ENGLISH " LETTRE DE MARQUE." 71 



WHS looking through the window of the dining-room, try- 

 ing to persuade myself at least that the captured vessel 

 was not one of much importance. But one must yield to 

 evidence. It was pierced for a great number of guns. 

 All at once, the wind having displayed the flags, I per- 

 ceived with surprise the French flag over the English 

 flag. I communicated what I observed to Mr. Blankley. 

 He answered immediately, " You do not surely pretend 

 to observe better with your bad telescope than I did with 

 my Dollond ? " 



" And you cannot pretend," said I to him in my turn, 

 " to see better than an astronomer by profession ? I am 

 sure of my fact. I beg M. Thainville's permission, and 

 will go this instant to visit this mysterious prize." 



In short, I went there ; and this is what I learnt : 



General Duhesme, Governor of Barcelona, wishing to 

 rid himself of the most ill-disciplined portion of his gar- 

 rison, formed the principal part into the crew of a vessel, 

 the command of which he gave to a lieutenant of Babas- 

 tro, a celebrated corsair of the Mediterranean. 



There were amongst these improvised seamen a hus- 

 sar, a dragoon, two veterans, a miner with his long beard, 

 &c. &c. The vessel, leaving Barcelona by night, escaped 

 the English cruiser, and got to the entrance of Port 

 Mahon. An English " lettre de marque " was coming 

 out of the port. The crew of the French vessel boarded 

 her ; and a furious combat on the deck ensued, in which 

 the French got the upper hand. It was this " lettre de 

 marque " which had now arrived at Algiers. 



Invested with full power by M. Dubois Thainville, I 

 announced to the prisoners that they were about to be 

 immediately given up to their Consul. I respected even 

 the trick of the captain, who, wounded by several sabre- 



