Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/54

 depart, committed an offence, which would entail deprivation of parole; for it was an acknowledged rule, that the instant any one was put into a prison, or even taken into custody by armed men, (no matter from what cause), parole ceased. Various permissions, such as ranging six miles from the town, living in the country, and a few others, were after indulgences, not contained in the conditions of parole, but frequently obtained by the intervention of a "douceur." The principal regulations were as follows: signing in a book at the "appel," according to rank, viz. captains in the navy, and field officers, once a month, lieutenants, every five days, midshipmen and others, twice a day, (thus calculating the word of a midshipman as equal only to one sixtieth part of that of a field officer); the neglect of this regulation was atoned for by the payment of two shillings and sixpence each time. The returning into town whenever the gun was fired, this being the signal of desertion, and also every evening at sunset, previous to the shutting of the gates. Our place