5. The carpenters and masons have been at work for some days past, repairing an old prison in the yard.
8. This afternoon, Rev. Mr. Heath came to see us, and gave us several books; he informs us that General Howe has arrived home, and that the King’s troops have left Philadelphia.
9. We are told that Captain Dennis and Captain Talford, with five or six other American captains, bought a small vessel to carry them to France, and yesterday morning set sail.
10. To-day Joseph Barnum, one of our company, and one of the French prisoners that was wounded, had their thighs cut off. Barnum has been unwell more than a year; he has had a white swelling in his knee.
11. We have a hole now in hand, which we thought this afternoon was found out, but it happened to be one within a few feet of it, which was discovered some time ago, and was of no great consequence.
12. Sunday. To-day Captain Lee received a letter from Portsmouth prison, from Jonn Dame, a Newbury man. He informs us that he was taken with Captain Dennis in a new privateer brig, of sixteen guns, that sailed from Boston on the 25th of May. On the 30th of the same month he was taken by the same frigate that General Howe came home in.
13. Since the Frenchmen came to prison we have been of considerable help to them, as we have now plenty of provisions, and many of us more than we want to eat. What we have to spare we give to them, and we daily give them more or less. Their allowance of bread is six pounds to four of them per day, which is one and a half pounds per man; but we rebels are allowed only one pound of bread a man, per day, from government. The other allowances of the French is the same as ours.
14. Admiral Keppel has lately sailed from St. Helena with about twenty-eight sail of the line and six frigates; and a French fleet has sailed from Brest; but I cannot learn the exact number of ships of which the fleet consists. It is expected, whenever these two fleets meet, there will be a bloody engagement, for England’s chief dependence is in her fleet.
15. It is twenty months to-day since I left Newbury. To-day Admiral Keppel’s fleet was seen from the prison to pass by this harbor, and it is expected that two or three ships from this port will join them. This afternoon four boys tried to make their escape; they got over the wall into the Frenchmen’s yard, and hid in their hammocks, but were soon discovered, and taken.
16. We hear that Parliament is prorogued until some time in September next. To-day the Sudbury, a ship of seventy-four guns, sailed to join Admiral Keppel’s fleet, which now appears off this port. The guard now consists partly of the Cornish, partly of the Somersetshire, and partly of the Devonshire militia, and some of the thirteenth regiment, which is the regiment that has guarded us ever since we came to prison.