Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/241

 the whole night. When day dawned, the breeze freshened from the eastward, and as the sun began to diffuse his cheering rays, the wide expanse of liberty opened around us, and the distant rear—the afflicted land of misery and bondage, was beheld with feelings of gratitude and triumph. No other object intercepted the boundless prospect, save a solitary gun-brig, which was soon approached: naturally anxious to proceed with despatch, we passed on, and, unobserved, reached a considerable distance, when a boat was discovered making towards us; being in no fear of Frenchmen thus venturing so far from land, we hove too; and, having made the officer acquainted with the circumstances of our embarkation and destination, again spread the canvas, and made rapid progress to the N. W. About noon, the wind still increasing, and the sea rising, it was deemed prudent to close reef the sail. While thus delightfully scudding before the foaming billows, which occasionally broke, as if to overwhelm our little boat, only fifteen feet in length, each eye was