The British put all the American prisoners on board an unarmed vessel, and made them promise that they would not take up arms against the English until they had been exchanged for an equal number of English prisoners.
After this the Americans were allowed to sail for the United States. They arrived in the harbor of New York on July 7, 1814.
IV.—The Trip on the Mediterranean.
Although a prisoner of war, David Farragut was glad to get back to the United States.
While waiting to be exchanged he attended a school in Chester, Pennsylvania.
It was a strange school. The pupils had no books. The teacher, Mr. Neif, told them the things he wished them to learn, and the boys wrote them down in notebooks. They would sometimes be examined on these notes to see whether they had paid proper attention.
In the afternoons, Mr. Neif would take the boys for long walks. They made collections of minerals and plants, and learned many curious and useful facts about them.
Mr. Neif, who had been a soldier, gave the boys military drill. He also taught them to swim and climb.
David Farragut was not a handsome boy. But people liked to look at him, for his face was honest and good. He was short for his years, but he stood very erect, and held his head as high as he could.
"I cannot afford to lose any of my inches," he said.