I found myself stiff for some days afterwards and my
shoulder painful, but in a short time I was quite myself again. After
remaining idle and half-dead with _ennui_ for three weeks, the ship
arrived, bringing in with her an American brig laden with flour. False
papers were found on board her, and she was shortly afterwards condemned
as a lawful prize. The captain of her, who was a regular-built Bostonian,
declared we were nothing "but a parcel of British sarpents and robbers,
and it was a tarnation shame that the United States suffered it. But,"
said he, "I calculate that in two years we shall have some three-deckers,
and then I have a notion you will not dare to stop American vessels
without being called to account for it."

The yellow fever had now taken its departure, but in consequence of the
scanty supply of fresh provisions and vegetables, it was succeeded by a
malignant scurvy, and one hundred and forty of the seamen were obliged to
keep their beds. Their legs, hands, feet and gums became almost black, and
swollen to twice their natural size. Some we sent to the hospital, which
was miserably fitted up, for it was only a temporary one, and several died
on being removed. As the cases were increasing, the commodore ordered us
to Donna Maria Bay, near the west end of St. Domingo, where the natives
were friendly disposed towards us. The day after we arrived there, having
taken on board all our sick that could be removed from the hospital with
safety. Immediately, on anchoring, by the advice of the surgeon, we sent a
party on shore with spades to dig holes in the softest soil they could
find for the purpose of putting the worst scurvy subjects into them. The
officer on shore made the concerted signal that the pits were dug. Twenty
men, who looked like bloated monsters, were removed on shore, and buried
in them up to their chins. Some of the boys were sent with the sufferers
to keep flies and insects from their faces. It was ridiculous enough to
see twenty men's heads stuck out of the ground. The patients were kept in
fresh earth for two hours, and then put into their hammocks under a large
tent. On the fourth day they were so much benefited by that treatment and
living on oranges, shaddocks, and other anti-scorbutic fruits, that they
were able to go on board again. At this place I rambled with some of my
messmates through orange and lime groves of some leagues in extent, as
well as through several cocoa plantations. We