144 
mafts and tackling, and loft forty-two 
men either killed or wounded during the 
action. I had alfo taken feveral other 
prizes; but, as my compliment of men 
had only amounted to 123, I retained no 
‘more than two of them, which arrived in 
fafety at Breft, where I myfelf anchored 
with the Ranger and Drake, on the 7th of 
May, after an abfence of twenty-eight 
days, during which I had taken upwards 
of 200 prifoners. This expedition was of 
great differvice to great Britain, as fhe 
was not only obliged to fortify her ports, 
but alfo to permit the arming of the Irith 
volunteers, as Lord Mountmorris demon- 
firated in a fpeech in Parliament. 
At the time I had been obliged to per- 
mit my people to take Lady Selkirk’s 
plate, I determined to redeem it out of 
my own funds the moment it fhould be 
‘fold, and reftore it to the family. Ac- 
cordingly, on my arrival at Breft, I in- 
ftantly difpatched a moft pathetic letter 
to her ladyfhip, in which I detailed the 
motives of my expedition, and the cruel 
neceflity [ was under, in confequence of 
the condué& of the Englith in America, to 
infli& the punifhment of retaliation. This 
was fent open to the poftmafter-general, 
that it might be fhewn to the King of 
England and his minifters, and the Court 
of St. James’s was at length obliged to 
renounce the fanguinary act of its Parlia- 
ment, and exchange thofe very Americans 
whom they called traitors, pirates, and 
felons, againft the prifoners of war, whom 
I had taken and carried to France. 
During the courfe. of the war, I found 
it impoffible to reftore the plate belonging 
to the Selkirk family; I, however, pur- 
chafed it at a great price, and at length 
found means to fend it by land from 
TOrient to Calais, by means of M. de 
Calonne, who tranfmitted me a very flat- 
tering letter on the occafion; in fhort, I 
at leneth received avery flattering letter 
from the Earl of Selkirk, acknowledging 
the receipt of it. 
‘’ [had no fooner arrived at Breft, than 
Admiral the Count D°Orvillirs tranf- 
mitted an account of my expedition to 
the Minifter of the Marine, in confequence 
of which it was intimated to Dr. Frank- 
lia, that his Majeity was defirous I fhould 
repair to Verfailles, as he was refolved to 
employ me on a fecret expedition, for 
which purpofe he would give me the In- 
dienné, with fome other frigates, with 
. troops, &c. for the purpofe of effetting 
a defcent. I was inftantly informed of 
this by the ambaflador, who obferved to 
me, at the fame time, that this muft be 
‘Account of Paul Jones. 
[Sept. Js 
confidered as a profound fecret, it being 
of fo important a nature, that it had been 
deemed proper to withheld a communica 
tion of it even to his colleagues. 
M. de Sartine received me with the moft 
diftinguifhed politenefs, making me, at 
the fame time, the moft flattering promifes ; 
and the Prince de Naffau was fent mto 
Holland to give inftructions for the necef- 
fary arrangements for arming and equip- 
Ping the frigate intended for me. But, in 
a fhort time after this, hoftilities took 
place between France and England, in 
confiquence of the ation with La Belle 
Poule. ‘This not a little embarraffed the 
Minifter of the Marine, and the difficulty 
was not diminifhed by the intelligence 
brought by the Prince, who afferted that 
the Dutch would not permit the Indienne 
to be equipped. | 
As M. de Sartine had written to the 
three American minifters, and obtained 
their confent for my remaining in Europe, 
T offered to ferve on board of the grand 
fleet ; I alfo communicated feveral plans 
for crippling the power of England, fuch 
as that of deftroying her trade and fettle- 
ments on the coaft of Africa, and in Hud- 
fon’s Bay ; of annihilating their fifheries 
in Newfoundland ; intercepting their Eaft 
and Weft India, and, above all, the Bal- 
tic, fleet, which was efcorted by a fingle 
frigate, as I learned by certain informa- 
tion from England. The Minifter adopted 
the laft of thefe plans, and I accordingly 
repaired to Breft, to take the command of 
one of the frigates of that port, with two 
others, and a cutter, &c. then at St. Ma- 
loes ; but I found on my arrival, that the 
Admiral had appointed a French officer to 
the veffel in queftion, and as there was not 
a fingle moment to be loft, the fenior of- 
ficer of the frigates at St. Maloes was dif- 
_ patched againtt the Baltic fleet, which he 
miffed, by not fteering fufficiently near to 
the coaft of England to intercept it. 
Being greatly difgufted with a feries of 
delays, that enfued during nine months, 
I at length repaired to Verfailles, with an 
intention of returning to America, if I 
fhould not immediately obtain a com- 
mand; for I recollected the faying of Old 
Richard, ‘If you with that your affairs 
fhould be profperous, fuperintend them in 
perfon,” &c. This induced me to pro- 
mife, that if the Miniiter fhould at lencth 
comply with my requeft, I fhould call my 
own thip ** Old Richard.’ 
Accordingly, on obtaining Le Duras, 
until a better veffel could be procured, E 
called her She was a very 
fmall and very old and infirm veffel, that 
had 
