[figure description] Page 184.[end figure description]

Returning from a jaunt
into the city, I was immediately commanded
to retire to my room, and not to
quit it, till further orders, which it was
impracticable to do, as the doors were sastened
upon me. The next morning, my
provi&longs;ions were brought me, and the
doors again carefully &longs;ecured. Surpri&longs;ed
at this impri&longs;onment, I pa&longs;&longs;ed many restless
hours in recurring to my pa&longs;t conduct,
and perplexing my&longs;elf in &longs;earching
for &longs;ome inadvertent offence, or in dreadful
apprehen&longs;ion, le&longs;t the pre&longs;ent imprisonment
&longs;hould be a prelude to future and

[figure description] Page 185.[end figure description]

more &longs;evere puni&longs;hment. The &longs;tone quarry
came to my imagination in all its horrours,
and the frowns of Abdel Melic again
pierced my &longs;oul. I attempted in vain to
obtain from the &longs;lave, who brought me
provi&longs;ions, the cau&longs;e of my confinement.
He was probably ignorant; my solicitations
were uniformly an&longs;wered by a
melancholy &longs;hake of the head. The
next day, the director of the ho&longs;pital appeared.
To him I applied with great
earne&longs;tne&longs;s; but all the information he
would give was, that it was by the Dey's
order I was confined; and that he, with
the phy&longs;icians and my friend the Mollah,
were u&longs;ing all their influence to obtain
my relea&longs;e. He coun&longs;elled me to amu&longs;e
my&longs;elf in preparing and compounding
drugs, and promi&longs;ed to &longs;ee me again,
as &longs;oon as he could bring any good news.
About a week after, an officer of the court,
with a city judge, entered my apartment,
and informed me of the cau&longs;e of my

[figure description] Page 186.[end figure description]

imprisonment. From them I learned, that
&longs;everal American ve&longs;&longs;els had been captured;
and, it was &longs;u&longs;pected, I had been
conver&longs;ing with my countrymen; and,
from my &longs;uperiour knowledge of the country,
I might advi&longs;e them how to e&longs;cape.
If a man is de&longs;irous to know how he loves
his country, let him go far from home; if
to know how he loves his countrymen, let
him be with them in mi&longs;ery in a &longs;trange
land. I wi&longs;h not to make a vain di&longs;play of
my patrioti&longs;m, but I will &longs;ay, that my own
misfortunes, upon this intelligence, were &longs;o
ab&longs;orbed in tho&longs;e of my unfortunate fellow
citizens, thus delivered over to chains
and torment, many of them perhaps separated
from the tendere&longs;t dome&longs;tic connexions
and homes of ea&longs;e, that, I
thought, I could again have willingly endured
the la&longs;hes of the &longs;lave driver, and
&longs;ink my&longs;elf beneath the burthens of slavery,
to have &longs;aved them from an Algerine
captivity. I could readily a&longs;&longs;ure the

[figure description] Page 187.[end figure description]

Dey's officers, that I had not conver&longs;ed
with my mi&longs;erable countrymen; but,
while I &longs;pake, the idea of embracing a
fellow citizen, a brother chri&longs;tian, perhaps
&longs;ome one, who came from the &longs;ame
&longs;tate, or had been in the &longs;ame town, or
&longs;een my dear parents, pa&longs;&longs;ed in rapid succession,
and I was determined, betide what
would, to &longs;eek them the fir&longs;t opportunity.
We were &longs;oon joined by the Mollah, who
repeatedly a&longs;&longs;ured my examiners, that,
though an infidel, I might be believed.
By his &longs;olicitation, I was to be relea&longs;ed;
but not until I would bind my&longs;elf by a
&longs;olemn oath, admini&longs;tered after the christian
manner, that I would never &longs;peak to
any of the American &longs;laves. When this
oath was propo&longs;ed, I doubted whether to
take it; but, recollecting that, if I did
not, I &longs;hould be equally debarred from
&longs;eeing them, and &longs;uffer a grievous confinement,
which could do them no service,
I con&longs;ented and bound my&longs;elf never

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directly or indirectly to attempt to vi&longs;it or
conver&longs;e with my fellow citizens in slavery.
It was, at the &longs;ame time, intimated
to me, that for the breach of this oath
I might expect to be impaled alive.—
Often, when I have drawn near the
places of their confinement and labours,
I have regretted my &longs;ubmitting to this
oath, and once was almo&longs;t tempted to
break it, at &longs;eeing Captain O`Brien at
&longs;ome di&longs;tance.

p407-412

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