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into Pont Duval ; but being informed by the captain of a vessel there, that the schooner was too sharp built (as the American ves sels mostly are) to lie in that port, they put out immediately, and the next morning, the pilot brought them to anchor in the road of the Isle de Bas. Asquith went immediately to RoscafF, protested at the admiralty the true state of his case, and reported his vessel and cargo at the custom house. In making the report of his ves sel, he stated her as of twenty-one tons, according to his register. The officer informed him that if she was no larger, she would be confiscated by an edict, which forbids all vessels, under thirty tons, to appoach the coast. He told the officer what was the real truth as to his register and his bill of sale, and was permitted to report her according to the latter. He paid the usual fees of ten livres and seven sols, and obtained a clearance. Notwithstanding this, he was soon visited by other persons, whom he supposes to have been commis of the Fermes, who seised his vessel, carried her to the pier, and confined the crew to the vessel and half the pier, putting centinels over them. They brought a guager, who mea sured only her hold and part of her steerage, allowing nothing for the cockpit, cabin, forecastle, and above one half of the steerage, which is almost half the vessel, and thus made her contents (if that had been of any importance) much below the truth. The tobacco was weighed, and found to be six thousand four hundred and eighty-seven pounds,* which was sent on the 18th, to Landivisian, and on the 19th, they were committed to close prison at St. Pol de Leon, where they have been confined ever since. They had, when they first landed, some money, of which they were soon dis embarrassed by different persons, who, in various forms, under took to serve them. Unable to speak or understand a word of the language of the country, friendless, and left without money, they have languished three months in a loathsome jail, without any other sustenance, a great part of the time, than what could be procured for three sous a day, which have been furnished them to prevent their perishing.
They have been made to understand that a criminal process is going on against them, under two heads. 1. As having sold tobacco in contraband ; and 2. as having entered a port of France in a vessel of less than thirty tons burthen. In support of
- A hogshead of tobacco weighs generally, about one thousand pounds,
English, equal to nine hundred and seventeen pounds French. The seven hogsheads he sailed with, would therefore weigh, according to this estimate, six thousand four hundred and twenty-three pounds. They actually weighed more on the first essay. When afterwards weighed at Landivisian, they had lost eighty-four pounds on being carried into a drier air. Perhaps too, a differ ence of weights may have entered into this apparent loss.
