was rescinded, and he was al- for Latude, the other for his lowed to remain at Paris, on condition of his never appearing in the coffeehouses, on the public walks, or in any place of public amusement. The government might well be ashamed that such a living proof of its injustice should be contemplated by the people. It was on the 24th of March 1784 that Latude emerged into the world, from which he had for five-and-thirty years been secluded. He and his nobleminded benefactress were for a considerable time objects of general curiosity. Happily, that curiosity did not end in barren pity and wonder, but proved beneficial to those who excited it. A subscription was raised, by which two annuities, each of 300 livres, were purchased, one deliverer. Two other pensions, of 600 livres and 100 crowns, were soon after granted by individuals to Madame Legros, and a gold medal, annually given as the prize of virtue, was unanimously adjudged to her by the French Academy. The income of Latude also obtained some increase; but it was not till 1793 that it received any addition of importance; in that year he brought an action against the heirs of the Marchioness de Pompadour, and heavy damages were awarded to him. Notwithstanding the severe shocks his frame had undergone, the existence of Latude was protracted till 1805, when he died at the age of eighty. CHAPTER VII. HOW CAPTAIN WILSON BECAME A PRISONER OF HYDER ALI; HIS WONDERFUL ADVENTURES AND SUFFERINGS. CAPTAIN WILSON was the young- | arriving in safety at Bengal, he est of seventeen children; his father was a commander of a ship in the Newcastle trade, and brought him up from his earliest years in the sea service. He served in America during the War of Independence, and was present at the battles of Bunker's Hill and Long Island. On his return from America, he obtained a berth as mate of an East Indiaman, being, though young, an able navigator. After quitted his ship, and determined to abide in that country. There he became engaged in the country service, and in one of these voyages, Mr. Cable, the marine paymaster, sailing with him from Madras to Calcutta, was so pleased with his conduct, that the most cordial friendship commenced between them. Soon after their arrival in Bengal, he sent him in a small vessel to the Nicobar Islands, with despatches for the ships return- Madras, Mr. Smith, had heard ing from the East, to advise them of the arrival of the French Squadron, under Suffrein, on the coast, and to put them on their guard. The ship he commanded was ill-found, and in the voyage her stern-post grew so loose as to admit great quantities of water, and with difficulty she was prevented from foundering. He was therefore obliged to run for Madras, and off Pulicat discovered the French fleet going down the coast. He expected them to chase, and pressed with all sail for the shore, where a dangerous shoal probably prevented pursuit and capture; but the ship was so leaky, he was obliged to run her on the beach, to save the lives of himself and crew. He proceeded thence to Madras, just at the critical moment when the settlement was in the greatest distress. Sir Eyre Coote had marched to the south, and was so surrounded by Hyder Ali's army, that no supplies could reach him by land, and the French squadron, anchored at Pondicherry, had cut off all supplies by sea, so that the British troops were reduced to great difficulties and in danger of famine, their stores being nearly exhausted. Several ships had been loaded with rice at Madras, but as the French fleet lay directly in the way, they dared not attempt the passage to Cuddalore, near which Sir Eyre Coote was en camped. The governor of of Mr. Wilson, and sending for him, inquired if he would attempt to carry down the ships with the supplies for the camp, stating the danger and hazard of the run, and offering him four hundred pagodas for the service, and more if he should be detained beyond a fortnight. The captain undertook to attempt the passage, and immediately made preparations for his departure. The vessel in which he embarked was about five hundred tons burden, with three others under his command, all navigated by black men, himself being the only European, except an officer who went down as a passenger to the army. He pushed on as far as Sadras, about sixteen leagues, where he took refuge under the Dutch flag, and despatched two hicarrahs to Sir Eyre Coote, to inform him of his approach, and to expect his orders. But the roads were so obstructed by Hyder's horse, that to avoid the marauding army, the hicarrahs were obliged to take a great circuit; and as they ventured to travel only by night, they were eleven days before they returned. They brought from the general the most urgent orders to proceed at all hazards, and without a moment's delay; adding, that if the captain brought only one vessel, and lost the rest, it would be of the most important service. Wilson accordingly immedi ately weighed anchor, proceeding at such a distance from Pondicherry as to see from the mast-head the French flag, and if possible, to pass them in the night undiscovered. The French fleet that very evening weighed anchor, occasioned by a singular circumstance, which was afterwards known. Suffrein had sent his water-casks on shore to be filled. Meanwhile Sir Eyre Coote had detached a corps of grenadiers and light infantry, who, entering Pondicherry, which was open on the land side since the fortifications had been demolished, found the casks lying on the beach, and destroyed them by staving them all; this induced Suffrein to run down to Point de Galle to repair the loss, just at the moment when Captain Wilson was passing in the offing. As Suffrein's ships sailed so much better than his, they were off Cuddalore in the morning, and Captain Wilson arrived in the afternoon, thus providentially escaping, and bringing in the whole of the cargoes entrusted to his care, and so much wanted by the army. They had been reduced to forty-five bags of paddy, and not a grain of rice to be procured. This supply rescued them from the impending famine, or the necessity of cutting their way through the enemy; and under God, was the means, as all acknowledged, of the preservation of the army and the Carnatic. Captain Wilson had some stores of his own, which were greedily seized and devoured as soon as landed. The next day he was invited to dine with the general and the staff, and was placed at Sir Eyre Coote's right hand, receiving the most cordial acknowledgments for his services. He informed the company of the seizure of his stores. They bade him prepare an account of them, and gave him a pagoda for every bottle of wine, and for the rest in proportion; so that this successful trip produced him about a thousand pounds, and a testimony of Sir Eyre Coote's high satisfaction in the service which he had performed. Returning to Bengal, he continued to be employed in carrying down supplies. But on one occasion, while sailing with a very valuable cargo of military stores for Sir Edward Hughes, whose ammunition had been nearly exhausted in the wellknown conflict with Suffrein, he was unfortunately taken prisoner by the French, and carried into Cuddalore, which had recently fallen into their possession; and there he found the crew of the Hannibal in the same captivity. He was permitted, with other officers, to be at large on his parole, and hoped shortly to be exchanged. Hyder Ali had at that time overrun and wasted a great part of the Carnatic; and in conjunction with the French, after taking Cuddalore, hoped to expel the English from all that territory. He had lately defeated Colonel Bailey's detachment, and made them prisoners, and used every effort to get as many of the English as possible into his power, in order either to tempt them into his service, or to gratify his brutality by exposing them to a lingering death. He had bribed Suffrein with three hundred thousand rupees, to surrender up to him all his prisoners at Cuddalore; and the order being communicated to the commander of the fort, nothing could exceed the indignation and grief which he and his officers testified at such an infamous bargain. However, as he dared not disobey the orders of his superior, he informed the gentlemen on parole of the transaction, and his necessity of delivering them up the next day, to the escort appointed to carry them to Seringapatam. Captain Wilson no sooner received the intelligence, than he determined that very night, if possible, to attempt his escape from captivity, which appeared to him worse than death. He had observed as he walked the ramparts the possibility of drop-ing off from the great Coleroon; ping down into the river; and though he neither knew the height of the wall, nor the width of the rivers which were to be crossed before he could reach a neutral settlement, he determined to seize the moment of delay, and risk the consequences, whatever danger or difficulty might be in the way. tion to a brother officer and a Bengalese boy, his servant, who both resolved to accompany him in his flight. It was concerted between them to meet on the ramparts, just before the guard was set, as it grew dark, and silently drop down from the battlement. Before the hour appointed, his companion's heart failed him. About seven o'clock, he, with his boy Toby, softly ascended the rampart unperceived, and the captain leaping down, uncertain of the depth, pitched on his feet; but the shock of so great a descent, about forty feet, made his chin strike against his knees, and he tumbled headlong into the river which runs at the foot of the wall, dreading all the while lest the noise of the dash into the water would discover him. He recovered himself, however, as soon as possible, and returning to the foot of the wall, where there was a dry bank, bid the boy drop down, and caught him safe in his arms. He communicated his resolu All that part of the Tanjore country is low, and intersected with a number of rivers, branch these necessarily must all be crossed. He inquired, therefore, of the boy, if he could swim, but found he could not. This was very embarrassing, but he resolved not to leave him behind, and therefore took him on his back, and being an excellent swimmer, carried him over. They pushed towards Porto Nuovo, about four leagues and a half from Cudda- | of all his efforts he was carried lore. They had passed three arms of the river, and advanced at as great a pace as they possibly could, to make use of the night, since their hope of safety depended chiefly on the distance they could reach before the morning light. a along with the current, and constrained, at a considerable distance, to return to the same side of the river. Providentially, at the place where he landed, he discovered by the moonlight, dry on the beach, a canoe, which he immediately seized, and was drawing down to the river, when two black men rushed upon him, and demanded whither he was going with that boat. He seized the outrigger of the canoe, as his only weapon of defence against the paddles, which they had secured, and told them he had lost his way, had urgent business at Tranquebar, and thither he must go; and launching with all his remaining strength the canoe into the river, he entreated them to convey him to the other side. The good-natured Indians laid down their paddles on the thwarts, and whilst he stood in the stern, rowed him to the opposite shore. He returned thein many thanks, having nothing else to give them, and leaping on the beach, immediately pushed forward with all his might. Not far from Porto Nuovo sepoy sentry challenged, 'Who goes there?' on which they shrunk back, and concealed themselves, turning down on the river-side. The river in that place was very wide, and being near the sea, the tide ran in with rapidity. He took, however, the boy on his back, as he had done before, and bade him be sure and hold only by his hands, and cast his legs behind him; but when they came into the breakers, the boy was frightened, and clung round the captain with his legs so fast as almost to sink him. With difficulty he struggled with the waves, and turning back to the shore, found they must inevitably perish together if he thus attempted to proceed. Therefore, setting the boy safe on land, he bade him go back to Dr. Mein, who he thought might take care of him; but the poor lad was never again heard of, though the most diligent in-velled, and therefore continued quiries were made after him. As delay was death to Wilson, he plunged again into the stream, and buffeting the waves, pushed for the opposite shore; but he found the tide running upwards so strong, that in spite He found he had as great a distance to pass to the Coleroon as he had already tra his course with unabated speed, the moon shining bright, and lighting him on his way. Before break of day he reached this largest arm of the river, of which those he had crossed were branches, Exhausted with the |