without, suspicion, and the nearer we approached her the more our suspicion increased, and at length wo thought best to draw off. We had no sooner shifted our course, than she got up her topgallant yard, set her topgallant sails, and gave us chase, and we soon discovered that she gained on us; we now began to dread Halifax prison. She chased us several hours and continued to gain on us; the wind was light, and fortunately for us, it became foggy, and by manoeuvring, we eluded her.

We had hoped to intercept some merchantman going in, but now feared to lurk about this harbor, as some privateers had previously done, and had got rich prizes. The British had found out some of our yankee tricks, and were looking out for us. Our Captain thought it best to be off from this ground, and try our luck on the eastern shore and about the mouth of the St. Lawrence. As we proceeded we had a trying time amongst the islands; we could look in no direction without seeing a sail, and we soon found that we should be under the necessity of speaking some of them.

By their manoeuvring we suspected that they were in league with each other, and were at a loss to determine whether they were friends or foes.

There were none which were as large as our vessel, and we supposed that we should have nothing to fear from any one of them; but if they should prove to be enemies, we should have more than two to encountes, but having spoken with one or two of them, we ascertained that they were all Americans.

We all took up our quarters, that night, in a harbor not inhabited; I think it was called Beaver Harbor ; and when all collected, I believe there were seven or eight sail, all smaller than the Greyhound, and some of them not more than fifteen or twenty tons.

There were too many instances in which those picaroons plundered the defenceless inhabitants of the British possessions. The next day we parted with all this squadron, except one, who agreed to keep company with us, and we soon parted with her.

We visited a cluster of islands called the Bird Islands and procured perhaps a half a dozen bushels of

eggs, of different sizes, such as those of wild geese, gannets, gulls, ducks, &c. It was interesting to see the management of so many different tribes of the feathered race; their nests were almost as thick as hills of corn, in a field. Those islands I believe did not contain more than an acre or two each, and some less than an acre. Low bushes grew on them, but no trees. When we landed it excited a general alarm. The birds would rise in masses, and in their different dialects, remonstrate against our intrusions; for indeed, our conduct towards them, was not only rude, but barbarous; nor were we very fortunate in our plunder, for many of the eggs were unfit for use, having been set on too long, nor indeed, were the best of them a very delicious morsel to me ; in the season of them, the Newfoundlanders use them as a substitute for bread, I have seen a Newfoundland shallop almost loaded with them.

We visited the Island of St. Peter's, at the mouth of Fortune Bay, in Newfoundland: this had been a French settlement of some consequence, but had recently been entirely destroyed, by the British; another beautiful island, called Micland, had shared the same fate. At St. Peter's we took out our guns, and hauled our vessel on a beautiful beach, and cleaned her bottom in order to facilitate her sailing.

Near this Island, we fell in with a Newfoundland shallop owned and commanded by Charles Grundy; he had been to St. John's after salt, for his own use; he was an independent English fisherman. I do not mean that he was a man of fortune; only that he was independent of the English merchants in whose service, almost all the fishermen were employed. We detained Grandy some time, and examined him very closely, and were informed by him, that an English brig had recently entered the bay, with supplies for the fishing stations, we gave Charley some pork and bread, and dismissed *him to his great joy, for he fared much better than his countrymen generally did, when they fell into the hands of American privateersmen.

We flattered ourselves, that we should fall in with this brig, and obtain a fine prize. We sailed up the bay,

visited several ports where fishing was carried on, upon a large scale, but found nothing of the brig, but were informed that one was expected. Those ports had been before visited by privateers who had plundered them. Our Captain strictly forbade every thing of this kind. Having failed in our enterprise respecting the said brig, the Captain took two of the best shallops he could find, which belonged to merchants in England, and loaded them with oil and dry fish, which was the property of said merchants.

These shallops being loaded, were both committed to the care of Capt. Arnold, who went on board the largest of them; he was to have two hands with him; one, he was to select himself, and Capt. Wilds was to select the other. Arnold chose me, and Capt. Wilds selected James Annis. Jasper Loid, an old Cape Ann fisherman, had the charge of the other shallop, (subject, however, to Capt. Arnold,) and with him, were Samuel Wilds and Samuel Babb.

We left the privateer at Micland, in the mouth of Fortune Bay, and set out for Salem; but the wind headed us and we put back, and anchored in the harbor of the Island of Micland. A dark cloud seemed now to be brooding over me, and the storm with which I had (at least in anticipation) been threatened, was now about to burst upon me. The wind was decidedly ahead and it was something of a risk to cross the gulf of St. Lawrence in so small a vessel, and it was also a risk to pass by Halifax. We lay wind bound in Micland, several days.

As we were in a snug harbor, where there were no inhabitants, we did not keep a watch at night. One morning when I came on deck, I perceived that Capt. Arnold was very different from what I had ever seen him; he had appeared rather low spirited, from the time the privateer left us, and now appeared in some measure deranged; he was remarkably sportive for some time, and on a sudden seemed to have something lie with great weight on his mind. In the evening he requested me to get a light and come into the cabin to him. I complied with his request, and tarried with him all night.

Neither of us slept any: he talked without cessatian all night, and upon almost every subject imaginable; sometimes he would seem to talk rationally, for a few minutes and would then appear completely deranged again. From some circumstances, I had the impression that he had an awful dread of falling into the hands of the enemy. It was said that he and others had run away from Halifax with a king's cutter, but I do not recollect whether I had this hint from himself or others. In the morning he appeared very cheerful, and full of business, and quite inoffensive, and generally disposed to hearken to my advice. In the course of the day, he seemed to imagine himself on board the privateer and would frequently speak to this and the other officer, and reply as though they answered him. When night came on, I advised him to go into his cabin. I made his bed and proposed to him to lie down, he complied without hesitation and was still. I thought it a fortunate circumstrace that I had got him into his cabin, and was determined to secure him. I shut the door and buttoned it on the outside; I then took a round stick of wood, which was sawn off square at each end, and seven or eight inches in diameter, set one end against the door and the other end against a bulkhead, which was about three and a half feet from the door; the billet of wood would admit of tacking a piece of board to one end of it, and it then of suitable length to secure the door. I pressed it down with my whole weight and thought the door perfectly secure; and, having had no sleep the night before, I turned in.

The captain made no noise, and as he had slept none the night before, I flattered myself that he might rest comfortably, he being then perfectly still. As for James Annis he seemed to be a very shiftless and stupid being; he was very low spirited, but had slept well the night before. The weather was very pleasant and we had nothing to disturb us through the night. In the morning Annis went on deck between day and sunrise, but soon returned in great surprise, saying, "Sherburne, where is Capt. Arnold?" I answered he is in the cabin. "He is not on board," said Annis; I went immediately on

deck and saw the cabin door open, I looked in and could find nothing of the captain, his clothes all lay on deck. except his waistcoat; his shirt lay on the top of his clothes and his silver sleeve buttons lay upon his shirt. The reader will judge of my surprise and distress on this awful occasion!

The water being smooth and clear, and being but about twelve or fifteen feet deep, and the bottom white sand, was plainly to be seen. The other shallop being within fifty yards of us, and they having the skiff, we hailed them and informed them of the circumstance, and requested them to come with the boat, which they did. We went round and round the shallop, enlarging our circle and viewing the bottom very carefully for a considerable distance, and then went on shore and walked round the beach to see if we could discover any tracks of bare feet in the sand, but all our endeavours to find him were abortive. The question now was, what shall we do? Loyd was no navigator, though he was well acquainted with the eastern shore. His plan was to take both shallops under his command, and endeavor to get them to Salem. He flattered himself that he should have a deserving share if he should succeed.

I proposed that we should all take the best shallop, and take the sails and light rigging off the other and endeavor to make the best of our way home, but the old man would not consent.

Ours was the largest and best of the two, and of course had the best cargo, but theirs had the best sails. I then proposed that Annis and myself should go on board with him and quit ours, but he would not agree to this.

I felt myself in a critical situation. I was not yet sixteen years of age. Annis knew not a point of the compass, he had never attempted to steer, knew nothing about working the vessel, and appeared quite low spirited and stupid. We were yet in an enemy's country, had to cross the gulf of St. Lawrence, and get by Halifax (if we could,) and the wind yet against us. The thoughts of taking charge of this little vessel, and taking her to the United States, with all these difficulties to encounter, together with the uncertainty of the weather,