The prisoners were... ordered on board of the Solebay frigate, Capt. [Thomas] Symonds, the eighth day of January, 1776, when our hand irons were taken off. This remove was in consequence, as I have been since informed, of a writ of habeas corpus, which had been procured by some gentlemen in England, in order to obtain me my liberty.

When we were first brought on board Capt. Symonds ordered all the prisoners, and most of the hands on board, to go on the deck, and caused to be read, in their hearing a certain code of laws, or rules for the regulation and ordering of their behavior; and then, in a sovereign manner, ordered the prisoners, me in particular, off the deck, and never to come on it again; for, said he, this is a place for gentlemen to walk. So I went off, an officer following me, who told me, that he would shew me the place allotted for me, and took me down to the cable tire, saying to me, this is your place.

Prior to this I had taken cold, by which I was in an ill state of health, and did not say much to the officer; but stayed there that night, consulted my policy, and found I was in an evil case; that a Capt. of a man of war was more arbitrary than a king, as he could view his territory with a single look of his eye, and a movement of his finger commanded obedience, I felt myself more desponding than I had done any time before; for I concluded it to be a governmental scheme, to do that clandestinely which policy forbid to be done under sanction of public justice and law.

However, two days after, I shaved and cleaned myself as well as I could, and went on deck. The Capt. spoke to me in a great rage, and said, "did I not order you not to come on deck?" I answered him, that at the same time he said, "that it was the place for gentlemen to walk," that I was Col. Allen, but had not been properly introduced to him. He replied, "Gーd damn you, sir, be careful not to walk the same side of the deck that I do." This gave me encouragement, and ever after that I walked in the manner he had directed, except when he, at certain times afterwards, ordered me off in a passion, and I then would directly afterwards go on again, telling him to command his slaves; that I was a gentleman, and had a right to walk the deck; yet, when he expressly ordered me off, I obeyed, not out of obedience to him, but to set an example to his ship's crew, who ought to obey him.

To walk to the windward side of the deck is, according to custom, the prerogative of the captain of the man of war, though he oftentimes, nay commonly, walks with his lieutenants; wherr no strangers are by; when a capt. from some other man of war, comes on board, the captains walk to the windward side, and the other gentlemen to the leward.

It was but a few nights I lodged in the cable tire, before I gained an acquaintance with the master of arms; his name was Gillegan, an Irishman, who was a generous and well disposed man, and, in a friendly manner made me an offer of living with him in a little birth, which was allotted him between decks, and enclosed with canvas; his preferment on board was about equal to that of a sergeant in a regiment. I was comparatively happy in the acceptance of his clemency, and lived with him in friendship,...

Nothing of material consequence happened till the fleet rendezvoused at the cove of Cork, ² except a violent storm which brought old hardy sailors to their prayers. It was soon rumored in Cork that I was on board the Solebay, with a number of prisoners from America; upon which Messrs. Clark and Hays, merchants in company, and a number of other benevolently disposed gentlemen, contributed largely to the relief and support of the prisoners, who were thirty-four in number, and in very needy circumstances. A suit of clothes from head to foot, including an over coat, or surtout, and two shirts were bestowed on each of them. My suit I received in superfine broadcloths, sufficient for two jackets, and two pair of breeches overplus of a suit throughout, eight fine Holland shirts and stocks ready made, with a number of pairs of silk and worsted hose, two pair of shoes, two beaver hats, one of which was sent me richly laced with gold, by Mr. James Bonwell. The Irish gentlemen furthermore made a large gratuity of wines of the best sort, old spirits, Geneva loaf and brown sugar, coffee, tea and chocolate, with a large round of pickled beef, and a number of fat turkies, with many other articles, for my sea stores, too tedious to mention here. To the privates they bestowed on each man two pounds of tea, and six pounds of brown sugar, These articles were received on board, at a time when the capt. and first lieut. were gone on shore, by permission of the second Lieut. a handsome young gentleman, who was then under twenty years of age; his name was Douglass, the son of Admiral [James] Douglass, as I was informed.

As this munificence was so unexpected and plentiful, I may add needful, it impressed on my mind the highest sense of gratitude towards my benefactors; for I was not only supplied with the necessaries and conveniences of life, but with the grandeurs and superfluities of it. Mr. Hays, one of the donators before mentioned, came on board, and behaved in the most obliging manner, telling me, that he hoped my troubles were past; for that the gentlemen of Cork determined to make my sea-stores equal to those of the capt. of the Solebay's; he made an offer of live stock and wherewith to support them; but I knew this would be denied: And to crown all, did send to me by another person fifty guineas, but I could not reconcile receiving the whole to my own feelings, as it might have the appearance of avarice; and therefore received but seven guineas only; and am confident, not only from the exercise of the present well-timed generosity, but from a large acquaintance with gentlemen of this nation, that as a people they excel in liberality and bravery.