Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/314

 fowls soon after dying they could no longer distinguish night from day; but according to their reckoning the time was near when the other goat should kid, which at length they knew was come, by its cries: the sister held it, and they killed the kid, to save the milk for their own subsistence: so they found that the middle of April was come. Whenever they called this goat, it would come and lick their faces and hands, and gave them every day two pounds of milk, on which account they still bear the poor creature a great affection.

They said, that during all this time, hunger gave them but little uneasiness, except for the first five or six days; and their greatest pain was from the extreme coldness of the melted snow water, which fell on them, from the stench of the dead ass, goats, fowls, &c. and from lice; but more than all from the very uneasy posture they were confined to, the manger in which they sat squatting against the wall, being no more than three feet four inches broad.

After the first two or three days they had no evacuation by stool. The melted snow water and milk were discharged by urine. The mother said she had never slept, but the sister and daughter declared they had slept as usual.

 

Esterday arrived here, with a messenger bringing to the admiralty, in the greatest haste, a person who was immediately introduced, by orders from above, to Admiral Boscawen. The following particulars concerning him have transpired. He was some time since master of an English vessel, trading from port to port in North America, particularly up the river St. Laurence; but being taken by the enemy, has been prisoner with General Montcalm and others near three years, who would not admit of any exchange for him, on account of his extensive knowledge of all the coast, more particularly the strength and soundings of Quebec and Louisbourg. They therefore came to a resolution to send him to Old France, in the next packet-boat, there to be confined till the end of the war. He was accordingly embarked, (the only Englishman) and the packet put on board. In their voyage he was admitted to the cabin, where he took notice one day, that they bundled up the packet, and put it into a canvas bag, having previously made it ready to be thrown over-board, upon any danger of being taken.

They were constrained to put into Vigo for some provisions, as also to gain some intelligence of the strength of the English in those seas; there they found one or more English men of war at anchor. The prisoner thought this a proper opportunity of putting the following scheme in execution. One night taking the opportunity of all but the watch being in a sound sleep, he took the packet out of the bag; and having fixed it in his mouth, he silently let himself down into the bay; and to prevent noise by swimming, floated upon his back into the