182 



FISHES AND FISHING. 



The inhabitants of Calais, anticipating the ruin of 

 their town, were not disposed to lay out their ready 

 money, except for absolute necessaries, and I had great 

 difficulty in finding purchasers for some philosophical, 

 surgical, and sporting apparatus which I had, except 

 at most trifling prices : I kept my fishing tackle till the 

 last, and only sold it the day before I escaped. My 

 books I could find no purchaser for, so I left them in 

 the care of a Frenchman, who, on my re-visitiugCalais, 

 in 1824, gave them to me, and would neither accept 

 any recompense himself, or allow anj of his family 

 to do so ; he was, like those hereunder, also a Mason. 



At length the General, having no further occasion 

 for me, informed me I must also go up the country, 

 to the same place as the rest ; I therefore made up 

 my mind to escape, but how to accomplish this de- 

 sirable object was the difficulty. A variety of plans 

 were discussed by me with the other prisoners ; but I 

 found they did not possess the necessary cool deter- 

 mination to ensure success, and therefore I resolved 

 to attempt my own emancipation in my own way. 

 Accordingly, I laid myself on a mattrass, and marked 

 upon that, with a red pencil, the exact size into 

 which I could compress myself ; I then went, with a 

 brother Freemason, to dealers in furniture, boxes, &c., 

 and found an old trunk, with two locks, the exact 

 size I required ; this I purchased, and only awaited 



