March
27. [1778]
On monday last We made the Land on the coast of
Spain.
On Tuesday We ran into the
Bay of Saint Anthonio. Four or five Boats with fifteen or
sixteen men in each, came to Us, out of one of which We took a Pilot.
At Sight of the Country of
Spain, which I viewed as distinctly and particularly as the
Glasses we had in our possession, would permit, I had a great Curiosity to go
on Shore. Though the mountains at a distance were covered with Snow, there was
a fine Verdure near the Sea. I saw one convent but We could not come in Sight
of the Town. The Moment We were about turning the point of the Rock, to enter
the harbour, a Sail appeared. She might be an English
Merchantman, and We must put out, to see who she was. As prizes were not my
particular Objects, I had not enthusiasm enough to see any probability of a
prize and felt much disappointed, but said nothing. After She was ascertained
to be a Spanish Brigg, We found it impracticable upon repeated Efforts to get
into the harbour. In the night a sudden Wind caught
Us at Anchor, from the North West, obliged Us to weigh, make all the
Sail We could and put to Sea. We steered our course for
Bourdeaux. Yesterday was almost a calm, the little Wind there
was directly against Us. This morning the Wind was a little better. We were
supposed to be within thirty Leagues of Bourdeaux River.
March 28. Saturday. 1778.
Last night and this morning We were in the thoroughfare of all the Ships
from
Bourdeaux. A great number of them were always in Sight. By
Observation to day our Latitude was forty six degrees three minutes north,
about seven minutes South of the middle of the
Isle of Rea. We were therefore about twenty leagues from the
Tower of Cordovan. We had no Wind, but a very
disagreable Suel , and
nothing could be more tedious to me than this idle Life. I had not yet learned
the French Word, Ennui, but I felt enough of it.
Last Evening We had two little Incidents, which were very unpleasant. One
was, the French Barber, attempting very roughly to go below, contrary to
orders, the Centinell, after repeatedly announcing his orders, and giving
warning of the consequences to no effect,
cutt off his
Toe with a Cutlace. The French People on board, as was very natural, at first
were
allarmed and expressed much resentment, but
finding on Inquiry, that the fellow had been wholly
[in the wrong
and]
Page 2
deserved all he had suffered and the Centinell had
done no more than his duty they all very
honourably acquiesced.
The other disagreable incident was this. Our
English Prisoners, though in general they behaved very well, were sometimes out
of humour, and had made some invidious remarks upon
our Officers and Men and their awkward Conduct of the Ship, and especially on
the Evening of Saint Patricks day, when many of them declared
they would get drunk, and I suppose had been as good as their Words, were
overheard to wish to meet a British Man of War and hinted that We could not
stand an Engagement of half an hour with a british Vessell of half our force &c. &c. &c. On this
day one of these Prisoners a little more elevated than Usual, grew out of
temper and was very passionate and abusive to Mr. Vernon, and
afterwards to Captain Palmes of the Marines, but a little
prudent language used to both parties composed their humours and the difficulty
subsided.
Captain McIntosh was of
North Britain, and had been twenty Years before a Lieutenant of
a Man of War. He was very open and decided against
America, in her contest, and his Passions were so engaged that
they easily inkindled.
Mr. Gault was an Irish Gentleman, and as decided against
America, at least in her Claim of Independence as the other.
Mr. Wallace was more reserved, cautious, silent and secret.
Jealousies arose among the Men, that the Prisoners were plotting with some of
our profligate People. But I believed the Suspicion was not well grounded; at
least that there was not much danger to be apprehended from any such
Intrigues.
All day Yesterday, and all the forenoon of this day We had been looking out
for Land, with no light Apprehensions on our Approach to the dangerous and
unexperienced Coast of
France, where a sandy Shore generally extends a great Way into
the Sea, and very shoal Water is often at a great distance from Land. The
Country also is very
flatt and low so that a
Vessell gets into very shallow Water before the Land
is discerned. About four O Clock, We cryed
France!
France! We saw the
Isles of Rhee and Oleron, between which two, is
the Entrance into the
Harbour of Rochelle, which is about
half way between
Nantes and
Bourdeaux. The land was
extreamly
level and low, scarcely visible. We saw a Tower. The Water was but twenty or
thirty fathoms deep.
Page 3
The Bottom all Sand: in all respects the
reverse of the Spanish Coast on the other Side of the
Bay of Biscay. In the Afternoon We had an entire calm and
Mr. Goss played upon his Violin and the Sailors danced, which
seemed to have a happy effect on their Spirits and put them all in good
humour. Numbers of small Birds from the Shore, came along
to day, some of which alighted on our Rigging, Yards
&c. One of them a little Lark We caught. These Birds venture from the Shore
till they loose sight of it, and then they fly till they are so fatigued, that
the instant they alight upon a Ship, they drop to sleep.
March 29. Sunday. 1778.
Becalmed all the last night. This morning a vast number of Sails were in
Sight. Saint Martins and Oleron were visible, at
least the Towers and Windmills, but the Land was very low and level. A Pilot
boat, with two Sails and four Men, came on board of Us, and the Pilot instantly
undertook to carry Us to
Bourdeaux. He said the Ship might go quite up to the City, if
she drew twenty feet of Water. We were soon sailing very agreably towards our Port. The Pilot said War was declaired last Wednesday, and that the Pavillions were
hoisted Yesterday at every Fort and Lighthouse. This News, I did not believe,
but it signified something, which I did not Understand nor the Pilot
neither.
There was a civil Frenchman on board, whose name I had never asked till this
day. His Name was Quillau, Fourier des Logis de Monseigneur Le
Compte D'Artois. He was not of Du Coudrays Corps. I know not whether my
Conjecture was well founded [but] I then suspected that the
Court of
Versailles had sent some of their domestic and confidential
Servants to
America to reconnoitre the Country and that they might not
receive all their Information from the Representations [(possibly)
Representatives] of their Ministers.
The French Gentlemen on board could scarcely understand our new Pilot. They
said he spoke Gascoine, the Dialect of
Bourdeaux, which they said was not good French.
This day six Weeks We had sailed from
Nantaskett Road. How many dangers, distresses, and hairbreadth
escapes had We seen. There was one however which has been omitted. One Evening
when We were approaching the French Coast, I was sitting in the Cabin, when
Captain McIntosh our Prisoner came down to me and addressed
me, with great solemnity
"
Mr. Adams this ship will be captured by my
Countrymen, in less than half an hour. Two large British Men of War are bearing
directly down upon Us, and are just by, you will hear
Page 4
from them I
warrant you in six minutes. Let me take the Liberty to say to you that I feel
for you more than any one else. I have always liked you since I came on board,
and have always ascribed to you chiefly the good treatment I have received as
well as my People; and you may depend upon it, all the good Service I can
render you with my Countrymen shall be done with pleasure." I saw by his
Countenance, Gestures, Air, Language and every Thing that he believed what he
said, that he most heartily rejoiced in his own prospect of deliverance and
that he heartily pitied me.... I smiled however at his Offers of kind Offices
to me, knowing full Well that his Prayers and tears would be as unavailing as
my own if
we should both he should be generous and I weak enough to
employ them, with British Officers, Ministers, judges or King, in the then
Circumstances of Things and Temper of the Britons. I made him a bow expressive
of my Sense of his politeness, but said nothing. Determined to see my danger
before I would be intimidated at it, I took my hat and marched up to the
Quarter Deck. I had before heard an uncommon trampling upon Deck and perceived
Signs of some Alarm and confusion, but when upon Deck I saw the two ships
indeed. They both appeared larger than our Frigate and were already within
Musquet Shot of Us. The Air was clear and the Moon
very bright. We could see every thing even the Men on board. We all expected
every moment to be hailed, and possibly saluted with a broadside. But the two
ships passed by Us without speaking a Word, and I stood upon Deck till they had
got so far off as to remove all Apprehensions of danger from them. Whether they
were English or French, or Spanish or Dutch, or whether they were two American
Frigates which had been about that time in
France We never knew. We had no inclination to inquire about
their business or destination, and were very happy that they discovered so
little curiosity about ours.
Every Ship at Sea is a kind of Prison, and the poor Inhabitants are obliged
to have recourse to songs, cards, dances and Stories to amuse them, and wear
away the tedious hours. We had many Stories told but I remember very few. In
some of the dull hours of calm upon
