our
captain, who seemed frightened out of his wits. When we came near him, he
began with the grossest abuse, threatening our captain, that if ever he was
out of his station again, he would serve him as he had done the other. This
rigid discipline, however, preserved the convoy; for though the privateer
kept company a long time, she was not so fortunate as to meet with the
reward of her perseverance.

On the 27th of October, in the evening, we made Cape Ortegal, and on the
31st came to an anchor in Brest road. The Lys, having so valuable a cargo
on board, was towed into the harbour next morning, and lashed alongside one
of their men of war. The money was soon landed; and the officers and men,
who had been so many years absent from their native country, were glad to
get on shore. Nobody remained on board but a man or two to look after the
ship, and we three English prisoners, who had no leave to go ashore. The
weather was extremely cold, and felt particularly so to us, who had been so
long used to hot climates; and what made it still worse, we were very
thinly clad. We had neither fire nor candle, for they were allowed on board
of no ship in the harbour for fear of accidents, being close to their
magazines in the dock-yard. Some of the officers belonging to the ship were
so kind as to send us off victuals every day, or we might have starved, for
Monsieur L'Intendant never sent us even a message; and though there was a
very large squadron of men of war fitting out at that time, not one officer
belonging to them ever came near Captain Cheap. From five in the evening we
were obliged to sit in the dark; and if we chose to have any supper, it was
necessary to place it very near us before that time, or we never could have
found it.

We had passed seven or eight days in this melancholy manner, when one
morning a kind of row-galley came alongside with a number of English
prisoners belonging to two large privateers the French had taken. We were
ordered into the same boat with them, and were carried four leagues up the
river to Landernaw. At this town we were upon our parole, so took the best
lodgings we could get, and lived very well for three months, when an order
came from the court of Spain to allow us to return home by the first ship
that offered. Upon this, hearing there was a Dutch ship at Morlaix ready to
sail, we took horses and travelled to that town, where we were obliged to
remain six weeks before we had an opportunity