frencb. To prove to bim tbe trutb of my words I 

 invited bim to send for Pablo Blanco, tbe sailor in tbe service of tbe 

 corsair wbo took us, and wbo bad returned from bis cruise a sbort time 

 before. Tbis was done as I wisbed. In disembarking, Pablo Blanco, 

 wbo bad not been warned, exclaimed witb surprise, " What! you Don 

 Francisco, mixed up witb all tbese miscreants ! " Tbe sailor gave tbe 

 governor circumstantial evidence as to tbe mission wbicb Ifidlilled witb 

 two Spanisb commissaries. My nationality tbus became proved. 



Tbat same day Alloy was replaced in tbe command of tbe fortress by 

 tbe Irisb colonel of tbe Ultonian regiment; tbe corsair left for a fresb 

 cruise, taking nsvuj Pablo Blanco ; and I became once more tbe roving 

 mercbant from Scbwekat. 



From tbe windmill wbere we underwent our quarantine, I could see 

 tbe tricolored flag flying on tbe fortress of Figueras. Tbe reconnoitering 

 parties of tbe cavalry came sometimes witbin five or six bundred meters; 

 it would not tbcn bave been difbcult for me to escape. However, as tbe 

 regulations against tbose wbo violate tbe sanitary laws are very rigor- 

 ous in Spain, as tbey pronounce tbe penalty of deatb against bim wbo 

 infringes tbem, I only determined to make my escape on tbe eve of our 

 admission to pratique. 



Tbe nigbt being come I crept on all-fours along tbe briars, and I sbouUl 

 soon bave got beyond tbe line of sentinels wbo guarded us. A noisy 

 uproar wbicb 1 beard among tbe Moors made me determine to reenter, 

 and I found tbese poor people in an unspeakable state of uiieasiness, 

 tbinking tbemselves lost if I left ; I tberefore remained. 



Tbe next day a strong picket of troops presented itself before tbe 

 mill. The maneuvers made by it inspired all of us witb anxiety, bur 

 especially Captain Krog.* " Wbat will tbey do witb us?" be exclaimed. 

 "Alas! you will see only too soon," replied tbe Spanisb officer. Tins 

 answer made every one believe tbat tbey were going to sboot us. AVbat 

 migbt bave strengtbened me in tbis idea was tbe obstinacy witb wbicb 



*Tliis appears to be an overeighfc, as iu a preceding page M. Arago described the for- 

 tunate release of Captain Krog from this cai)tivity. 



