Thus ended this humorous affair. We were boarded several times in the North Sea. and also in the English Channel, and were each time politely treated. Our crew were examined, and as all had protections but two we had no difficulty witli the British officers, excepting once; then the boarding officer was very impudent, speaking very seurribii$bj of American protections. This, however, we took no notice of, and the fellow went off on board his frigate. With respect to the two men who had no protections, in order to save them from impressment, (as they were actually deserters from a British man-of-war,) they were entered in the ship's log-book, as having fallen from the maintop-sail yard while reefing; and when a man-of-war hove in sight, they were both snugly stowed away, and as we were apparently weak-handed, no attempt was made to impress any of the rest.
The captain had now materially relaxed his rigid conduct towards me. I had picked all the coffee, and had plenty of leisure time; our passage homeward was rather rough. On George's bank, we encountered a severe gale; it commenced in the morning, and by noon it blew furiously, and continued to increase until the following midnight. Our good skipper during this gale was sewed up below; at one time, during the night, the mate came down and tried to get the captain up, as we were fast drifting on to the shoal, and by the mate's calculations were very near it; but all he could get was a grunt; indeed, it was a fearful gale, but we rode it out nicely; the next day was fine and clear, and the old man came on deck looking quite sheepish.
On that same afternoon while we were all busy in geting things to rights and preparing for bending cables, a British Cruiser hove in sight, and was soon upon us. She belonged to the Halifax Station, and was cruising in Boston bay for vessels coming from Europe; as in many cases, they were found to have prohibited goods on board. After detaining us two hours, and closely examining our papers, they declared us a prize to his Brittanic Majesty; — accordingly we were ordered to get our traps up, and be all ready to go on board. the man-of-war, when her boat returned with the prize crew. The captain was permitted to remain on board the barque. On the return of the man-of-war-boat with the prize master and crew, we were all bundled into the boat and put on board the Cruiser.
On getting on board we were ordered oil the quarter-deck, until disposed of. The two unfortunate fellows, who were lost off the maintop-sail yard, were immediately seized as deserters, hut hy entering again nothing more was said about their desertion. I saw one of these same fellows a year afterwards in Boston; he had deserted again, and by a perilous adventure had succeeded in reaching Portland, and then came to Boston. Soon after our arrival on board the man-of-war, the captain ordered the prize master, who was then on board the barque, to till away for Halifax, while the Englishman continued on her cruise. We were not confined, but put into watches for duty. The barque having filled away, ran down under the manof-war's stern, and when within talking distance, my captain very earnestly requested of the English commander that he might have his boy returned to him.
I stood near him, and said I did not wish to go back. " Never fear my lad, you are not going," said he, and made no reply to the captain's request; he ordered the prize master to strip the prize immediately on his arrival at Halifax. We then squared away, standing S. E., and the barque proceeded on her course for Halifax. On this first night I came near making a hole in the water. I was sent out on the foreroyal-yard, to stop a small portion of the sail that had got loose, and while out on the lee-yard arm, the foot rope was so long, that it brought my chin against the yard, and 1 could not have got into the bunt again, had it not been that a tall Canadian had just come up, it being his lookout at the mast head; he got hold of my arm and assisted me in: otherwise, in all probability, I must have let go.
We con( i nued our cruise along the Southern coast, and spoke a ship from Norfolk, bound to Cadiz; we next spoke a schooner from Thomaston, bound to Barbadoes, with lime, potatoes and onions. The captain was asked ir' he would bring on board some of his vegetables, which lie did, and for which he was well paid. We requested the boat's crew to report us as taken, on their arrival in the XL S., which they promised to do; we also gave them our names. We now stood to the eastward a few clays, and not falling in with anything, squared away for Halifax, and arrived there about ten days after the arrival of the Barque, encountering a smart gale the night before.