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He alone can be accounted wife, who foberly reflects ere he performs. He alone, ftri&ly speaking, may be faid to weigh well the mutability and paffivity of all human happiness; and that it is not to be trifled with or bartered for a toy. He alone oppofes opinionsadvances pofitions-encounters difficulties-and folves problems, all tending to the main object. He alone duly confiders, that all human things are fubject to revolution and decay, and happiness the most; and for this very reafon, that it should be fixed on the firm bafis of reafon, and not to fluctuat ebetween conviction and idea. And what is the produce which he reaps from his rich and intellectual foil, I will fhew.

Married to a woman who is as a mirror reflecting the fame virtues, the fame paffions, the fame fympathies, and, in fact, every thing, he feels himself fupremely happy. He imparts an idea with a certain motive, and it is received with a fimilar one.-He offers a pofition, and it is affented to-he makes a remark, and it meets with approbation-he demands an explanation, and it is given; in a word, there is not a with, a defire, or an idea which is not granted and co-incided with; an incitement which has not its partner, or a command which is not obeyed through love and with felf-approbation. Judge then, readers, whether this man does, or does not, feel the HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE.

THE

THE WONDERFUL

ESCAPE OF THE FRENCH DEPUTIES

FROM

SINAMARY,

Near Cayenne, in South America,

Whither they were transported 1797, without even Trial or Examination-By RAMEL, One of thofe faid Deputies.

IT

T was now the firft of June, and the appointed day was at hand, as well as the fcene that was to facilitate our enterprife. The dénouement of our plot approached under the finifter omen of the funeral obfequies of our friends. We had recently performed the laft offices to Laffond, when Captain Tilly brought us intelligence, that Jeannet had given orders to fend him and all his crew to Cayenne, for which place they were to embark next day. To us this news was like a thunder-bolt, and almoft difheartened us. Tilly, however, was abfolutely determined to facrifice himself, and to hide himself in the woods till the next day (the third of June), which was the last day appointed for our awful attempt. On that day he faid he would run to the canoe on a fignal agreed upon. We had great difficulty to induce him to give up the honour of fo great an action to the brave Berwick. We obferved to him, that Berwick difappearing at the time of calling over the crew of the prize, would not awaken fo much fufpicion as that of the captain, whofe vifits to the deported perfons, and his walks with them, had been already too much noticed. It was, however, with great reluctance that Tilly yielded to this laft confideration. He parted from us indeed to expose himself even to greater dangers than we encountered, as on him would fall all the fury of Jeannet, whether we were fo happy as to escape, or whether we were fo unfortunate as to be difcovered and arrefted with Berwick. But Tilly thought

thought of nothing but of our fafety; and, if we could but once arrive at Surinam, he cared not what became of himself. How affecting was our parting fcene! who among us all could venture to flatter himself with the hope of feeing thee again, worthy, incomparable Tilly!

Berwick inftantly disappeared and concealed himself in the woods. It was agreed, that, two days after (on the 3d of June), at the nine o'clock gun, he fhould be upon the bank of the river under the baftion; and that he fhould leap into the canoe the moment he faw us appear but we were extremely uneafy on his account, for, as we feared, he was almoft devoured by noxious animals; nor could he defend himself from the ferpents, and that terrible animal the cayman, but by continuing thirty-fix hours on a tree, and even there he was not fecure from tigers.

Captain Poifvert had invited the commandant of the fort to dinner, on the 3d of June, on board the American prize, in return for the kind reception he had met with, and the affiftance he had received from the garrifon, which had two days before vigorously attacked an English privateer, that had approached the anchorage. At the fame time that he entertained the commandant with a handsome dinner, and gave him the choiceft wines he had on board, he had diftributed to the garrifon fome common Bourdeaux wine. A girl, who had arrived fome days before from Cayenne, did the honours, and delivered bottles of wine in profufion to the foldiers in their barracks and guard-houfe, to the negroes in their rooms, to the fentinels at their pots, and to the deported under their corridor. Ah! how long this day appeared with what pleasure we watched this young girl thus joyoufly pouring out bumpers to the half intoxicated foldiers! Her activity and folicitude ferved us to our utmost wishes.

Every one drank freely, as we did ourselves, and, feeming to take part in thefe orgies, we feigned a quar

rel

rel among us while at dinner, in order to avoid giving the moft trifling indication of the plot. Aubry and La rue abused Barthélemy, le Tellier alfo took part in the difpute, Doffonville and Pichegru threatened each other, and Willot and myself feemed defirous of pacifying the reft. Glaffes and plates flew about, and the uproar was fo great, that the reft of the deported perfons came in to separate us. The Abbé Brothier himself endeavoured to put an end to this disturbance, which only increafed the more: but Barthélemy, who was the leaft fkilful in feigning paffion, coolly breaking his glafs in an aukward gefture of rage, a burst of laughter had nearly betrayed us.

Night came on, and we faw the commandant Aimé brought in, dead drunk, like a corpfe. Silence had now fucceeded to the fongs and cries of intoxication, and the foldiers and negroes lay dispersed here and there. The fervice was forgot, and the guard-house abandoned.

Before we retired into our rooms we took leave of Marbois, to whom our feparation was a painful facrifice, and who confidered this as our laft hour. The clock ftruck nine, the laft we heard at Sinamary, and Doffonville, who was upon the watch, gave us all notice to begin our enterprize; upon which we went out and affembled near the gate of the fort, of which the draw-bridge was not yet up. All was fleep and filence. I mounted the baftion of the guard-houfe with Pichegru and Aubry, and went directly to the fentinel (the contemptible drummer who had fo often tormented us), and afked him the hour. He made no answer, but fixed his eyes upon the ftars; upon which I feized him by the throat, while Pichegru difarmed him, and we dragged him along, throttling him fo as to prevent his crying out. We were now upon the parapet, and he ftruggled fo violently that he got away from us and fell into the river. We then rejoined our companions at the foot of the rampart, and, perceiving no one in the guard-house, ran in and took arms and cartridges. We then

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then went out of the fort and flew to the canoe. wick was already there, and helped us to get into it. Barthélemy, who was very infirm and lefs active than the rest of us, fell, and funk into the mud; but Berwick caught hold of him and saved him, and, having put him into the canoe, cut the rope. Berwick now took the helm, while we, motionless and filent, went with the ftream. The current and the tide bore our light bark rapidly along, and we heard nothing but the murmurs of the waters and of the land breeze, which fwelled our little fail and wafted us from our tomb of Sinamary.

We now approached the redoubt at the point which it was neceffary to pass, and therefore we ftruck our fail to avoid being feen. We knew that the eight men, who were upon guard at the redoubt, had received their fbare of the favours of Captain Poifvert, and that they alfo must be drunk. We accordingly were not hailed, and the tide carried us beyond the bar. We paffed to the left of our brave friend Tilly's fhip, and very near the fchooner la Victoire, which was lately arrived from Cayenne, and which we knew was commanded by the worthy Captain Bracket, to whom our escape muft have given great pleafure, and who certainly would not have oppofed us.

The breeze freshened and the fea was fmooth. But, had we left the coaft, we fhould have been in danger of mistaking our tract; and, if we kept too near the fhore, we might have fallen upon the rocks, which are numerous there as far as Iraconbo. The moon now

fuddenly appeared, as if on purpofe to give us light. This was a delicious moment. We congratulated each other, and thanked Providence and our generous pilot, who was in a dreadful ftate, being much fwelled and disfigured by the ftings of venomous infects.

We had proceeded smoothly for about two hours, when we heard three guns, two from the fort of Sinamary, and one from the redoubt at the point; and, foon after, the post at Iraconbo answered with three. We doubted

not

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