The truth leaked out when we were put on an allowance of three and one-half pints of water per day for each man, including the officers, and before we sighted Baker’s Island once more every man Jack of us knew what it was to be thirsty.
The prisoners, despite all they would have done, were given the same amount of water as Captain Ropes himself had, and this fact was some consolation to me as I thought of what such a throng must suffer in the narrow confines of the brig.
Neither Simon Ropes nor I felt hardly toward them because of the injuries they had inflicted upon us.
In fact, it seemed only natural they should attempt to capture the ship, when what seemed a favourable opportunity presented itself, and I have no doubt but that we two lads, barring the possibility of our being too cowardly, would have made a similar effort under like circumstances.
We longed for water as a miser longs for gold, prisoners and Americans alike, before we reached port, and never again will I say that money can buy all which is needed in this world.
We sailed proudly up past Baker’s Island, one hundred and twenty-two days after having passed it outward bound, and in that time we had captured six prizes that were afterward valued at one hundred and fifty-eight thousand dollars.
Show me a privateer afloat during the war just ended, which made more valuable captures, or was more successful in getting her prizes into port!
The James and Charlotte was carried by Mr. Tibbetts safely into Salem Harbour. The Benjamin put into Nantucket, after having been chased for fifty-two hours by a British sloop-of-war, and, later, was sold at auction in Boston. Mr. Proctor ran the Ralph Nickerson into Marblehead, where her cargo of lumber found a ready sale, and Mr. Valpey successfully piloted the Hope into Boston Bay. The Dart arrived at Salem without mishap, and her merchandise is remembered to this day by the people of the eastern coast, while the Euphemia was chased, but succeeded in gaining the harbour of Portland, Maine, three days after we arrived at the home port.
We had not lost a single prize, which was another matter to give us more than our share of pride, and from the hour our anchor was dropped on the seventh day of January, in the year 1813, the fame of the America spread from Maine to South Carolina.
Captain Ropes took good care that the people of Salem should know what Simon and I had done when the prisoners attempted to capture the ship, and as we went ashore [it was with difficulty we could make our way to the head of the dock], because of the throngs which were bent on showing their appreciation of our services.