Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp4.djvu/262

 to the mayor’s. He received us with politeness, and sent for the mayor to be present at our examination. His worship arrived, and with him an American gentleman: They interrogated us very strictly and minutely. We repeated our former story. The American gave us to understand, that as they suspected we were English, which we had no possible means of disproving, we should be sent to Boulogne prison until they heard from our consul, at Paris, or until they were well convinced of the veracity of our statement. Accordingly we were conducted lo the town prison, and given in charge to the gend’armerie. Their brigadier, who was commanding officer, after surveying us with one of the eyes of Argus, inquired if we had been searched – they replied, no. “Search them instantly,’ cried he, ‘they are Englishmen, depend on it, who have escaped from one of the dépôts.’ – His orders were readily obeyed. I was first rummaged. They opened my pocket book, in which were several English letters, &c. I asserted that the pocket-book belonged to a cousin of mine, who had perished with the wreck. – But any thing I could affirm was rendered useless, for on the others were found maps of the departments that we had gone through, with several other papers which identified.us to be what they suspected.

“However, we still persisted in being Americans: They remonstrated on the folly of such conduct, and ordered us into a dungeon, assuring us we should be now very roughly treated, and considered as dangerous people; whereas, a frank confession might cause some mitigation. After a little deliberation, we clearly perceived the inutility of holding out; so acknowledged at once, who and what we were. The brigadier assured us, he had been confident from the moment he first saw as, that we were English – and he would now do every thing in his power to comfort us under our present embarrassments – but he had no superior officer of his corps nearer than Boulogne, where he should send us the next day; and, for that night, he would allow us to go to an inn to get ourselves a little in order, but with a strong escort, and we should be obliged to find it in every necessary, and to pay them six livres (five shillings) each for the night. This we readily agreed to – our situation and state of mind were truly miserable. At 8 o’clock the next morning, we were placed in a cart and escorted to Boulogne; where we were given in charge to the jailer, who sent one of his turnkeys to shew us our lodgings, which were certainly extensive enough: two small sheafs of straw and a bucket of water were shortly after sent us to supply the places of beds and refreshments, after about twelve leagues journey, as well as to strengthen us for a most fatiguing march back into the interior.

“Tuesday 22nd, we were called betimes by the guard, and in a few minutes were once more en route. The day was excessively wet and the roads heavy, which prevented them from chaining us, more especially as we had a very long march to Montreuil, 12 or 13 leagues distant. About five in the afternoon, we were placed in the common jail, which we found a tolerably good one; but the jailer and his wife imposed upon us in a shameful