the same? Now Gentlemen, if you will point out to me any act of parliament, that will warrant you, or your former Governor, to put in requisition the subject, or subjects of the realm, I shall think it my duty to join your corps. Brigadier-General Picton might have issued this illegal and tyrannic mandate, but I am not obliged to consder it as a law, for surely, in a British colony, I do not forfeit those rights, which are the boast of every Briton; on the contrary, they follow me to the most distant corner of his Majesty's dominions: and should his delegates abridge them, the fate of Wall will, in future, serve as a beacon when they sport with despotic authority.

The situation of this Colony is very different from others: it has no colonial legislature to sanction the acts of its Governor: he is indeed the despot, but, I am not obliged to be his slave. It is true, there are laws, but they are replete with horror to a British mind, and a disgrace to the British government to suffer the Spanish Inquisition to exist so long in the bosom of it.

A British subject is here truly degraded, when he finds that his life, his liberty, and his property depend on the caprice of an individual, who, in his wantonness, may issue a proclamation to compel me to go and clean his boots. The one mandate is equally as illegal and oppressive as the other, and is an assimilation to the jacobinic proceedings of the tyrannic rulers of France. They may accord with the feelings of a slave-master, but I cannot be reconciled to them. Independent of all these considerations, I do not mean to remain in the Colony many weeks longer than I can accomplish a survey of some parts of it, at the request of the first commissioner. At present I am only detained until the vessel on board of which I mean to embark, gets

ready. Notwithstanding, I have a presentiment, that as injustice and oppression have been the order of the day before I came among you, I have, in common with the rest of my fellow subjects, every reason to apprehend a share this therefore may be a prelude to it. Indeed I am certain of meeting with it, because some expressions which unguardedly escaped both commissioners a few days ago, confirm the idea.

Mr. McNamara.-Pray, Sir, are you in the pay of Government?

Answer. That, Sir, has nothing to do with the present question.

Mr. Fisher.-Will you state your reasons for not joining our corps, in writing, to Mr. Grant?

Answer. I do not think it is necessary, you have heard my objections, and therefore at liberty to communicate them. Does it not appear to yourselves unreasonable that I should be put to the expence of more than an hundred dollars for clothes and accoutrements, merely to go twice or thrice to the parade, and as I have no inclination to remain in the colony, the clothes and accoutrements will be of no use to me in England, where I mean to return next month? But as I am to be compelled to be a soldier, why not furnish me with every thing necessary, as is usually done to all other recruits? No answer was returned to this last observation. Finding that I was no longer a prisoner, I returned to my abode, and committed the foregoing without delay to paper.

The Brigadier asserted, a few days ago, that I was engaged by Colonel Fullarton, to write the history of his (Picton's) former administration, and that I am nothing more or less than a spy, employed by the present ministry. You are well aware this is equally as scandalous as it is

false, for I solemnly declare that I never had the honor of corresponding with the Colonel, nor had been in his company prior to my arrival on this Colony but once, about ten or eleven years ago in Scotland; and, I am certain, he is totally ignorant of what I have written respecting the proceedings of the Brigadier. As for my being a spy, the idea originated in the Brigadier's distempered imagination, for it is well known, that I have neither capacity nor inclination to be one; however, he is preposessed with the idea that a traveller and a spy are synonymous, and of course I must be both.

The Commodore in his turn, has positively affirmed, that I was formerly an editor of a democratic paper in London, which was the cause of the mutiny in the fleet; that I once abused his late brother in that paper; and that I was a dangerous person in the Colony. You see, Sir, how credulous the Naval Hero is, and how easily he is persuaded to believe any thing, however false and preposterous. Knowing all these assertions to have no foundation in truth, I shall treat them and their disseminators with equal contempt, and wait my doom, which must now be near at hand.

Vale.

LETTER XVII.

The Author arrested by an Officer of the Inquisition, and brought before Commissioners Picton and Hood-His Examination and Commitment to the Bastille-Description of the Cell in which he was confined; also of Vallot, the Governor-The Case of a Negress roasting alive-Transactions during the Second Day of his Captivity-Method of flogging Slaves described-The Author indisposed; and suspects having been poisonedThird Day of his Captivity-Still much indisposed--Solicits Medical Aid-Dragged from his Cell to Commodore Hood's House-His Examination-The Ugly Club-Fourth Day's Captivity--The Imprisonment of of Dr. Tumbrill-Distress of Mrs. Ton that Occasion-Fifth Day's Captivity-Letter from Secretary Woodyear-Description of the Doctor's Cell, and Reflections thereon-Sixth Day's Captivity--Proclamation respecting the Militia-Comments-Letter to the Author-Seventh and Eight Day's Captivity-He is banished to America.

FIRST DAY OF MY CAPTIVITY.

BASTILLE, FUERTO DE ESPANA, April 11, 1805.

DEAR SIR,

AT length the unpropitious goddess, whose

influence mars the vain pursuits of mortals, has now withdrawn her terrors from my view. About two o'clock

this afternoon I was arrested by an officer belonging to the Inquisition, and, at the same time, a young gentleman of the name of M'Donald, was arrested also. We were carried before Commissioners Picton and Hood, who were at the house occupied by the latter. The former read to me an affidavit sworn to by Mr. Harrison, and counter-sworn by Messrs. Fisher and M'Namara.

Commissioner Picton.-Are these your expressions,

Sir?

Answer. With the exception of four words, the affidavit is totally false.

Commissioner Hood (to his Secretary).-Send for Mr. Harrison and the Attorney-General.

When Mr. Harrison came, I said to the Commissioners: I suppose as Mr. Harrison is now here, I shall be indulged with the privilege of cross-examining him? Commissioners.-No, Sir.

Answer.—In a court of justice I should claim it as a common right, but from you, gentlemen, I have not that right to expect: however, Mr. Harrison seems to imagine he has more than Woodfall's exalted memory to recollect, at the end of five days, all I said before the Volunteer Committee of which he was president; for I solemnly declare, there are only four words to which I lay elaim. (Mr. Harrison appeared extremely agitated.)-

If

you will permit me to bring forward the evidence of some of the gentlemen who were also present at the time I spoke in defence of my rights and liberties, I am certain the whole of this affidavit will be contradicted.

Commissioner Picton.-You must give us an account of yourself.

Answer. On my return to London, I intend to publish all you wish to know of me, and if you are spared to read it, I feel confident that you will find it interesting.