lating his adventure, he was arrested at the instance of a ruffian, confined for two days, and then transmitted to Downpatrick.. There, he was kept, for more than a fortnight, in the gaol yard, exposed to a burning Sun by day, and the dews by night, with a wad of straw for his bed, and a great coat his only covering ; and, for several days, destitute of meat and drink, except what was supplied by the humanity of common soldiers. At length, he was called before the Earl Annesley and a number of Magistrates and military Officers, who daily met in Downpatrick, by whom he was strictly examined. Every question concerning himself he answered, as I was assured, with the simplicity of a child, and coolness of a man. But, on being asked concerning the leaders of the Insurgents who took him to Inuishargie, &c. he positively refused to answer any question, except what related directly to himself. This "refusal gave occasion to the display of meanness, falsehood, and cruelty, to which I have alluded. It was in such words as these, "Hark ye, my lad, you need not be afraid to tell all you know of the business-you cannot hurt your father now he was hanged in Belfast yesterday.”

Luckily, Colonel Stapleton before mentioned, was present, to whom Mrs. Dickson had written a circumstantial account of the child's being stopped by the Insurgents, after leaving her in Donaghadee;

Donaghadee; the horses being taken from him; and all that followed. He interfered with warmth; declared that "the boy," as he firmly believed," had told the truth honestly," and then, turning to him said:" Don't be alarmed, my child--you have nothing to fear-your father is alive and well." This put an end to farther inquiry; and, he had my son sent to Portaferry, on his own parole, to procure securities for his future good behaviour; which he did, returned next day, and was liberated in form.

While thus shut up in a prison, harassed in person, and persecuted through my family, my little property did not escape. A dozen of nice sheep, and a very fine cow fit for the knife, fell victims to the maw of yeomen, and the crew of a Revenue Cutter then in the river; and two valuable milch-cows, with a good horse, a mare, and filley, went into different hands, on a general division of plunder. Of these, however, only one milch cow was finally retained. The horse and mare were afterwards returned, but so completely reduced, and mangled with wounds, that they were sold for less than one. sixth of their value, when taken. To the honor of two very poor yeomen, whose anxiety to get my filley and favorite cow, was much remarked at the time. I must add, that they kept them, with care, till the country became quiet, and then brought them back, in safety, to my daughter.

daughter. In justice, I must also say that my offices and yard were not severely plundered, and that my house was left uninjured, though locked up without an inhabitant, for some days, while fire and pillage were raging all around.*

Long as the preceding detail may appear, it comprehends occurrences, only of a few weeks; and these occurrences are only a part of what exposed me, and many others, to uneasiness of body, and distress of mind. Among others, sickness, latterly, began to appear; and the air of the yard was become so noisome, from the overflow of excrement, with which it teemed, and the removal of which was inhumanly neglected, that not only apprehensions, but symptoms, of fever became general and alarming.

From these apprehensions, the nuisances which gave them birth, and several other disagreeable

* The sparing my house, was owing to the military, who could not be induced, either to plunder or burn it, though furiously incited by the gentleman, at whose instigation my son had been arrested. This gentleman was a Surveyor of Excise, who denominated himself, in writing," Edward Trotter Savage." Why he assumed the name of " Savage" could not be accounted for, but by the supposition that on calculating his nativity, some far-sighted gossip had seen into his future character. His father's name was not Savage; and even his mother could not, as was said, give him that of his father, with any certainty, unless she had been a Ventriloguist.

greeable circumstances, I, with eleven others, was partly relieved, early in July, by a removal to the artillery barrack. On our arrival there, we were put into two apartments, six and six; both of which were clean and comfortable, compared with those we had left. That of my mess was a neat clean little parlour, containing a settee, table, and a few chairs; and affording space for three mattresses, at night. Here, we were not plagued with the intrusion of nocturnal visitants, or any other avoidable disturbance. Servants were freely admitted with our breakfast and dinner. And our friends found less difficulty of admission to us. In addition to these relaxations, we were allowed, at certain hours, every day, to walk in a small yard, which was kept tolerably clean: and an artillery-man was permitted to serve us, for pay, by whom we had our room, clothes, &c. kept clean; and, what was an indulgence, little expected, but far more important to us, our errands run, and messages carried to and from our friends in town. Here I add, with pleasure, that Mr. Fox, town-major, under whose roof and whose eye, we now were, never interrupted our comforts, or restrained our indulgences by any impertinent intrusion. He did not indeed, hold any intercourse with us, but what his duty required, nor did we wish he should; but, in the discharge of his duty, so far as I know, he acted with propriety to us, and honor to himself.

On the whole, I must say, had all my treatment, while a prisoner in Ireland, been such as I experienced here, a considerable part of this Narrative would have been happily unnecessary. However, this relaxation of severity, and enjoyment of comparative comfort, were of short duration, as a painful reverse of situation soon followed.

Before I enter on an account of this reverse, and its consequents, I shall mention a circumstance, or two, which took place, during my residence in the artillery barracks, as they may afterwards appear of some importance. And,

First, so far as I recollect, it was immediately before, or soon after, our removal thither, that the attention of government, or rather those who acted under it, or assumed its powers, was first directed to the wants and distresses of the prisoners in Belfast; and TWELVE PENCE IRISH, per day, allowed for their subsistence. From the liberal sums allowed the state-prisoners in Dublin, to whom we proudly presumed that government thought us, every way, equal: and the recollection that one of us, at least, had there enjoyed that allowance, in the preceding year, the beggarliness of this pittance wounded our pride, and nearly produced its rejection. This, however, was prevented by the suggestion

that,