66

have the consciousness that, when they fall, no honest man will pity them. They shall perish like their own dung; those who have seen them shall say, Where are they?"

MAY, 1798.

17. Having obtained leave of absence for two decades, I have spent the last twenty days deliciously, with my family, at Paris. During that time, we received a letter from my brother William, dated from Poonah, the 7th of January, 1797, (sixteen months ago,) at which time he was in health and spirits, being second in command of the infantry of the Peschwa, or chief of the Mahratta State, with appointments of 500 rupees a month, which is about 750/. sterling a year. I cannot express the pleasure which this account of his success gave us all; great as has been his good fortune, it is not superior to his merit. Six years ago he went to India a private soldier, unknown, unfriended, and unprotected; he had not so much as a letter of introduction: but talents and courage like his were not made to rust in obscurity; he has forced his way to a station of rank and eminence, and I have no doubt that his views and talents are extended with his elevation. The first war in India, we shall hear more of him. His letter was enclosed in one from my mother to Mary, by which I see she and my father are in health and spirits. Two or three days after the receipt of Will's letter, we were agreeably surprised

by one from poor Arthur, of whom we had no news for a long time. His letter is dated from Hamburgh, where Meyer had shown him all possible kindness and friendship. We answered it immediately, desiring him to come directly to Paris, where I judge he may arrive in about a month. Poor fellow, he is but sixteen years of age, and what a variety of adventures has he gone through! It is now two years and a half since he and I parted at Philadelphia, when I sent him home in the Susannah, Captain Baird, to notify to my friends my immediate departure for France. It was a delicate commission for a boy of his age, and he seems to have acquitted himself well of it; at least, I have heard no complaint of his indiscretion. When the first arrestations took place in Ireland, in September, 1796,— when my dear friend Tom Russell, Neilson, and so many others, were arrested in Belfast,-those of friends in Dublin who were in the secret, dreading the possibility of the Government seizing on Arthur, and either by art or menaces wringing it from him, fitted him out, and sent him again to America, with the consent of my father and mother, who were with reason afraid for his personal safety. In America (where he arrived after my wife and family had sailed for Europe,) he met with Mat., and after some little time embarked on board a sloop bound for the West Indies; on his return from this voyage, he again met with Mat., who was on the point of sailing for Hamburgh, in consequence of my instructions. At Philadelphia they parted, and what poor Arthur's

my

adventures have been since, I know not. He is, however, safe and sound, having supported himself these two years without assistance from any body. When I saw him last, he was a fine manly boy, with a beautiful countenance. I hope and trust he will do well; if we ever come to have a navy in Ireland, he is the very stuff of which to make a Jean du Bart. I do not yet know what we shall or can do for him; but when he arrives, we shall see. Perhaps I may be able to accomplish something through Admiral Bruix, who is now Minister of the Marine. I am not superstitious; yet I cannot but remark the singularity of the circumstance, that Mary, Mat., Arthur, and myself with my family, should, after such a diversity of strange events, be all re-assembled in France on the eve of this great expedition; and that, precisely at the same time, we should have the happiness of hearing from my father and mother, and especially from Will, after a silence of above four years. It is one of the singular traits in the history of our family, and increases the confidence I feel, that we shall all meet together yet, well and happy.

18. Dined to-day with Adjutant General Rivaud, Chef d'Etat Major par interim of the army of England; there were, also, General Marescot of the Engineers, and Adjutant Generals Boulant and Dugommier: the dinner was very pleasant; all the war was talked over, the characters of the Generals canvassed, &c. It is certain that Houchard might have taken the Duke of York, and his whole army, at the time of his famous retreat, or rather flight,

L

from before Dunkirk. There was but one passage open by which he could possibly escape, and Jourdan, with his division, was within half a league of it, when Houchard's orders overtook him, commanding him to halt instantly, on pain of immediate destitution. In consequence, he was obliged to stop short, and had the mortification to see the English army defile quietly before him, every man of whom he could have made prisoner. By this account it appears that Houchard, at least, was justly condemned. On the whole, I got over this day pretty well.

19. I do not know what to think of our expedition. It is certain that the whole left wing of the army of England is, at this moment, in full march back to the Rhine; Buonaparte is God knows where; and the clouds seem thickening more and more in Germany, where I have no doubt Pitt is moving heaven and hell to embroil matters, and divert the storm which was almost ready to fall on his head. Nearer home there has been an expedition, the failure of which has vexed me, not on account of the importance of the affair, (for it was a trifle,) but for the sake of example. A flotilla of about thirty gunboats, under the command of Muskein, (an officer who had made himself a reputation in this kind of petite guerre,) sailed from Lahogue to attack the Isles Marcou; he had on board a detachment of the 4th demi-brigade. It appears, however, that, on their arrival before the Islands, five sail only attacked, and the remainder kept out of the range of

fire; in consequence, after a cannonade of three or four hours, the five sail were obliged to fall back, having lost six men killed and fifteen wounded. I am sorry for this, principally on two accounts: first, as it may have a bad effect on the spirit of the troops, and perhaps disgust them with maritime expeditions; and, secondly, on the score of reputation. "What!" may the English well say; "you are going to conquer England, and you cannot conquer the Isles Marcou!" It is a bad business, take it any way.

21. Rivaud, Chef de l'Etat Major, tells me this morning that the English have landed about 10,000 men near Ostend, undoubtedly with a view to bombard it, and burn the shipping and small craft preparing there for the expedition: I believe the number must be extremely exaggerated; be that as it may, he says 6,000 French are already collected, and that is more than enough to render a good account of 10,000 English. Championnet commands in that division; and Bessieres is in the town, where there is a garrison of about 700 men, which is not, by any means, enough. If they suffice, however, to prevent the enemy from succeeding by a coup de main, that will be sufficient: for a very few days will bring together a force which will make the English remember the attack with a vengeance. In the mean time, Rivaud has dispatched expresses to the Directory and to General Kilmaine, Commander-inchief. To-morrow will let us know more of the matter.