20. To-day six men came up from the Black-hole, who were sent there on the tenth of last month—their forty days having expired.
21. Nothing remarkable, except repeated confirmations of what we have heard before.
22. We are informed that Parliament has adjourned till the twentieth of next month; I suppose, to hear further intelligence from Lord Howe, and to know whether he has made any progress in the country.
CHAPTER IX.
Christmas Pudding—Christmas Presents—Clothes served—Happy New Year—Friends appear—Presents—Friends increase—Large Donations reported—Donation from British Recruiting Parties—Private Donations—Exhortations to a civil, sober life—Large distribution of Clothing—Royal Salute—Regular Allowance from Donation Fund—Increasing Privilege.
December 23. To-day we have new printed orders put up in prison, which are from the commissioners, to be strictly observed by us.
24. It is twelve months since I was taken, and as to-morrow is Christmas, and we have a little money, we are resolved to have something more than we had last Christmas; accordingly we sent out for five pounds of flour, one pound of suet, one pound of plums, half a pound of sugar, half an ounce of spice, and two quarts of milk, to mix the same for a pudding.
25. Christmas. To-day had our intended pudding, and as there was so much of it that we could not conveniently boil it all in one bag, we made two of it, and the largest was as much as seven of us wanted to eat at one meal, with our other provisions; these seven were of our own mess, and three of our neighbors, whom we invited. To-day our baker, who supplies us with bread, instead of brown bread, sent us white, and our butcher, instead of beef, gave us mutton, and instead of cabbage we had turnips; and the butcher’s wife gave us oatmeal to thicken our broth, and salt to salt it; so that on the whole, we had not so hungry a Christmas as the last. I must confess I have a very agreeable expectation, if my life is spared and the Lord pleases to permit me, to sit down at my father’s table next Christmas.
26. To-day considerable bread was given in the yard, by gentlemen who visited us, besides a penny loaf to each mess, sent in by our friends outside.
27. For some days I have been unwell, and this morning I took a portion of salts.