your power to alleviate the misfortunes of perfons finking under the weight of calamity; and you will, by thefe means, add to the refpectful fentiments with which we are, &c. (Signed by a confiderable number of prisoners.) No. 21. Sir, Tranfport Office, 17th October 1800. NOT having yet heard from you that any provifion has been made by the French government for supplying their people, prifoners in this country, with clothing; and the reports daily made to us from the several depôts, refpecting the miferable state of the prisoners from the want of that neceffary article, becoming more and more serious, we cannot, from motives of humanity, avoid again representing to you the abfolute neceffity there is of taking immediate fteps for fupplying the prifoners, fo as to prevent the fatal confequences that must otherwife inevitably enfue, upon the commencement of the approaching cold season. your We most earnestly request your early attention to this fubject; and that, if you be not already provided with the means of affording the neceffary relief to your unfortunate countrymen, you will lofe no time in strongly recommending the measure to your governWe are, &c. ment. Sir, Admiralty Office, 26th October 1800. THE Commiffioners for conducting his Majefty's Transport Service, and taking charge of Prisoners of War, having, in their letter of the 20th inftant, tranfmitted to us one they had received from M. Otto, in anfwer to the reprefentation they made to him relative to the diftreffed ftate of the French prifoners of war in this country for want of clothing, we fend you enclosed copies of the faid letters, for his Majesty's information. (Signed) We are, &c. Right Hon. Henry Dundas, &c. &c. &c. No. 23. PH. STEPHENS. R. MAN. Sir, Tranfport Office, 20th October 1800. WE enclose for the information of the Right Honourable the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, a copy of a letter, and of its enclosure, which we have received this day from M. Otto in answer to one which we wrote to him in confequence of their Lordships' directions, fignified to us in your letter of the 16 inftant, relative to the diftreffed state of the French prisoners of war in this country for want of clothing. We think it proper to obferve, that all the Britifh prisoners France, as well as the Ruffian prisoners taken in Holland, ar clothed by Captain Cotes at the expense of this country. We are, &c. R. GEORGE. A. SERLE. J. SCHANK. London, 27 Vendemiaire, 9th Year of the The Commiffary of the French Republic in England, to the Gentlemen, I HAVE received the letter which you did me honour of writing yesterday, in order to inform me that the reports from your agents at the depôts continue to reprefent, in the most urgent manner, the neceffity of providing clothing for the French prifoners of war before the commencement of the fevere weather, which may be immediately expected. I can only deeply lament the deplorable fituation to which these unfortunate men are reduced, and my own inability to provide clothing for them without having received the neceffary orders and inftructions from my government to enable me to defray this expenfe. I fhall not fail, however, again to reprefent to the French government the urgent wants of our prifoners, and to recommend it to adopt, in its wifdom, fuch meafures as the circumstances may appear to require. I muft, nevertheless, obferve to you, that the French government, having undertaken to clothe all the prifoners whom the chance of war has thrown into its hands, had reason to expect a reciprocal attention on the part of Great Britain; and although the prifoners now detained in France are not exactly English, nevertheless they belong to powers in alliance with his Majefty. You will perceive from the copy of the enclofed arrêté, that thefe prifoners are provided with clothing at the expense of the French government. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Отто. No. Extracts from the Regifter of the Deliberations of the Confuls of the Republic. Paris, 23 Ventofe, 8th Year (14th March 1800). THE Confuls of the republic, confidering that prifoners of war are intrusted to the care and humanity of the nations in the power of which they are placed by the chance of war, decree, Article I. The Minifters of War and of the Marine fhall enfure, by every poffible means, fubfiftence and clothing to the Ruffian, Auftrian, and English prifoners of war. They fhall take care that they are treated with all the attention and indulgence cenfiftent with public fafety. II. They shall moreover take every neceffary measure for the purpose of accelerating the exchange of prifoners. The First Conful, The Minister of War and for the Colonies, (A true Copy.) (Signed) BONAPARTE. HUGUES B. MARET, Secretary-general. The Commiffary of the French Government in England, Sir, Admiralty Office, 4th November 1800. I HAVE it in command from my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty to fend you herewith, for Mr. Secretary Dundas's information, a copy of a letter received from the Commiffioners of the Tranfport Service, dated the 1ft inftant, relative to the prefent ftate of the French prifoners of war in this country; together with transcripts of M. Otto's letter to the faid Commiffioners on the above-mentioned subject, and the other papers therein referred to; and am, &c. (Signed) To William Hufkisson, Efq. &c. &c. &c, Sir, No. 27. EVAN NEPEAN. Transport Office, 1ft November 1800. WE beg you will lay before the Right Honourable the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, the enclofed copy of a letter } which we have received from M. Otto, relative to the prefent ftate of the French prifoners of war in this country, whom he reprefents as reduced to the greatest mifery by the fcantinefs of their allowance of provifions. We also tranfmit, for their Lordships' information, a copy of a letter which we have this day written to M. Otto M. Otto on the fubject, and an extract of a report made to us by Commiffioner Serle on the ftate of the prifoners at Stapleton and Portchester, vifited by him in the month of June laft, by which their Lordships will obferve that the diftreffed fituation of the French prifoners in this country is not to be imputed to the infufficiency of their rations, but chiefly to the neglect of their own government, in not fupplying them with clothing, the neceffity of which we have repeatedly reprefented to the French government, both through him, and through Captain Cotes, our agent at Paris. We are, &c. (Signed) RUPERT GEORGE. AMBROSE SER LE. JOHN SCHANK. To Evan Nepean, Esq. &c. &c. &c. No. 28. London, 7 Brumaire, 9th Year of the The Commiary of the French Republic in England, to the Gentlemen, I HAVE had the honour of making various reprefentations to you relative to the infufficiency of the ration allowed by the British government to the French prifoners, whom the fortune of war has thrown into your hands. The fatal effects of this diminution of food are already but too fenfibly felt; I have now before me a lift of those who have died, and I perceive that the number is almoft four times greater than that of last year at the fame period; for, during the courfe of one month only, the number of deaths has amounted to one hundred and ten, while they did not exceed twenty during the fame month of the preceding year. But this comparison, however afflicting it may appear, is only the first outline of the picture I fhall be obliged to lay before you in a few months, unless the most effectual means are fpeedily adopted, in order to prevent the confequences which muft otherwife refult from the wretched fituation of the prifoners. Indeed it is impoffible to look at the flate of the different depôts without being convinced of the fate which infallibly awaits them. My letters from Liverpool ftate, "That the number of deaths, during the prefent month, has greatly exceeded that of former periods, even when the depôt contained double the number of prifoners. This fudden mortality, which commenced at the clofe of last month, is the confequence of the firft approach of cold weather all, without a fingle exception, have perished from debility. The fame fate awaits many more of these unfortunate beings, already half-ftarved from want of proper food, and obliged to fleep upon a damp pavement, or a few handfuls of rotten ftraw. Hunger, Hunger, or their own imprudence, has deprived them of their clothes; and now, the effect of the cold weather obliges them to part with a share of their fcanty fubfiftence to procure clothing. In one word, their only hope is a change in their fituation, or death." The accounts from Portchefter are not lefs alarming. "The prifoners are reduced to a state of dreadful meagerness. A great number of them have the appearance of walking skeletons. One has been found dead in his hammock; another fell out of his from mere debility, and was killed by the fall. The greater part of those sent to the hofpital die in a fhort time; others, as foon as they are received there. In fhort, there is every appearance that the fevere season on which we are now entering, will deftroy more than one half of these unfortunate men." "It would be useless to state the mifery endured by the prifoners here" (writes my correfpondent at Norman Crofs); "many of them haften, by their own imprudence or misconduct, the fate which awaits them all, if things remain in the ftate they now are. Hunger compels them to fell every thing they poffefs, and in so doing they only add to their own wretchedness. Many are literally naked. Amongst those who by their fortitude and good conduct have avoided thefe exceffes, are to be perceived the melancholy and flow, but certain effects of a ruined conftitution; and if an immediate remedy is not applied, a cruel death must foon terminate their fufferings." Thefe details, Gentlemen, are accompanied by bitter reflections, which I forbear to repeat, I fhall alfo pafs over in filence the accounts received from the other depôts, which would only be an afflicting repetition of what you have juft read. The ration iffued to the prifoners proved infufficient even during the fine weather. On this point I appeal to perfons who have feen the prifons; and experience is a fufficient proof of it. Urged by the most preffing wants, the prifoners have employed their fmall refources in making up the deficiency of the ration. Thofe who were without pecuniary means fold even their clothing. They are now naked, and enfeebled by privations of every kind. The keen air of winter will sharpen the cravings of hunger, and they muft foon experience the severity of cold weather, without poffeffing the means of defending themselves against it. Such is the fituation of French prifoners in England. In France, on the contrary, the English, the Ruffians, and the Auftrians, who have fallen into our hands, not only receive a wholefome and plentiful fubfiftence, but are clothed at the expenfe of the republic, and enjoy a degree of liberty which the French prifoners are not allowed in this country. At every period of the war, a great number of prifoners have had permiffion to leave the depôts, to carry on different trades, and to earn by the VOL. XI. D fruits |