d the prisoners, and mounting the
stair-case, began a most passionate harrangue, declaring that the beef
was good enough, and a d--d deal better than they had in their own
country: and if they did not eat it they should have none. He then
went on as follows "Hundreds of you, d--d scoundrels, have been to
me begging and pleading that I would interpose my influence that you
might be the first to be exchanged, to return home to your families,
who were starving in your absence; and now you have the impudence to
tell me to my face, that the king's beef is not good enough for your
dainty stomachs. Why some of that there beef is good enough for me to
eat. You are a set of mean rascals, you beg of an enemy the favours
which your own government won't grant you. You complain of ill
treatment, when you never fared better in your lives. Had you been in
a French prison, and fed on horse beef, you would have some grounds of
complaint; but here in his Britannic Majesty's royal prison, you have
every thing that is right and proper for persons taken fighting
against his crown and dignity. There is a surgeon here for you if you
are sick, and physic for you to take if you are sick, and a hospital
to go to into the bargain; and if you die, there are boards enough
(pointing to a pile of lumber in the yard) for to make you coffins,
and an hundred and fifty acres of land to bury you in; and if you are
not satisfied with all this, you may die and be d--d." Having finished
this eloquent harrangue, orator Miller descended from his rostrum, and
strutted out of the prison yard, accompanied with hisses from some of
the prisoners.

On a re-examination, however, of the "king's beef," some pieces were
found too much tainted for a dog to eat, and the prisoners threw it
over the pickets. After this the supply of wholesome meat was such as
it ought to be; full good enough for Mr. Miller himself to eat; and
some of the very best pieces good enough for Mr. Grant, the turnkey.

In all this business of provision for prisoners of war, one thing
ought to be taken into consideration, which may be offered as an
extenuation of crime alledged against the British agents for
prisoners; and that is, that the American soldier and sailor live
infinitely better in America, than the same class of people do in
Great Britain and Ireland. Generally speaking, an American eats three
times the quantity of animal food that fall to the share of the same
class of people in Engl