surgeon of the fort had instructions to attend us, and supply us with medicine, when necessary, which he regularly did. In one instance of dangerous illness, a physician was called, from the distance of sixty miles, and liberally paid by government. Were I here to pass unnoticed the attentions of the rev. Mr. Stalker, chaplain of the fort, I should think myself unpardonable, as they were equally kind and unremitting.

The preceding statement I have made, with the most scrupulous exactness, and publish with great pleasure, as a tribute justly due to the British ministry and the servants of the crown, with whom we were placed. In any circumstances such attention and liberality would have done them honor. But, with such representations and instructions from Ireland as gave rise to the orders transmitted to Fort-George, under which our confinement was, not only almost uninterrupted and solitary, but such as nearly precluded conversation, even during the few hours that our doors were unlocked, their conduct was more than honorable, and shall ever command my warmest praise. Nay, when I contrast it with what I knew, witnessed, and

felt, during the preceding year, in what was my country," but now is, or yet may be, I know not what, through the intrigues of an apostate, and the enormities of a faction, into

whose hands god, in his displeasure, seems to have delivered it, I feel praise too cool for their merits, and language too feeble for the expres sion of my sensations.*

On the morning after our arrival, we were visited by the king's messengers, who, according to promise, returned each of us the money given them at Greenock, or faithfully accounted for it. Major Hay also called on us, before he left the fort. After some conversation, he asked me, as I believe he did the other prisoners, my name, my profession, the former place of my residence, my age, and the number of my family; the answers to all which questions he wrote in his pocket-book. On my asking the reason of this particularity, he told me that," from our appearance and conduct, and the orders sent to the governor, he was convinced that we had been grossly misrepresented to the British government that he wished, as far as he could, to do away such misrepresentationsand that, on his arrival in London, he would

state

*For several months, after writing the above, a ray of hope, occasionably, shot across my mind that this seeming visitation of wrath" might be only a wholesome correction of national meanness, corruption, and venality; and that in the event, it might produce a national renovation of mind, a resurrection of a pure political body, and a consequent restoration of dignity, liberty, and peace. But, from many, many things, which have since taken place, particularly the extinction of Ireland's political existence; and the present exertions to bury her below the possibility of resurrection, I feel tempted to abandon even that hope. I will not abandon it.

state what he had seen, and what he thought, respecting us, to his majesty's ministers." This,' I have every reason to believe, he did with feeling, and with faithfulness.

For some time after this, our situation was variable and uctuating. Our first ten days gave us the fullest conviction that our governor, in the discharge of his duty, meant to act with a lenient hand. But, whether from new Irish mandates to the duke of Portland, or from what other, cause, unknown to us, he was obliged to change his measures.

Lest this change, or rather these changes, should be misjudged of, or doubted, I shall now present them, with all their variations, in regular extracts from my journal, and copies of the governor's official notes,

April 18th. Till this date, we were per mitted to walk on the ramparts, during the greater part of the day, ten at a time, in two inclosures, five in each, and attended by sentinels. These were placed, two in each inclosure, and one in a very small intermediate space, to prevent our passing backward and forward. These inclosures were sufficiently large, for every purpose of air and exercise; and so situated that, from the banquette, we were entertained with a widely extended scenery, as variegated, wildly great, and rudely picturesque,

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as

as water, moor, mountain, cultivated fields, one large handsome town, several villages, a few gentlemen's seats, some good farm houses, thriving plantations of great extent. Culloden zwith all its recollections, a considerable succession of trading and other vessels, a constant paddling of ferry and fishing boats, and a long and lofty ridge of the Scottish Alps, at a diss tance, exposing their bare heads, and naked shoulders, to the pitiless storms, could present to an eye accustomed to tame and temperate regions. Of the salubrity, and comparative mildness, of the air, nothing need be said, when it is known that the fort stands upon a dry gravelly soil, and is two-thirds surrounded by the sea, which, at high water, washes its walls in circumference more than a mile.

April 23d. Notice was given us, by major Bailie, that government allowance rendered retrenchment necessary, which accordingly took place viz. from ten to eight bottles of wine, at and after dinner.

As we had all read the few books, which, fortunately, some of our number had packed up with their luggage, we applied to the governor on the 18th. for liberty to order some from Inverness, as also, two daily newspapers from London. This he assured us, by a very polite note, he could not grant, without instructions

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from government. But, for these instructions he wrote immediately, and, on the return of post, permission to procure books was granted.

April 26th. Hitherto we were indulged in writing to our friends, without any other restric, tion than sending our letters, to the governor, unsealed. As this exposed him to daily atten tion, of which his situation would not admit, he sent us a note to-day, of which the following is

Fort-George, April, 26.1799, Lieut.-Governor Stuart requests the state prisoners may send their letters to him once in the week-on Saturday; and that they will abstain from all allusions to politics, or the measures of government, in their correspondence." STUART, Lieut-Gor."

April 29th. Information was given us that our allowance was farther reduced-that it was insufficient for our support, on the existing arrangement-and, therefore, that, besides other articles, we must purchase our own drink, which was not to exceed a pint of wine, and the same of porter, for each man. Spirits, as from the beginning, totally prohibited..

April 30th. This was a day of great bustle, and great business. We held a general council; opened a regular communication with Mrs. M'Gregor,

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