allant
behaviour. We had three men killed, and Robinson, the midshipman, and
ten men wounded, some of them severely. I think this action cured me of
my fear of a cannon-ball, for during the few days we remained with the
fleet, we often were fired at when we reconnoitred, but I did not care
anything for them. About the time she was expected, the frigate joined,
and we had permission to part company. But before I proceed with the
history of our cruise, I shall mention the circumstances attending a
court-martial, which took place during the time that we were with the
fleet, our captain having been recalled from the in-shore squadron to
sit as one of the members. I was the midshipman appointed to the
captain's gig, and remained on board of the admiral's ship during the
whole of the time that the court was sitting. Two seamen, one an
Englishman, and the other a Frenchman, were tried for desertion from one
of our frigates. They had left their ship about three months, when the
frigate captured a French privateer, and found them on board as part of
her crew. For the Englishman, of course, there was no defence; he
merited the punishment of death, to which he was immediately sentenced.
There may be some excuse for desertion, when we consider that the seamen
are taken into the service by force, but there could be none for
fighting against his country. But the case of the Frenchman was
different. He was born and bred in France, had been one of the crew of
the French gunboats at Cadiz, where he had been made a prisoner by the
Spaniards, and expecting his throat to be cut every day, had contrived
to escape on board of the frigate lying in the harbour, and entered into
our service, I really believe to save his life. He was nearly two years
in the frigate before he could find an opportunity of deserting from
her, and returning to France, when he joined the French privateer.
During the time that he was in the frigate, he bore an excellent
character. The greatest point against him was, that on his arrival at
Gibraltar he had been offered, and had received the bounty. When the
Englishman was asked what he had to say in his defence, he replied that
he had been pressed out of an American ship, that he was an American
born, and that he had never taken the bounty. But this was not true. The
defence of the Frenchman was considered so very good for a person in his
station of life, that I obtained a copy of it, which ran as follows:--

"Mr Presi