1060 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



to the main, and remonstrate as 

 early as possible respecting such 

 usage ; but the caplain re|)lit'cl, ihat 

 sha was likewise included in his 

 orders for strict confinement. My 

 courage for the moment forsook me, 

 and my wife felt the most agonizing 

 distress. We s(o d at the entrance 

 of a dark vault, to which we could 

 see no end, aod the idea that the 

 doors were io be closed on us in such 

 a place, drowned my poor wife in 

 tears; she supplicated a better fate, 

 but to no avail ; she begged the 

 trivial favour of the door remaining 

 open f')r the evening only, and con. 

 descended to follow tiie captain with 

 this entreaty, bi^t it was talking to 

 the wind. 



" During this scene, I remained 

 silent, ill a state of stupefaction, 

 gloomy images filled my mind, and I 

 thought we were now doomed to a 

 miserable confinement, if not a 

 ■worse fate. 1 was aroused from this 

 itupor by the return of the captain, 

 ■who, producing the governor's 

 peremptory order, began harshly 

 to insist on onr entrance. J en- 

 treated my wife to exert some forti- 

 tude, and cahn her^gitation, which 

 by this lime had arii^cn to so high a 

 pitch, (hat I coiild scarcely support 

 her tremblinc frame down ihe steps, 

 -which we had no sooner descended, 

 than the door was closed ujiop us, 

 and the mavsy bolt turned. 



" My first endeavours were to 

 sooth and console my diar partner 

 in affliction, and reconcile her as 

 much as possible to our horrid fate. 

 Jn this I partly succeed d : aiid the 

 first emotions having subi-ided, I Kit 

 her to evplore our new prison. 

 Through somo apertures in the door, 

 a glmimeiing tight was admitted, by 

 which 1 'aw that it consisted ol a 

 long arched Taujt, wjth » plank 



■work on one side for the repose of 

 its inhabitants, on which our bag- 

 gage was loosely thrown : 1 shud- 

 dered at its damp walls as I passed 

 to the further end, w here the atmos- 

 phere was so dense and humid, I 

 could scarcely breathe., and I has- 

 teded to regain the better air near 

 the door. Nolv\ ithstanding the ap- 

 parent harshness of the captain of 

 the fort C^enr. Joaquin Joze 

 Veioze,) I thought he appeared 

 concerned even at the moment that 

 he turned a deaf ear to my wife ; 

 and this was confirmed by his pre- 

 sently returning, and advising me to 

 write a rfcranento to the governor 

 on ONr miserable situation, ottering 

 me materials for doing it, and pro- 

 mising it should be forwarded in 

 the morning. I took his advice : I 

 forcibly described our prison and its 

 humidity ; 1 complained of being 

 used as a criminal or murderer ; I 

 adverted to Mrs. Ijindley, and asked 

 why a female was included in such 

 severity, observing ' that in this 

 age ot civilization, it was contrary 

 to the usage of all nations, and the 

 countrywomen of his excellency's in 

 Europe would have met with far 

 dirierent treatment :' finally, I re- 

 quested a decent apartment, liberty 

 of air and exercise, and the atten- 

 dance of my servant- 



•' I accompanied this remon- 

 strance with a corresponding one to 

 the commandant, Brass Cardozo, 

 appealing to his feelings as a man 

 and a husband, and mentioning, that 

 if such severity was used to prevent 

 my communicating with any one, I 

 pledged my honour strictly to avoid 

 it. After finishing my letters, the 

 near approach of niglit suggested 

 the necessity of making our bed, 

 and arranging our few moveables in 

 the bc8t v^ ay possible, which while 

 3 we 



