t 
142 Account of Paul Fones: 
with all the honours due to an admiral, on 
board his flag-fhip, La Bretagze. 
Inthe month of February, 1776, the 
Parliament of England had authorized 
George IIT. to treat all the Americans 
taken. at dea, with arms in their hands, as 
traitors, es and felons: this, more 
than any other circumftance, rendered me 
the declared: enemy of Great Britain. 
¥rom the very commencement of the war, 
un exchange of prifoners had taken place 
Between General Wathington and the 
commanders of the enemy's army ; not- 
withftanding the haughty conduct cf Great 
Britain, fhe was obliged to fubmit to this 
arrangement, and conhder the American 
foldiers as prilonersof war. It was, how- 
ever, an atrocious crime to act againit her 
by fea; and England, on this occafion, per- 
petrated anew all he -eruelties on p write 
ea, which fhe had lavifhed on Scotland in 
3745. A ferocious and vindictive people 
sould have rejoiced to have feen the Ame- 
rican failors cut down from the gibbet 
while yet alive, their breafts opened with 
2 knife, and their yet palpitating hearts 
thrown into the flames! If they did 
not dare to attempt this, they, how- 
ever, fhut up a number of citizens of the 
United States in the Enelifh prifons dur- 
ing five whole years, where th iey futfered 
all the horrors proceeding from cold, 
hunger, and every fort of maltteat. 
ment. Some of thefe unfortunates were 
fold on the coait of Africa, while 
others were tranfported to the Weft In- 
dies. The firmnefs with which thefe mar- 
tyrs of liberty fuprorted their hard lot, is 
wholly unexampled ; for they preferred 
every kind of perfecution to fetvieg on 
board the Englifh navy. 
indignant at the barbarous treatment 
experienced by the Americans, I deter- 
mined to make a grand effort in their be- 
half, with a view of ftopping the barba- 
rous proceedings of the Englifhin Europe, 
as well as on the Wettern Continent, in 
the latter of which they fet fire to their 
“Roules, deftroyed their propery, and 
burned and deftr oyed whole towns. I ac- 
cordingly determined, by way of-retalia- 
tion, to efieét a defcent on fome part of 
England, with a oy of deltroyme the 
fhipping. It wa Pees my intention to 
make lome perion of dillin tion prifoner, 
whom I refolved to detainas a hoftage for 
‘the fecurity of, and in order to exchange 
‘with, the American prifoners in England. 
‘Admitd D Orvilliers, to whom iV com- 
municated this project, ffcred to procure 
for we a. captain’s commiffon in the 
‘French mar ne, that, in cafe I met with 
[Sept 1, 
any difafter, I might claim the protection 
of his Moft Chriftian Majefty ; but, how- 
ever advantageous this was, I determined 
to decline the acceptance, becaufe, in the 
firft place, I was not authorifed by Con- 
grefs to change my flag; and, in the fe- 
cond, fuch a conduét might have render- 
ed my attachment to America fufpected. 
- J accordingly failed from Breft, and 
advanced towards Ireland, negle@ting the 
capture of a number of veflels within my 
reach, as I did nut with to diminifh the 
ftrength of my crew. Near to the entrance 
into Carrick!ergus, I, however, feized on 
a fifhing-boat, manned with fix perfons, 
who proved to be.pilots. The Drake, 4 
twenty-gun fhip, happened to be then in 
the road, and even within fight, and ¥ 
imagined it poffible to obtain pofleffion of 
her by furprife during the night. With 
this view, I immediately gave orders for 
making the neceflary preparations; but 
the mate, who had drank too much bran- * 
dy, did not let go the anchor according to 
orders, which prevented the Ranger from 
running foul of the Drake, according ta 
my in:entions. As I had reafon to believe, 
that my appearance had not hitherto given 
any alarm, I deemed it prudent to cut my 
cable, and return into St. George’s Chan- 
nel. I remained there, buffetted about 
by the winds, during three days, until, the _ 
weather having become more favourable, — 
I determined a fecond time to attempt a 
defcent; this project, however, greatly 
alarmed my lieutenants; they were poor, 
they faid, and their object was gain, not 
honour 5 Hey accordingly excited difobe- 
dience among the fhip’s company, by per= 
fuading them that they had a right to de- 
termine, whether the meatures adopted ra 
me were well-concerted or not. 
I happened to be at this period within 
fisht of Whitehaven, in Cumberland, at 
the mouth cf the Solway Frith. This is 
a confiderable harbour, in which there 
then were about 4co fail, fome of them 
veflels of 250 tons burthen; and I had 
determined to take advantage of the ebb- 
tide, when the fhipping was dry, to de- 
{troy them. To effeét this, it was necef- 
fary to land about midnight, with a party 
of determined men, and feize on a fort and 
a‘battery, which defended the port. My 
two licutenanis, being averfe to the enter, 
prife, and yet being unwilling to difcover 
their true motives, feigned illnefs. On 
this I determined to take the command in 
perfun, and with much difficulty prevailed 
on thirty volunteers to follow me. = 
With this handful of men, and two 
fall boats, I quitied the Ranger, at eler 
ven 
