Captain Peters, who heard this confession, was astonished; and the captain of the frigate observed to him, that such conduct was exactly that which might be expected from any traitor to his country.  Then, turning to the prisoners, he said, “the infamy of your first crime could scarcely have been increased; but your treachery to the new government, under which you had placed yourselves, renders you unworthy of the name of men; nor have you even the miserable merit you claim of having contributed to the capture, since we never lost sight of the chase from the first moment we saw her, and from the instant she hauled her wind, we knew she was ours.”

The men hung down their heads, and when dismissed to go below, none of the crew of the frigate would receive them into their messes; but the real Americans were kindly treated.

We shaped our course for Simon’s Bay, where we arrived in one week after the capture.

The admiral on the station refused to try the prisoners by a court-martial; he said it was rather a state question, and should send them all to England, where the lords of the admiralty might dispose of them as they thought proper.

The True-blooded Yankee was libelled in the vice admiralty court at Cape Town, condemned as a lawful prize, and purchased into the service; and, being a very fine vessel of her class, the admiral was pleased to say, that as I had been so singularly unfortunate, he would give me the command of her as a lieutenant, and send me to England with some despatches, which had been waiting an opportunity.

This was an arrangement far more advantageous to me than I could have expected; but what rendered it still more agreeable was, that my friend Talbot, who was the first to shake me by the hand on board the prize, begged a passage home with me, he having, by the last packet, received his commander’s commission.  The admiral, at my request, also gave Captains Peters and Green permission to go home with me.  Mungo, the black man, and Thompson, the quarter-master, with the midshipman who had been with me in the boat, were also of the party.  My crew was none of the very best, as might be supposed; but I was not in a state to make difficulties; and, with half-a-dozen of the new Negroes, taken out of the trader, I made up such a ship’s company as I thought would enable me to run to Spithead.

We laid in a good stock provisions at the Cape.  The Americans begged to be allowed to pay their part; but this I positively refused, declaring myself too happy in having them as my guests.  I purchased all Captain Peters’s wine and stock, giving him the full value for it.  Mungo was appointed steward, for I had taken a great fancy to him; and my friend Talbot having brought all his things on board, and the admiral having given my final orders, I sailed from Simon’s Bay for England.

There is usually but little of incident in a run home of this sort.  I was not directed to stop at St Helena, and had no inclination to loiter on my way.  I carried sail night and day to the very utmost.  Talbot and myself became inseparable friends, and our cabin mess was one of perfect harmony.  We avoided all national reflections, and abstained as much as possible from politics.  I made a confidant of Talbot in my love affair with Emily.  Of poor Eugenia, I had long before told him a great deal.