254 



that they might have found another vessel at sea, and also 

 the means of satisfying his demand otherwise in that vessel 

 into which it was to suppose they passed from his. It cer- 

 tainly may be known from Captain Mollen how, when, and 

 why, he parted with them. If they entered any other ves- 

 sel, the fate of that vessel may be traced further, and may 

 throw more light upon theirs than has hitherto been ob- 

 tained. Perhaps they met with some of our cruizers ; it 

 may be with the unfortunate Wasp, which, according to 

 what I remember of her cruise in that summer, may have 

 crossed their path and taken them on board. There were, 

 however, some privateers and letters of marque, which, 

 about that period, left the American and European coasts 

 for the purpose of cruizing in the Indian and China seas, 

 of whose return to the United States 1 have never heard. 

 If it could be knov/n, that from any cause they got on board 

 any of the latter, and that any of them were wrecked upon 

 the coasts of Africa or Asia, the discovery of these facts 

 might authorize further inquiries after them ; people who 

 are wrecked on barbarous and desert coasts are not always 

 lost. I should be sorry needlessly to excite fallacious, 

 hopes, or to contribute to revive unavailing anxieties on so 

 delicate a subject as this is ; but I really find it strange 

 that this Captain should never have made any report, whicli 

 seems to be the case, on his arrival in England, of such an 

 incident as that of tw^o passengers, whose destination was 

 there, and whose profession was military, having left his 

 ship at sea : I can see no reason why he should not have 

 reported the fact at the first port he entered, either as a 

 matter of obligation, custom, or news ; and I can see none 

 for theirs, desiring him to conceal the fact. Again, they 

 may have been taken out of his ship by some British com- 

 mander, who might have paid no respect to Captain Hill- 

 yar's exchange and protection, which I believe the British 

 commander, who met w^ith Captain Porter on our coast, 

 was inclined to disregard ; but 1 am equally at a loss to 

 know why such commander or the Swede should suppress 

 the publication of the fact. 



No. 5 is a copy of Mr. McKnight's protection, which was 

 taken by myself from the original given him by Captain 

 Hillyar. That officer, who I know esteemed these young 

 men, and your nephew in particular, very highly, gave 

 liim letters to England, and among them one for Mrs. Hill- 

 yar, who, as I understood, lived not far from Portsmouth 



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