CHAPTER XXII.
John Foster, Elias Vickey, and Asa Witham died—Mr. Deal’s Escape—Effect of long Imprisonment—New Subscription—Milford Transport—Joyful News—Hole Discovered—Keppel Acquitted—Bonfires—Escape—No Coals in Plymouth—Excitement about the Dog—Love to Friends—James Valentine died—Bills of Exchange from Bilboa—Cartel Arrives—Lieutenant Knox Arrives—Leaves the Prison—Kind Usage on Cartel—Bonner Darling died.
February 1. This morning about three o’clock, Mr. John Foster died in the prison hospital, of a nervous fever. Some of Mr. Foster’s townsmen were of a mind that he should be buried in a white linen shirt, but they received for an answer, that no person in this country was allowed to be buried in any thing but sheep’s clothing. The American prisoners, who died in the royal hospitals, were buried in black, but very rough coffins; but those who die in prison are buried in a rough white coffin. This Mr. Foster is the eighth man that has died since I came to prison—the seventh man of our crew that has died since we have been taken, and the seventeenth American prisoner that has died in prison and in the royal hospital, since we were captured.
2. To-day a gentleman came here, whom we are informed is but fourteen days from Dunkirk, but last from London, and he brought a letter from the Board, which ordered the agent to let him inspect every thing which he had a mind to. He looked at our meat, weighed our bread, and tasted our beef, and we are told that he has been in every prison in France.
3. This morning about five o’clock, Elias Vickery died. He was a Marblehead man. He was taken in one of the Freedom’s prizes; and about six o’clock, Asa Witham died. He belongs to New Gloucester, and was taken in the Dolton. They have both been sick upwards of twelve months.—They make ten in number that have died since I have been in prison, and eight of our crew since we have been taken, and nineteen in all that have died of different crews since we have been taken. Last evening Mr. Deal made his escape from the officers’ prison.
4. Three men have died this week, and there are sixteen or eighteen now sick. Of late, every day more or less are taken sick, and most of them with fever. Yesterday a French frigate, of twenty-six guns, was brought in here, which was taken by an English frigate.
5. This is another port day, and no news for us, concerning a cartel. It is unaccountable to me that it is so long coming. It is twenty months to-day, since I entered this prison.
6. It is so long since we heard of a cartel that the greater part in prison begin to despair of its coming. Many of those in prison are like so many children; as long as a rattle is ringing in their ears, they are quiet and easy, but as soon as the rattle stops, they are faithless and impatient.
We have another hole in hand, which will take us nearly a month to complete; so that if this news proves abortive, we may have recourse to another way.
Last evening a man made his escape over the wall, but before any one could get out, it was discovered.