ISLAND OF PATMOS. 
inferior officers of the French army. These men 
were a part of the army which had surrendered 
to our troops in Egypt., on their passage to 
France. The transport hired for their convey- Critical 
111 si j.u- situation 
ance was commanded by an Algenne : this man O f a pa r 
had put into Patmos, under the pretence of p r ^* ck 
careening his vessel ; saying that it was unsafe Army * 
to continue the voyage until this had been done; 
but it was feared that he intended to seize an 
opportunity, after landing these Frenchmen, to 
escape with the ship and all the booty on board. 
We had been but a short time on shore, when a 
petition was brought to us signed by the French 
officers, stating their fears, and begging that we 
would represent their case to our Minister at 
Constantinople. They said they had already 
removed their trunks, and were resolved to 
return no more on board the Algerine ; the 
rascally Captain having twice attempted to 
poison their food. All this was uttered in a 
very different sort of tone from that in which 
we had been hailed upon our coming into the 
harbour, and we entered warmly into their 
cause. Their situation was, to be sure, critical. 
They had property belonging to some of the 
French Generals, besides their own effects ; and 
all the cases containing these things were lying 
