19. Captain Lee received a letter from Bilboa, and had an offer of being supplied with money. This letter informs us that Mr. Stevanson, Captain Lee’s lieutenant, who made his escape from prison on the 21st of September, has arrived safe in Bilboa.
20. This morning William Moody, a Newbury man, taken with Captain Tileston about nine months ago, came to see us. He has got invalided, and intends to make the best of his way home.
21. We are told that six more large ships have been put in commission.
22. Our bread to-day is intolerably bad; it appears to us as though it was made of the grain of malt, or chopped straw: there are straws in it an inch long, and it is so hully and tough, that it is scarcely fit for a beast to eat. We complained of it, and were told if we would put up with it to-day we should have no more such.
23. Sunday. There are so many men in the prison, and so few books, that, in general, we are but poorly employed.
24. We hear that there has a packet arrived from America, but we shall not learn what news she brings, until their contents have been to London and refined.
25. We hear that Captain Thompson, of the Bailey frigate, is now in France.
26. It is twelve months to-day since we sailed from Portsmouth. It is enough to vex the spirit of any man, to think that such a number of men should be thrown away, and brought into trouble through the misconduct of one man. If there had been good conduct on board of our vessel, we should have made up our cruise in twenty-four hours from the time we were taken; for, that same night, in a few hours after we were taken, the Reasonable spoke twelve or fifteen sail of transports bound to America, and their convoy had thrown their guns overboard in a storm.
27. We are informed that the King’s Speech is in the papers, and that he is resolved to carry on the war with America, at all hazards.
28. For the two months past I have received ten shillings for boxes. Ever since about ten days after I came to prison, I have bought myself a breakfast of bread and milk, every morning it was to be had; and of late I have had potatoes to eat with my meat almost every day, which, I am sorry to say, is more than two thirds in prison can get.