Beaudouin landed at Port Glasgow, and thence to Renfrew and Glasgow, of which city he remarks:
‘Cette ville paraît très grande et belle; costume très brillant. Ce qu’il y a de remarquable c’est que les paysans sont aussi bien mis comme ceux de la ville; on ne peut en faire la différence que par le genre. Ce qui jure beaucoup dans leur costume, c’est que les femmes marchent presque toujours nu-pieds. La quantité de belles femmes n’est pas grande, comme on dit; en outre, en général elles out les bouches commes des fours.’
From Glasgow the prisoners marched to Airdrie, ten miles, where the people were affable. For the six prisoners there was an escort of a sergeant, a corporal, and eight men.
From Airdrie they proceeded to Bathgate, fourteen miles, thence to Edinburgh, twenty-two miles, where they were lodged for the night in the guard-house of the Castle. From Edinburgh they came to Greenlaw, ten miles, June 10, 1804.
Beaudouin thus describes Greenlaw:
‘Cette prison est une maison de campagne. À deux milles où loge le détachement qui nous garde est Penicuik. Cette maison est entourée de deux rangs de palissades avec des factionnaires tout autour; à côté est situé un petit bois qui favorise quelquefois des désertions.’
At first they were quartered with Dutch prisoners, but when peace was made between Britain and Holland, these latter left.
At Greenlaw there were 106 French and 40 Spanish prisoners. The Spaniards were very antagonistic to the French, and also among themselves, quarrelling freely and being very handy with their knives. Beaudouin gives many instances of their brutality. At call-over a Spaniard waited for another to come through the door, and stabbed him in the face. An Italian and a Spaniard fought with knives until both were helpless. Two Spaniards quarrelled about their soup, and fought in public in the airing ground. The guard did not attempt to interfere—and wisely.
‘Les Espagnols,’ says Beaudouin, ‘possèdent toutes les bonnes qualités. Premièrement ils sont paresseux à l’excès, sales, traîtres, joueurs, et voleurs comme des pies.’
He describes Valleyfield as cold, with very little fine weather, but healthy. At the end of a week or so the newly arrived prisoners settled to work of different kinds. Some plaited straw for bonnets, some made tresse cornue for baskets and hats; some carved boxes, games, &c.; some worked hair watch-chains; some made coloured straw books and other knick-knacks, all of which they sold at the barriers.