5. Last evening Mr. Anthony Shomaker privately made his escape from the officers’ prison, and but very few in this yard knew any thing of it until this evening; and neither the agent nor the guard know it yet, which makes it well for the mess he left, as they draw his provisions. But this is not the only thing; the reason we keep it from them is that he may have a better chance to get off, and to screen the militia on guard at the time.
6. Sunday. By this time I begin to feel very sad about our cartel, for I expected that it would have been here before this time, but I entertain the same opinion, about its being agreed upon, now, as I did at first; I am fearful, however, that something has turned up to prevent its being put in execution.
7. We were all called to muster just before night. We thought it was on account of Mr. Shomaker being gone, but we were soon convinced to the contrary, as they did not find it out till his name was called; and I have heard since that the Board sent down for an immediate list of all the prisoners here. There are various conjectures concerning this uncommon affair; some are encouraged by it, others not.
8. We learn, from the papers, that there are 7000 English prisoners in and about Brest.
9. To-day Mr. Coudry, the agent, and Mr. Turner, his clerk, told us that we should be exchanged very soon; it was but a few days ago that they contradicted the story concerning a cartel, and wanted to entice us to enter on board the men-of-war, so that I pay no regard to what they say, whether it be for us, or against us.
10. To-day the story concerning a cartel is rumored again; we are told that the transports are engaged for that purpose; and some say that we shall be gone in a fortnight, others in a month.
11. At this time, there is considerable bad money in prison, which was brought and handed in as change for good money, by some of the turnkeys or market people, and now that they begin to be suspicious of our going away soon, they will take no more of it, though it has passed in and out for several months, so that there is considerable laying on our hands, which we are obliged to lose. Some in prison have several shillings in bad half pence.
12. I fear that I shall forever have cause to remember this day, to my sorrow; for this morning, when we were turned out, it was reported from the officers’ prison that the Act by which we were committed was again renewed, but upon further inquiry, and upon searching the paper, we found it to be nearly as follows: Sir Gray Cooper made a motion in the House for leave to bring in a bill to renew this act, for a certain limited time, which passed without a debate. But the worst is yet to come; Mr. Heath and Mr. Sorrey, who hitherto have been messengers of good news, came this afternoon with tidings of bad news, in a letter from the committee in London, which gives an account of all the donation being expended. This occasions many long faces in prison; but in this letter there is a word of comfort, for they write that the time is so short which we have to stay in prison, that they thought it not worth while to open a new subscription, though they have the same feelings for us that they ever had; which seems to imply, that if it was necessary, or if we were to stay here long, they would do it again.
13. Sunday. The sudden, disagreeable, and unexpected news that we received yesterday, has greatly added to our affliction, and this is the last day that we may expect any thing from the donation. To-day we received a fourpenny white loaf per mess, which came last night; so that from this time we may bid it adieu. This donation has lasted exactly eleven months and one day; so that it was eleven months yesterday since we received the first of it. Doubtless many of us would have been in our graves before this day, had it not been for this; and heaven, I hope, will reward the donors.
14. To-day we received another fourpenny loaf per mess; the occasion of it I cannot tell. Last evening, about eight o’clock, Mr. Hyfield made his escape from the officers’ prison, in disguise; and about ten o’clock another attempted it in the same way, but was discovered, and sent to the Black-hole. There are a number sick in another prison in this yard, which is called a hospital; but it is not worth the name, as there is no fire-place in it, neither is it water tight, but whenever it rains, as it has done most of the time of late, it beats in upon the sick as they lay in their beds. At this time there are several sick with the fever, three, of whom now appear to be at the point of death.