I 
3S ^PTLSBURt's VOYAGE TO AFBÎCA. 
Trio, we were cxtreraely fearful the commodore would put his 
threiit hi execution of landing our poor unfortunate men ou tlie 
African sliore, and take the officers with him : had this been the 
case, very few would have lived to return to their native country. 
How pleasing then must liave been the sound, Get all \our 
things on deck to go oa board the flag of truce;" for we found 
they had converted the Trio into a cartel. Eveiy thing was on 
deck in an instant : and a soiile and colour broke forth from the 
pallid cheeks of my poor convalescents. We now thought all fur- 
ther plunder at an end, but soon found we were mistaken: every 
man's hammock was agam searched by the commissary and another 
French njijrander, vi ho had been pnze-master of the schooner 
from which Mr. Bnttertield escaped. They took from each their 
tobacco- pouchesj knives, needles, and every article they could 
lind, except barely the suit they had on, and their beds: the two 
former articles, in particular, are really a serious loss to a sailor. 
Fjom my servant they took his bed and some spines which hé 
had managed to save from his scanty allowance. They were 
then proceeding to the quarter-deck ; but the eaptain, tired of 
their depredations, declared we should not again be plundered. 
He said, he was ashamed of the commissary's behaviour, saying, 
be used us worse than we should have been by a privateer or pic- 
rate. At last, towards the evefiing, we joyfully embarked, and 
got on boa id the cartel : our sensations, on meeting together once 
more, are not to be described. Soon after the captain came oa 
board ; and we got under wei^^h, as did the French squadron. 
We couid not help looking after the Favourite: and could not 
persuade ourselves we were clear of the enemy till they were out 
of sight, inuring the time I was prisoner in my own ship, 1 
cou'id not help observino- the amazinjç difference between her 
situation then and when manned by British sailors, in point of 
discipline and alacrity, as well as seamanship. They were very 
glad, when it blew a little fresher than ordinary, to get my boy to 
stand at the helm ; so ignorant were they, in general, of naval 
tactics. Every thing of which they did not comprehend the use 
they threw overboard, without consulting their officer, to whom 
tliey shewed n.o respect. They dined on the quarter-deck, which 
is sacred to the officers in our service; and they spoke to their 
superiors as if they had been equals. V ery few of them had any 
beds till they canje on board ; and they swarmecl with vermin, 
^vhich we of course could not Iielp sharing witli them. The 
gun-room was entirely deserted, as all the officers messed with 
the ca[)!amin the cabin. At the time we were taken, we had a. 
great q ^mtity of live stock (a very pleasing surprise for mon-^ 
§ieur), and die greater part they divided among them. Such also 
was tlicir voracioiiSLess, that 1 wa? obliged to assist m^ Açyf 
