174 LOSS, BY FIRE, OF THE PRINCH. 
next evening a sergeant, accompanied by twenty-nine soldierisv 
eame to meet us for the purpose of conducting and presenting 
us to the commander of the fortress ; that worthy officer re- 
ceived us graciously, gave us an entertainment, and a boat to 
go to Paraiba. It was midnight when we arrived at that town • 
a Portuguese captain was waiting to present us to the gover- 
nor, who gave us a gracious reception and furnished us with 
all the comforts of life. We there reposed for three days ; but 
being desirous of reaching Fernambuc,* to take advantage of 
,a Portuguese fleet that was expected to sail every day, in or- 
der to return to Europe, the governor ordered a corporal to 
conduct us thither. My feet were so lacerated that I could 
scarcely stand, and a horse was therefore provided for me. 
At length, after a journey of four days, w^e entered the town 
of Fernambuc, My first business was to go with my people 
to present myself to the general, Joseph de Correa, who con- 
descended to give us an audience ; after which Don Francisco 
Miguel, a captain of a king's ship, took us in his boat to pro- 
cure us the advantage of saluting the admiral of the fleet, 
Don Juan d'Acosta de Porito. During the fifty days that we 
remained at Fernambuc that gentleman never ceased to load 
me with new favors and civilities. His generosity extended 
to all my companions in misfortune, to soAe of whom he even 
gave appointments in the vessels of his fleet. 
On the 5th of October we set sail, and arrived without any 
accident at Lisbon, on the 17th of December. On the 2d of 
January our consul, M. du Vernay, procured me a passage in 
a vessel bound to Morlaix. The master and myself went on 
board together, the rest of my companions being distributed 
among the ships. I arrived at Morlaix on the 2d of February. 
My fatigues obliged me to take a few days' rest in that place, 
from whence I repaired on the 10th to L' Orient, overwhelmed 
with poverty, having lost all that I possessed in the world, 
after a service of twenty-eight years, and with my heahh 
greatly impaired by the hardships I had endured. 
* Pernambucov 
