He first presented a petition to His Royal Highness Monsieur.  He solicited the insignia of that order which was instituted to recompence all kinds of civil and military merit, to spread among all classes of society, the noble flame of emulation, of that order which was offered to Goffin, whose firmness forced his desponding companions, to hope for the assistance that was preparing for them:  which has just been given to several of the shipwrecked crew of La Caravane,[59] who in their disaster, shewed themselves equally generous and intrepid; but who, however, had nothing to complain of but the elements, nothing to combat but the tempest.

He has every reason to believe that Monsieur had the goodness to sign his petition; but he has not been able to discover where, or how it has been lost on the way without reaching its destination.  In the inquiries which he made at the office of the Prince’s Secretary, he met with a young man eighteen or 20 twenty years of age, who already wore the same mark of merit which Mr. Correard desired, and who only expressed an astonishment which was more than disobliging, at the subject of his demand, asking him if he had been twenty-five years in the service.  Mr. Correard, feeling on his side something more than surprise, thought it best to withdraw, but not till he had observed to this very young man, that he who appeared so difficult about the claims of others must, according to appearance, in order to obtain the cross of the legion of honor, have got the years of his ancestors services counted instead of his own.

His friends again persuaded him to petition the Duke d’Angouleme, from whom, as High-Admiral of France, these friends thought that Mr. Correard might expect an intervention more likely to promote the success of his application to the Minister of the Marine.  He therefore went to the Tuileries on the 8th of May, and though his wounds still rendered walking painful to him, he had the good fortune to meet with the Prince as he was coming from a review, and to present him a memorial as he passed.  His Royal Highness received him graciously, expressed his satisfaction at seeing one of the persons who had escaped from the fatal raft, and pressing his hand in the most affable manner, said to him, “My friend, you have experienced very great misfortunes.  It seems that amidst these disasters you have behaved well.”  After having run over the memorial, the Prince was pleased to add:  “Thus it is that the King should be served; I will recommend you to His Majesty, and let him know your conduct and your situation.”

These marks of kindness have hitherto been all that Mr. Correard has obtained by this memorial.  However, His Royal Highness transmitted it to the navy-office, but there is every reason to suppose that it will remain buried there amidst the mass of papers; from which it might be presumed that the recommendations of princes are received with great indifference by the clerks of ministers, and that their offices are the shoals where the petitions of the unhappy are lost; in fact, a man of great experience, to whom Mr. Correard communicated this mischance, told him, that, in such an affair, he would rather have the protection of the meanest clerk, than that of the first prince of the blood.