TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIAS. 
77 
They would not allow me to attempt to read it. The ex¬ 
amination being ended, they took me to the fort and placed 
me under a strong guard for the night. The next day, the 
nineteenth of April, they marched me under escort of a 
company of infantry into the public green, before the gov¬ 
ernment house, to hear prayers. After which, I have no 
doubt, they intended to shoot me, but were prevented from 
doing it through the fear of Mr.-.” 
I have other interesting narratives showing the most in¬ 
human conduct in the Governor of Upper California, while 
arresting these Americans and Britons, which I must pass for 
want of space. There is one, however, that refers more 
especially to the causes which brought many of them into a 
country where they were subject to such merciless usage, 
that I cannot prevail on myself to omit. It is a saying among 
seamen that when a ship doubles Cape Horn u the rope’s end 
and shackles are the Old Man’s argument.” Sailors in 
those seas are often glad even to escape from a bloody deck 
to the chances of dungeons and rapiers in the Californias. 
<c I left the American ship Hope, of Philadelphia, in Ma¬ 
nilla, and there being no chance of getting a passage to the 
United States from that place, I went passenger to Macao, in 
the ship Rasselas, of Boston, commanded by Captain ******. 
On my arrival there, all his crew having left him, Captain 
****** asked me to ship on board his vessel for a voyage. I 
and some others agreed to do so on these conditions : that if 
after serving one month, while the ship lay in that port, we 
did not like it, we were to be at liberty to leave her. When 
the month was up we all requested to go on shore. But he 
said all might go except William Warren, Robert McAlister, 
and myself. We were accordingly detained on board. No 
boat from the shore was allowed to come alongside for fear we 
should escape. After a short time the ship proceeded on her 
voyage to Kamschatka. And in this way were w r e forced to 
go without signing articles, and contrary to our agreement. 
