7. To-day a gentleman came to the gate and gave in a crown, to be divided among ninety of us in prison, who are on half allowance. This crown gains a reprieve for a dog, which keeps in the yard and belongs to some of the officers on guard. This dog we are resolved to kill and eat, in a few days, as necessity will oblige us to do so. This evening two more men were brought back, who went out on the 28th of December. They were taken about forty miles distant, at a place called Exmouth. There are now only twenty-two out, as eighty-seven have been brought back. We are told that five pounds a head is given for every one that is taken up; if so, it has cost government four hundred and thirty-five pounds for the eighty-seven that are brought back.
CHAPTER XXI.
A Hurricane—Great Distress—Kills a Dog—Dog divided—Cooked and eat—Rats eat in Prison—Voluntary Surrender—Good News—Cartel arrived—Pardon—Great Joy—A small Donation—Spanish Fleet—Another Pardon—A Wonder—Number of Prisoners left—Wait impatiently—Another Hole in hand—Eleven Frenchmen escape—Good News from Bilboa—Happy Event—Twenty-six months a Prisoner—Incendiary—Penitent sick Prisoners—King’s Pardon.
January 8. It is two years, to-day, since we arrived in this Sound. One of those that were brought back yesterday, brought a paper in with him, in which is an account of an hurricane that happened about ten days ago, at London, in which a great number of houses were blown down; and by the same tornado, a great many vessels were cast away, at Margate Roads, and a number of lives lost. Among the rest was an East Indiaman. By the paper, we also learn, that a great part of Greenwich Hospital was consumed by a fire that took place there.
This is a much worse time to be on short allowance than any time since we have been in prison. As there are so many on half allowance, those who are on full allowance, and are willing to help us, are unable, for their own allowance is not sufficient to support nature; and the half of that is intolerable. There are numbers in prison on half allowance who have not a penny to help themselves with. New shoes have been sold for a shilling, and new shirts for the same price, by persons who, perhaps, had no others to wear; in short, there are a great many long faces in prison, for nothing but hunger rages throughout. To such a degree is this the case, that we killed a dog this afternoon, in order to let him cool by to-morrow, and his in-sides were scarcely out, before his liver was on coals broiling.
9. This morning we divided the dog into quarters, and he was dressed so neat, and being so fat withall, that if I had seen him in a butcher’s shop I should have thought it to be a young lamb, and good meat. We had a bag of potatoes given us, to eat with our venison. Some stewed theirs; others roasted it; and I must confess, I made a tolerable meal out of some of this roasted dog, with potatoes dipped in its drippings. Rats have been eat in this prison often before. To-day the agent told us that he had received an answer to our petition, and that we are to be allowed peas instead of greens, which is much better. He had received an order, that if we would deliver up those who were most active in digging the hole, the rest should be restored to full allowance. But the majority in prison were inclined to give them no satisfaction. This afternoon, however, two young men, of their own accord, went and delivered themselves up, and were sent to the Black-hole, thinking to live well, I suppose, while there, as doubtless they will.
10. To-day we were all restored to full allowance, and received peas. We had, also, white bread sent in by our friends. Thus, it is either a feast or a famine with us. I have been only eleven days on half allowance. To-day, about twelve o’clock, Mr. Heath sent a man to inform us that a cartel had arrived in Plymouth, for us. Soon after, Mr. Sorrey came with a letter which he had received from the committee in London, and read it to us, which informed us that one of the committee had waited on Lord Savage, the head lord of the Admiralty, to know the truth concerning this cartel, and he informed him that the Milford transport was engaged for that purpose, as a flag ship, and that we should be exchanged, one hundred at a time, and the first draft is to be from this prison, as we were committed first; so we shall embark and proceed to Nantz, where they will take an equal number, and so go on till all the American prisoners in England are exchanged, if there be enough English prisoners in France that were taken by the Americans. There were only about forty or fifty committed before me, but as there have been upwards of one hundred who have lately attempted to escape from here, and most of them brought back, myself among the number; and as it is customary in time of war for such to forfeit their turn, I began to despair of going in the first draft. In the mean time, all hands were called to hear a letter read, which the agent had received from the Lords of the Admiralty, who desired him to inform us that we were to be exchanged for the English prisoners in France, taken by the Americans; and that, notwithstanding a number of us had attempted our escape, and by this means had forfeited our turn, yet, in this instance we should be forgiven upon condition that we discovered through what corruption, or negligence, we effected our escape. This being read, he ordered the Black-hole doors to be opened. This is joyful news to us. Joy is to be seen on every man’s countenance. This is a blessed day!
11. This afternoon Mr. Heath came to congratulate us on our prospect of deliverance, and brought a letter with him, which informed us that the cartel is now in Plymouth, waiting only for a man to come from France to take charge of us.
12. To-day Mr. Sorrey came, and brought every man a sixpence, which is part of twenty pounds that has lately been sent down from London, and which was left of the old stock; but we hear that they are about opening a new subscription.
13. We learn, from the papers, that the Spaniards have now seventy sail of the line, besides frigates and sloops, in different parts of Spain, mounting in all, seven thousand and three cannons, of different bores.