It is the Custom in England & France to send every Person Soldier or Sailor under the Degree of a Commissioned Officer to some inland Place, where there is an old Castle, commonly surrounded with a high Stone Wall and oftentimes with a Moat comprehending a pretty large Space of Ground where they are confined as in a Debtor's Goal with a strong Guard of Militia without Side surrounded with Sentrys where they are maintained by a Commissary who contracts for their Support. The Officers are sent upon their Parole to some Inland Town as far distant as possible from their Men, where they are allowed to negotiate their Bills of Exchange, but are confined in Goal upon Non Payment. Cartels for Exchange of Prisoners are always settled between State & State at War; but in the last War between England & France, each Cartel was not settled until the latter End of it, England having seized so many Prisoners before a Declaration of War, that France had no Equivalent to exchange, or considered it as an Act contrary to the Law of Nations, and would not until obliged by Necessity submit to a Cartel, which at Length was settled by Genl [Henry Seymour] Conway. An Account is kept in Europe of the Expences of maintaining Prisoners of War by both States, which is settled & the Ballance paid at the Peace. England ought to be obliged to acknowledge us an independent State, at least as far as respects Prisoners of War, otherwise the Treatment She shews to our Soldiers and Seamen in her Hands ought to be exactly observed upon our Part, to those we take Prisoners from them. ー