The Hussar Frigate is sent home with Despatches, and wrecked on the Saintes—Efforts to save the Ship—Attempt to escape in the Boats foiled by bad Weather—A Surrender to the Enemy

A kind Reception by the Enemy—Our Shipmates all Prisoners—Consolations under Misfortunes—Prisoners sent to the Hospital at Brest—Robbery by a French Seaman—Running the Gauntlet—Dilemma of wearing or giving up a Sword—Kindness of the French Nuns—Orders to march into the Interior—Wounded Pride and Hard Fare—Bad Faith of the Minister of Marine—The March begins for Verdun—Arrival at Landernau—Aristocratic Differences in Rates of Pay or Allowances amongst Republicans—Landiviziau—An Illustration of Equality—Morlaix to Rennes—Prisoners and Vermin—VitrÉ—English Dogs at a French Inn—Laval—A Spectacle for the Mob—AlenÇon—Difficulties increased—Part of the Crew separated from their Officers—Our Arrival at Rouen—An honest Gaoler and his amiable Wife—A moderate Bill for Gaol Fare—Bons GarÇons in a Prison—Our Arrival at Amiens—English Sympathy for suffering Countrymen

Departure from Amiens—Arrival at Albert—Our French Officer’s Delicacy and Liberality—A Civic Feast at Bapaume—Effects of Champagne on French Aldermen—A Separation from our kind Conductor—A New Escort—A forced March to Cambray—Pitiable State and severe Sufferings of the Seamen—Entrance into Cambray—Imprisonment—Landrecies, Avesnes, Hirson—A Billet upon the Inhabitants—Rocroy—A brutal Landlord—The Robbery and Abuse of Prisoners—Givet—Charlemont—A Description of the Fortifications—An Escape of Prisoners—A fruitless Pursuit—Generosity of the French Commandant—Private Lodgings—A Jacobin Landlady—Exhausted Funds—The 4th of June—Honours done to King George the Third’s Birthday—Roast Beef and Plum Pudding—French Terrors of Insurrection—The Difference between taking off and only touching Hats in saluting Men in Authority—Good News—A joyful Departure in a cart for Verdun

Our Arrival at Verdun—A joyful Reception—General Wirion—His Indulgence towards the Prisoners—The Meetings of old Shipmates and Friends—Mental Employment the best Antidote against Ennui and Dissipation—Restiveness at Confinement—Anxiety to be again in the Active Service of Old England—Meditations upon an Escape—Contrivances to avoid a Breach of Parole or any Breach of Honour—Three Comrades or Compagnons de Voyage—Scaling Ramparts—A Descent of Seventy-two Feet—The Open Country—The March commences—Flying by Night, and hiding in Woods by Day—Heavy Rains, Dismal Roads, and Swampy Beds, with Bad Fare and Good Hearts—Leaping a Moat—A Dislocated Knee—The March resumed, and pursued lamely—The Town of Neuville—Extreme Sufferings from Thirst—Water at length procured, Anguish allayed, and the Escape proceeded upon with renewed Spirits

The Journey pursued—A Bivouac in a Wood—Dangers of being Shot—Making free with an Orchard—Crossing the Oise—A Mode of obtaining Provisions—A Cabaret and a Village FÊte—Kindness of the Peasantry—Petit Essigny—Wringing drenched Garments, and Drying them over fading Embers—A miserable Landlord—A Change of Quarters—Luxuries of a Hay-loft—A Samaritan of a Hostess—Wretched Sufferings of Mr. Essel—Resort to another Village—A kind Landlord—Sympathies for Deserters—“A Fellow-feeling makes Men wondrous Kind”—The Luxuries of a Clean Bed—Resort to another Village—A motherly Hostess—A lucky Road-acquaintance—Virtue and Happiness in humble Life—The charitable Baker—Dangers from Sportsmen to Gentlemen hiding in Woods—Mr. Essel’s Illness disappearing—Increased Speed not always safe to Fugitives—Coldness of the Weather—An hospitable Farmer—A French Harvest-home—Hesdin—Neuville—Étaples—Turned out of a Straw Bed—A new Inn, with a Gendarme in Disguise in the Kitchen—Bribing a Landlord—No Boat to be had—An old Shepherd too cunning for a young Lieutenant and Midshipmen—Extreme Difficulties—High Hopes—Despondency and Resources

A False Direction and an Appalling Repulse—A Bribe refused—A Deluge, and Shelter in a Barn—A fatal Resolution—Dangers of Fugitives journeying by Daylight—A Market-day at Étaples—Passing through Crowds not very convenient for runaway Prisoners of War—An Attempt to reach the Sand-hills on the Coast—A Bold Progress through a Despicable Village—The last House—Parching Thirst, and begging for a Draught of Water—An Acquiescence or Reply in the shape of two Custom-house Officers—Our Capture—A clever Fiction well devised, better sustained, and totally defeated—Getting rid of suspicious Goods—An Examination before the Mayor—Americanism and the American Gentleman—An awkward Exposure—A Mittimus to Boulogne Gaol—An Examination of our Persons and Clothes—Our Fate sealed and Hope destroyed

Our Entrance into the Gaol of Boulogne—Tantalising Sight of Old England’s Flag and white Cliffs—A Gaoler’s Supper and a conscientious Bill—Another Examination—The Route to Verdun—Arras—The Gaoler kind, and the Commandant full of Indulgence—Bapaume—The Baker, and Inquiries for our lost Money—Cambray—Cateau-Cambresis and its horrible Dungeon—Landrecies—Our Awkwardness in Chains, Handcuffs, and Fetters—My Dislike to them—Avesnes—Information that we were to be Shot—The Dungeon of Avesnes—A dungeon Companion who had killed and cut up both his Parents—A Night of Horrors and Lunacy—Hirson, a Town without a Gaol, but with a Dungeon—A Supper and its Consequences—The Discovery of our Implements of Escape—Maubert Fontaine—A new Dungeon and a Fellow-prisoner—Reciprocal Services—A novel Mode of hiding Pistol-barrels—Chaining Prisoners to a Cart—MeziÈres—Arrival at Verdun—Separated from my Companions—Reflections on being Shot—A close Examination—Questioned in relation to Buonaparte—Allowed to join my old Associates—Another Cross-examination—A Recommittal to Prison—Our Fate determined—The Dungeon of Bitche—The Rev. Lancelot C. Lee, a dÉtenu—His Generosity

Our Departure from Verdun for Bitche—Mars-la-Tour, Metz, and Sarrelouis—I receive a useful Present from Mr. Brown—Sarreguemines—A last Chance—A mounted Guard—Thoughts of an Escape—Calculations upon a Chase in a Wood between Horse-soldiers and Prisoners on Foot—Attempt resolved upon—Signal given—Flight from the Prison Caravan to the Wood—French Pursuit—A Prisoner recaptured—My Escape from the Wood into another—My Companions, I fear, less fortunate—My Concealment—A swampy Bed and a stormy Sky, with a Torrent of Rain, for a Canopy—A prospective Flight of nearly 800 Miles—The Misery of a fruitless Search for lost Companions—Feeding on Haws, and herding with Quadrupeds and Vermin—A Hut discovered—Hunger compels me to enter—A Compromise, a Bribe, Female Advocacy, and an Escape—On the Road to the Rhine—A Preparation to sell Life dearly—A narrow Escape—Living on Cabbage-Stalks and raw Turnips—Bad Feet and worse Health—A lonely House near a Wood—Strong Temptations to Enter—A brutal Host, extreme Danger, and a narrow Escape—Bad Specimens of Human Nature

An inclement Season—A Retreat in a Cavern-Somnambulism—The Discovery of a Shepherd’s Hut—A Traveller put out of a wrong Road—Swimming in a Winter’s Night—Passing through a Mill—A suspicious Traveller may be an honest Man—A Lorraine Cottage seen through a Fog—Dangers from over-kind People—Repugnance to be introduced to a Mayor or any other good Society—Concealment in a hollow Willow—An honest Fellow-traveller of fugitive Reminiscences—An ingenious Fiction—A Perspective of Strasbourg

The Banks of the Rhine—Contemplations on crossing the River irregularly—Difficulties of finding a legal Passage—Mistaking two armed Officers for two harmless Fishermen—An appeal to Feelings, and a national Assurance of Patriotism—Cattle crossing the Bridge of Kehl—An Intermixture with the Cattle, and a Passage over the Rhine—Joy of being out of France—A Progress towards Friburg—Contrast between a warm Featherbed and bivouacking in the Mud—An innocent Landlord clever at a Guess—An Escape round Friburg—A Night’s Rest—En route to Constance—A Village Inn—A Countryman for a Waiter, and a long Gossip upon Personal Histories and Native Places—The Inconsistencies of Superstition and Hunger—My Approach to Constance—Effects on the Mind produced by its magnificent Scenery and beautiful Lake—Crossing a Branch of Lake Constance—Leaving the Kingdom of WÜrtemberg and entering the Kingdom of Bavaria—A Night’s rest in a Bavarian Village—La route to Lindau—Outmarching an Enemy—The Gate to Lindau—Successfully passing the Sentinels—Elation of Spirits—An awkward Querist—Unsuccessful Invention—A Capture—Examination and Imprisonment—Bitter Reflections upon my cruel Destiny

A fresh Incarceration—Stripping a Prisoner naked a more effectual detainer than Chains and Padlocks—Hopes of Escape prove delusive—Gaol Surgery and Gaol Diet—A timely Loan of Books—A short Visit from a Swiss Captive—Orders to prepare for a Return to France—A heavy Chain and huge Padlock—The Mob at Lindau—Leave-taking between a Prisoner and the Gaoler and Gaoler’s Wife—the Road to France—Going to Bed in Chains—Strict Watching—Chances of a Rescue—Anticipations of the Horrors of Bitche—Commiseration of my Guards—Crossing the Bridge of Kehl—A Surrender to the French Gendarmes—Captivity in the Military Gaol of Strasbourg—A kind Gaoler and as kind a Wife—His Gratitude for English Kindness when a Prisoner of War—Examined by the Police—Affectionate leave-taking of the honest Gaoler and his Wife—On the Road to Bitche heavily chained to Eleven Corsicans going to suffer Military Execution—The horrible Dungeon of Niederbronn—A revolting Night’s Confinement—Dreadful Sufferings of two of the Corsican Soldiers—Distant Prospects of Bitche—Anticipations of a cruel Confinement—Arrival at the Fortress

Conjectures of the Prisoners as to my Country and Crimes—Inferences from my Chains that I had committed Murder—Mr. Ashworth and Mr. Tuthill, with Mr. Baker, rejoin me—Lieutenant Essel dashed to Pieces in attempting to descend the Ramparts of Bitche—My Grief at his Death—The immense Height of the Ramparts—My Horrible Dungeon—Its revolting State of Filth—Interview with the Commandant—An Application to be allowed to take the Air granted for Two Hours a Day—Meditations upon an Escape—Our Efforts baffled—A Christmas Night in a Dungeon—Reminiscences of Home and Friends—A Sentinel firing on his Prisoners—I am removed to a Cell with Fifty Prisoners—Again removed to a higher Cell, with only Twelve—Improved Condition—Hear of a Scheme of the Prisoners below to effect their Escape—Contrive to join them—Stratagem to drown the Noise of Working-tools—Successful Undermining—Noise in Opening the Third Door—Sentinels alarmed—The Guards enter—Search and discover our Engineering—Fury of the French Officers—Mr. Brine, answering to the name of O’Brien, is captured instead of me—I escape from the Dungeon and regain my own Cell—Feign Illness, and avoid Suspicion

A Trial at Metz—English Officers sentenced to the Galleys—Forging and using false Passports—The Consequences—A new Scheme of Escape—A favourable Night but unfavourable Sentinels—A Farewell Dinner—Another Attempt at Escape—A Descent of Ramparts by a Rope—Concealment in a Ditch—Rolling down a Glacis—An Adieu to the Mansion of Tears—Making towards the Rhine—Concealment in a Wood—Refuge in a Vineyard—Shooting a Fox—Disturbed in our Lair—A Flight and its Dangers—The Banks of the Rhine—Passing the River—A Joyful Escape into neutral Territory—Prospective Comforts of an Inn, and Refreshment

Refreshments at a Village Inn—The Town of Rastadt—A civil Traveller—Good Accommodation—Baden—Awkward Rencontre with a Royal Party—An Alarm about Passports—A Genteel Inn dangerous to Fugitive Travellers—The Advantages of a Drunken Landlord—The Town of Hornberg—To Kriemhieldsach, after passing the Black Forest—Banditti—The Murder of a French General—A German Inn and a rustic Dance—The Town of TÜtlingen—A Concealment of Eight Days—Vain Attempts to smuggle Passports—Progress of our Journey—Crossing the Iller—Leaving WÜrtemberg and entering Bavaria—The Progress of our Flight—Kaufbeuern—An inquisitive Landlord and frightened Guests

Leaving Kaufbeuern on the Left Hand—Crossing the Wardach and the Lech—A welcome Ferry-boat—The Town of Weilheim—A long and exhausting March—The Soporific of Fatigue—The Ferry over the River Inn—Frightened at a Soldier—A false Alarm—Crossing the River—The Town of Reichenhall—Our Approach to the Bavarian Frontiers—The Increase of Dangers—Passing Barriers with Success—A Supposition that we were in the Austrian Dominions—A woeful Miscalculation and a narrow Escape from its fatal Consequences—An unexpected Demand for Passports—An Evasion—The Bavarian and Austrian Confines—Our extreme Danger—Anticipating the Galleys—A Track through a Wood at the foot of a Mountain—A Flight—The Boundary passed, and the Fugitives in the Emperors Dominions—Soldiers in Ambush—The Fugitives captured—Feigning to be Americans from Altona—Rage of the Bavarian Guard at being outwitted

Our Arrival at Salzburg—The Director of Police—Perseverance in our Tale of being Americans—Suspected of being Spies—Austrian Feelings favourable towards England and Englishmen—Confession of the Truth—Treated well as English Officers—An excellent Inn—A kind Governor—Great Civility—Despatches from Vienna—Passports ordered for us—A Remittance of Money from Vienna—Passports for Trieste—Our Journey—German Students and Dog Latin—Clagenfurt—Laibach—Banditti—A Mountain Scene—An Irish Watch-fire—Arrival at Trieste—Ecstasies at beholding the Gulf and the English Frigate in the Offing—Our Embarkation—Picked up by the Amphion’s Boat—An old Friend and Shipmate—Discovering an Enemy—A desperate and unsuccessful Fight—The Killed and Wounded—Shot through the Right Arm—Valour of Lieut. G. M. Jones—His Wound—Excessive Kindness of the Amphion’s Captain and Officers—The Spider Brig—Corfu—Malta—Sir Alexander Ball—Unexpected Meeting with old Friends escaped from Bitche—Promoted to a Lieutenancy in the Warrior (a seventy-four)—The Glories of the Naval Service opened to me

Receiving a Lieutenancy—Lord Collingwood’s Kindness—Joining the Warrior—An unexpected Supply of Dollars—An Accident at Sea—Capture of Ischia and Procida—Expedition against the Ionian Isles—Joining the Amphion—Captain Hoste’s Activity in the Adriatic—Commodore Dubourdieu and his Squadron at Ancona—Chasing the Enemy—A Wild-goose Pursuit—Success at Last—A glorious Battle and a splendid Victory—Details of the Action at Lissa—My Return to England—Interview with the First Lord of the Admiralty—A Visit to Ireland—A Solicitation from Captain Hoste to Join the Bacchante as First Lieutenant—Revisiting the Mediterranean—Provoking the Enemy—They provoking us—A Capture—Unhappy Loss of Prizes—An inexplicable Accident—Extraordinary Explosion of a French Frigate—A Flag of Truce—Venice—Corfu—Capture of Flotilla

Capture of General BordÉ and his Staff—A gallant Boarding Exploit—A horrible Murder by Italian Prisoners of War—Success of our Navy—A Balance of Accounts—My Promotion—Quitting the Bacchante—Pain of leaving old Friends and brave Shipmates—The Plague at Malta—Captain Pell gives me a Passage Home—An ineffectual Chase and a narrow Escape—Stratagems of the Enemy—Toulon—Gibraltar—The English Channel—Ingenious Device of Captain Pell, resulting in the curious Capture of a French Privateer—Arrival in England—A kind Reception by the First Lord of the Admiralty—An Official Promise—“Hope deferred maketh the Heart sick”—A Return to London—The Peace of 1814—Its Consequences—Half-Pay and an End to all Adventures