1G4 SAFE ARRIVAL. [1694. 



and being better Swimmers than the rest of us, and more 

 able to bear fatigue, they arriv'd safe at the Island in twelve 

 Hours. 



They found at the Governor's House,^ who was very much 

 surpriz'd to see them, the Officers of the Vessel, before whom 

 they made their Complaints ; demanding that we shoald be 

 sent away pursuant to the general Orders, and the Custom 

 of the Company ; and moreover, according to the repeated 

 Promises the Governor had made us. They added. That if 

 the Accus'd were to be retain'd, that was yet a Cause to be 

 try'd ; but as for us that were Innocent, and had been so 

 declar'd twenty times, we ought to be treated after another 

 manner. 



Diodati not being able to contradict this Truth, answer'd, 

 He had nothing to say against us Three ; only, if we had not 

 been so well treated as we expected we must impute the 

 Cause to our Comrades, and that we being all French,'^ he 

 could not trust one more than another; a reason alto- 

 gether impertinent, and which was laugh'd at, as it well 

 deserved. 



The Officers hearing what was said, and believing so bold 

 and sincere a Proceeding as ours seem'd to be, could not 

 come but from a good Conscience, they conceiv'd a good 

 Opinion of us ; and altho' our Enemy the Governor had 



" For ploughing on the salt sea field 



It would have made the boldest shudder — 

 Untarred, uncompassed, and unkeeled — 

 No sail— no rudder." 



(T. Campbell, Napoleon and the Sailor.) 



1 At Fort Frederik Hendrik. (See plate, taken from Valentyn.) In 

 the distance the Drie Gehroeders, the centre one of which was the Rock 

 of Exile, are plainly visible, 2| miles distant. 



2 The war of the League of Augsbourg was in progress, and Louis 

 XIV was successful at this period in the Low Countries, where Marechal, 

 the Duke of Luxembourg, had won victories at Fleurus, Steinkerk, and 

 Neerwinden. Hence the hatred of the Dutch for the French. {Vide 

 p. 157.) 



