bj 
1799-1 
Letters from Mr. 
the evening, however, the breeze abated, 
and by 7 o'clock, on Sunday morning, 
when in latitude 49 deg. 53 min. longi- 
tude 9 deg. 38 min. fhe got up with us, 
and hoifting Englifh colours faluted us 
with a gun. In obedience to the fignal, 
our fhip lay to, and hoifted the thirteen 
ftripes, the colours of the United States. 
A boat was immediately put out by the 
privateer, and very quickly conveyed to 
us, amidft the fhouts of their companions, 
eight or ten men armed with cutlafies and 
piftols. Our captain was immediately 
called-upon to get out his own long boat, 
which he refufed to do; alleging that 
he could not do it with convenience, and 
that, as he belonged to a neutral port, 
they had no right to expect it; He was 
afked for his papers to prove that he was 
an American, and was defired to accoin- 
pany fome of the party to the privateer, 
This he did, and whilft he was on board 
the fhip, the Englith flag was taken down, 
and that of the French Republic was hoift- 
ed in its place. The men, in the mean 
time, who remained on board with us, 
behaved with perfe&t decorum; and the 
officers apologized to us for the trouble 
and alarm they gave, faying, that what 
they did was not for the fake of plunder, 
but in conformity to the laws of war. We 
invited them into the cabin, placing wine 
and other refrefhments before them, of 
which they partook very heartily. We 
informed them, that though we were born 
in England, we were now becoming citi- 
zens of America; that we were hearty 
well-wifhers to the caufe of liberty in 
France. Upon their intimating doubts of 
the truth of this reprefentation, we appealed 
to ourletters of introduction, which we were 
ready to fhewthem. Whilft this was paf- 
fing, our captajn returned, in no little agi- 
tation; faying, that the paffengers, being 
Englifhmen, would be taken prifoners to 
France. It was very fortunate, that four 
or five in our fhip could {peak French very 
well, for thofe of the Frenchmen who 
could {peak Englifn fpoke it but indiffe- 
rently. We alleged, that we were not 
merchants, but mere paflengers who had 
no property on board which could be con- 
fidered as alawful prize. Our trunks were 
therefore brought upon deck and examined; 
but as nothing except wearing apparel was 
found, they did not examine one half of 
them. Moit of mine were in our room: 
but as my wife and children were ij bed, 
they politely declined looking into my 
boxes. Indeed they behaved in fuch a 
mannes, that fhe felt not the leaft alarm. 
‘The common men, however, who had la- 
MONTHLY MAG, NO. LII. 
uv. 
Toulmin of Kentucky. 
boured hard at theiroars.all night in order 
to overtake us, and fully expected a prize 
when they came with up us, murmured 
among themfelves, and expreffed much dif- 
fatisfaction at the backwardnefs of the of- 
ficers to feize us.. It was faid, indeed, that 
the men were ariftocrats ; or, at leaft, to- 
tally ignorant of the nature of the caufe in 
which they were engaged ; and the officers 
(who were of democratical principles ) 
were forced to ufe much feverity to keep 
them in order. The ‘boat was put off a 
fecond time, and took the captain, Mr. 
, and another who fpoke French 
well. Upon their getting on board the 
privateer, the captain behaved much like 
a gentleman, and brought out a bottle of 
good wine; but informed them, at the 
fame time, that they were his prifoners. 
They remonftrated ; they had proved that 
they had nothing but wearing appa- 
rel, and the letters of mine, which Mr. 
Vv 
excellent friend to Mr. F—— of Bofton) 
convinced him, that to make prifoners of 
us, would be to harrafs the friends of li- 
berty. He therefore gave up the point, 
exprefling, at the fame time, a wifh, that 
as they had been many days from ports 
we would accommodate them with any 
neceflaries which we could f{pare. Ac- 
cordingly the captain and our two fellow. 
paffengers returned, and the party from 
the privateer left us, after a ftay of four 
hours, with wifhes of a good voyage, being 
fupplied by the fhip with coals, {pirits, 
poultry, and portable foup. The treaty 
of 1778, between the United States and 
France, requires, I find, that when France 
is at war with any power, the American 
fhips fhall receive a paffport from the go- 
vernment of the United States, certifying 
to whom the fhip and cargo belong, and 
who are the perfons on board. It is pru- 
dent, therefore, for any one who is going 
to take a voyage to America, to inform 
himfelf, whether the captain he goes with 
be furnifhed with fuch a ‘certificate: and 
it is proper to have no goods on board but 
bare neceffaries, as it is property that af- 
fords the temptation to make priioners of 
our perfons. 
On May-the 22d, latitude 47 deg. 12 
min. longitude 16 deg. 10 min. we de- 
{cried another fail, in which our fears af- 
forded us the profpeét of another priva- 
teer, whilft our hopes whilpered to us that 
it might be a fhip ready to convey to our 
friends in England the news of our fafety 


fo far. ‘ It proved, however, to be an 
American fhip from Philadelphia. 
| Hy tT. 
Ta 
58 : 
861 
fhewed (particularly one from our — 
