caplin; they are about six inches long, and are most excellent; their manner of curing them is to salt them lightly, and with a sail needle and twine string them up by the head, and dry or smoke them.

The men take the codfish to shore or to the stage, which is a kind of wharf, over which there is generally a shed. The women and girls take and very dexterously rip them open, and take out their inwards, (reserving the liver,) slat off their heads and split them. They salt them in large vats, and when sufficiently salted, they are thown into a kind of crate where the tide can flow in and wash them. I believe the men generally assist in getting them on the bench where they are dried, and then put up in stacks which are much larger at the top than at the bottom. The girls who are trained to this business, are seldom tall, generally thick and look remarkably healthy; they have very large feet, I presume in consequence of walking barefoot over the beach stones, for I did not see any with shoes.

The Governor of Placentia was a Col. Hawkins, a gentleman in deportment. He had but a part of his regiment in this place. His wife was the daughter of an old Highlander, who was a private soldier. He and a number of other soldiers had their wives and children with them, in the garrison.

The Colonel I presume was not above thirty, and his lady not much over twenty. She was cheerful and humane. We had not been long in garrison before Wilds and myself were invited by the Governor to assist rowing his barge up the river, where he had salmon nets; and as we lads were more expert in rowing, than were the soldiers, Wilds was taken for bowman, and myself for strokesman. There were a number of islands in the river, on which there were raspberries, gooseberries, and a variety of wild berries which were very good. The Governor and his lady were generally landed on some of those islands to amuse themselves in picking berries, while the rest of us attended to the salmon nets. This lady would amuse herself in asking questions about yankees, their manners, customs, &c. She much regretted that we boys should be prisoners, and detained from our

On our

parents. (She had two children of her own.) return from our first excursion up the river, which generally took us most part of the day, we were sent into the Governor's kitchen, and furnished with a good supper; this was the more acceptable as our allowance of provisions was rather scant. Mrs. Hawkins was al

ways careful whenever we went up the river to give u some supper. After we had been several times up the river, we were all allowed to walk in the yard by day, but could not go out of the yard without a guard. We went out however on no occasion except to bring water from an excellent spring on the beach, which was thirty rods from the garrison. I do not know but what the whole town as well as the garrison, obtained their water from the same spring.

It was perhaps sometime in May, 1781, that we came to this place, and the season passed away until September, without any prospect of release.

CHAPTER III.

Col. Hawkins and Lady-Duchess of Cumberland comes into port-Mr. Baggs impressed-Cast away on Cape St. Mary's-Sufferings in the Wilderness-Dead men picked up and buried-Arrive at Placentia-Imprisoned again and put on board sloop of war FairyDoomed to serve his Majesty-Whipped-Mr. FoxArrives in England-Put on board the Admiral's ship Dunkirk--Court of Admiralty-Committed to Mill Prison for rebellion, &c.-Arrives at Mill Prison.

ABOUT the middle of September, there came in a twenty-two gun ship, called the Duchess of Cumberland. She was built in Beverly, Massachusetts, and called the Congress; had been captured by a British frigate that summer, and taken into his Majesty's

service. She came to Placentia, to convoy a number of English merchantmen, which came there to take in cargoes of fish for Europe. While this ship lay in the harbor, one of her men deserted; diligent search was made, but he could not be found. It was suspected that some of the inhabitants had concealed him, and the officers impressed one of the inhabitants by the name of Baggs, in his stead. Gov. Hawkins put us prisoners on board this ship, to be taken to St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland, where there was a prison-ship, and a considerable number of prisoners, and it was expected that there would be a cartel sent from there to Boston that fall. Thus there appeared some prospect of our getting home again, but our hopes were shortly blasted.

The ship put to sea, and on the second or third day we had something of a blow and rain; in the afternoon a strange sail was discovered, unto which we immedi ately gave chase, but as the wind increased, and the ship was going out of her course, after about an hour the chase was given up. We hove about, reefed our topsails, got our starbourd tacks on board, and stood on

our course.

It became necessary to give Cape St. Mary's a birth; the wind increased and it became necessary to close reef the topsails. At about three or four o'clock, they thought best to put the ship away a little, supposing they had passed the Cape. Mr. Baggs had been skipper of a shal lop for twenty years, he was therefore invited to take his station on the forecastle, the station of the most accomplished seamen: the forecastlemen by turns steer the ship, and when the helm was relieved at four o'clock, Mr. Baggs asked the helmsman what course they were running, and when he ascertained the course, said he, "if we run that course two hours, the ship will be on shore." At this the sailors were alarmed and advised Baggs to give this information to the officers on the quarter deck. He went aft and informed the officers that he was well acquainted with the coast, and that in his judgment, the ship and their lives were in danger.

But those British officers were as little inclined to hearken to the advice of a Newfoundland fisherman, as

Gen. Braddock was to be influenced by the more discreet Washington. "Fine times," said Braddock, "when a young Buckskin can teach a British General how to fight." If he had condescended to have been advised by the brave Washington, he might probably have saved his life and been victorious; and if the officers had hearkened to Baggs, they might have saved the ship and many lives; but they treated him with abusive language and ordered him off the quarter deck, or they would kick him off. Mr. Baggs went forward not a little chagrined; the sailors forward kept a good look out, but the weather was so thick that they could see but a very short distance.

I have now to record one of the most eventful periods of my life. Pen cannot describe, nor can imagination conceive, the terrific scene of a shipwreck, like the one I shall attempt to describe. It must be experienced to be comprehended.

On the 19th of September, 1781, at about 5 o'clock, P. M. there were loud and repeated cries from the forecastle, 'breakers on the lee bow!" breakers ahead!' This doleful sound caused every ear to tingle, and every heart to thrill! Immediately from the quarter deck the following sea phrase was heard, pronounced with emphasis, "stand by to about ship, hard to lee, fore sheet, fore top bowline, jib and staysail sheets let go!" The ship immediately rounded to, head to the wind; but before the foretopsail could possibly be filled on the other tack, the violence of the wind and waves giving the ship stern way, she was precipitated, (stern first,) against a rugged bluff of rocks, which was, I should judge, fifteen or twenty feet above water, almost perpendicular, having some shelves and crags, however; two men who were near the taffrel sprang from the taffrel rail on a shelf of the rock.

The ship struck with such violence as to break off her rudder and knock the man overboard, who was at the helm; a fourth attempted to reach the rock but failed and went overboard. The two who fell overboard were immediately dashed against the rock and disappeared.

The ship was no longer to be governed, we were all at the mercy of the waves. All was confusion, conster

nation and despair. The ship stuck fast upon a craggy rock which lay under water, about twice her length from the shore, and probably broke in some of her floor timbers. All this took place before half the people who were below, got upon deck, which was nearly one half of the crew. I was going up the fore hatchway when she struck on this rock, and looking down in the hold, I saw the water gushing up with violence, (through the gravel in which the lower tier of water casks were stowed,) in a stream eight or ten inches in diameter. I with difficulty gained the quarter deck. A most terrifying scene was now presented to my view. The ship rolled so that her yard arms nearly touched the water: the sea was breaking feather white all around us. Under the fog bank which hung over the shore, we could discover the mountain, but could not see the top of it; the wind was heavy and increasing; the rain descended in torrents; the sea roaring like thunder; night coming on apace, some of the officers raving and swearing, some crying, and others praying, some inactive and desponding, others active and courageous. The long boat was got out, but by the time she struck the water, there came a heavy sea and crushed her against the ship's side, as quick as you could crush an egg shell in your hand.

The ship was now laboring extremely, and fast filling with water, nor did there appear the least prospect or possibility of another person's being saved, and those upon the rock appeared not to have any prospect of release, but to be doomed to see all the remainder of their shipmates perish. With regard to myself, I might say with Watts,

"The tumult of my thoughts,
Held me in hard suspense."

Orders were given to cut away the masts; after two or three blows the mainmast went by the board, the foremast and mizen-mast also followed without a stroke.On the fall of our masts, the ship cleared from the rock, on which she had been some time hanging, and drifted towards the shore, thumping against the rocks which lay under water, with tremendous force, and thereby throw