,
catching the drops which fell on a slice of bread, or in a saucer of
rice. The distress of the lower classes for clothes was almost equal to
their other wants. Nothing more ludicrous can be conceived than the
expedients of substituting, shifting, and patching, which ingenuity
devised, to eke out wretchedness, and preserve the remains of decency.
Nor was another part of our domestic economy less whimsical. If a lucky
man, who had knocked down a dinner with his gun, or caught a fish by
angling, invited a neighbour to dine with him, the invitation ran,
'bring your own bread.' Even at the Governor's table this custom was
constantly observed. Every man who sat down pulled his bread out of his
pocket. In May, the men became much weakened from want, and they were
ordered to do only as much work as their strength would permit. Rigorous
justice was executed on persons detected in robbing or pilfering. A
convict detected in stealing potatoes was ordered to receive 300 lashes,
to be chained for six months to two other criminals, and to have his
allowance of flour stopped for six months. Further, to contribute to the
detection of villany, a proclamation, offering 60 pounds of flour, more
tempting than the gold of Peru, was promised to any one who should
apprehend a robber of garden ground. At length the bonds of misfortune
began to separate, and on the evening of June 3rd, the joyful cry of
'_the flag's up!_' resounded in every direction. I was sitting in my
hut, musing on our fate, when a confused clamour drew my attention. I
opened my door, and saw women, with children in their arms, running to
and fro, with distracted looks, congratulating each other, and kissing
their infants with the most passionate and extravagant marks of
fondness. I ran to a hill, where, by the assistance of a pocket glass,
my hopes were realised. A brother officer was with me, but we could not
speak; we wrang each other by the hand, with eyes and hearts
overflowing. Finding the Governor intended to go immediately in his boat
down the harbour, I begged to be of his party. As we proceeded, the
object of our hopes soon appeared--a large ship, with English colors
flying, working in between the heads which form the entrance to the
harbour. The tumultuous state of our minds represented her in danger,
and we were in agony. The weather was wet and tempestuous, but the body
is delicate only when the mind is at ease. We pushed through wind and
rain, the anxiety of