September 25. To-day Captain Ellenwood, belonging to Beverly, came to see us; he was taken, but has since been discharged, and is now bound home. A great number of letters were sent by him; I sent one to my brother. Last night, one Captain Rols made his escape from a separate prison, incognito, and it was not discovered till eleven o’clock to-day; and would not then have been, had it not been for his messmates, who, when they drew provisions, told of it; fearing that if they drew for him, they would be brought into trouble, as there are express orders against it.
26. To-day two French prizes were brought into this port.
27. Sunday. Last night, a young man in this prison, having a mind to go on board the men-of-war, made his escape over the wall in a shower of rain, and was not discovered. He was one of the number that lately petitioned to go on board the ships. To-day several more of the sick were carried down to the prison hospital. I think there is more than double the number sick now than has been at any time since I have been in prison, except when the small-pox went through the prison. If a man is sick, and very bad, the doctor will take him to the hospital a few days, as a matter of form. He has served several thus, and sent them up again before they were half recovered, and oftentimes when they were scarcely able to walk.
28. To-day our clothing was examined, as of late has been customary once a month, and as they called the roll they missed the man that made his escape the night before last; but they know when, where, or how he went.
29. We learn, by the paper, that General Carlton has arrived home; and also that Parliament is prorogued till the 26th of November.
30. Wet, stormy weather, which renders our confinement very tedious. We are informed that a few French prisoners, who made their escape a few nights ago, out of a prison in a separate yard, got a boat and set out for France, but meeting with the storm, put about and came back again, and delivered themselves up.
October 1. The first part of last night was very dark, and stormy, and had it not cleared away just as it did before the moon set, immediately after she set there would have been an elopement from this and the officers’ prison; but as it was, one Captain Ravel made his escape from the officers’ prison, incognito, which I hope hereafter fully to describe. Our new Black-hole is finished to punish Yankees in, and to-day a man was put in for little or nothing—for what they call abusing the turnkey—and ever since he has been in, he has been cutting with a small penknife, and has got a hole through the door near six inches square. To-day nearly one hundred Frenchmen were brought to prison; they were taken in a French East Indiaman.
2. Last night one Mr. Kirk made his escape from the officers’ prison; he took the same method that Captains Rols and Ravel did before him.
3. This morning, when the guard came to let the officers out, they missed Captain Ravel and Mr. Kirk, but they knew not when, where, or how they went, so they made no great stir about them.
4. Sunday. This forenoon a gentleman came with a pardon for thirty-three men that petitioned to go on board the men-of-war, which was nearly as follows: