ESCAPE OF THE EEPUBLICAN EXILES. 129 



large enough to make every one of the garrison either 

 drunk, sleepy, or blind. A female who had arrived 

 a few days before from Cayenne, was the chief dis- 

 tributor, and she scattered her smiles and her bottles 

 indiscriminately among the soldiers in their barracks, 

 the negroes in their hovels, the workmen in their 

 rooms, and the sentinels on guard. Even the prison- 

 ers had their share in this general shower of Bor- 

 deaux. The Hebe from Cayenne took good care that 

 the wine should be swallowed on the spot, for she 

 filled out the bumpers with her own fair hands, and 

 plied the progress of the general intoxication with 

 French and female zeal. All was freedom, gaiety, 

 and Medoc. 



In their festivity, the prisoners had a part to play ; 

 and they professed to quarrel. The wine circulated, 

 and the politicians commenced a furious dispute. 

 Aubry and Larue undertook the task of out-arguing 

 Barthelemy; Dossouville and Pichegru threatened 

 single combat ; Millot and Eamel performed the part 

 of pacificators, and, of course, more embroiled the 

 fray. The dispute rapidly grew more ferocious, until 

 glasses and plates flew about, and persons ran in to 

 quell the uproar. The experiment was for the pur- 

 pose of preventing any suspicion of agreement in any 

 design, whatever it might be, and it was perfectly 

 adapted to succeed. 



Night, long looked for, fell at last, and the prison- 

 ers had sufficient evidence that the American's claret 



VOL. n. f ' 



