Note 30 — APPENDICES

About the tenth of December Great preparations were made on board of our ship in consequence of a great number of people of the first characters in L'Orient. One prince of the blood royal, and three French admirals, with some ladies of the first quality, having had cards of invitation sent them by captain Jones, inviting them on board of his ship the next day to take dinner with him precisely at 3 o'clock in the afternoon; and also informing the company that captain Jones would in the evening of that day, on board of his ship, exhibit to them a sham sea fight; and that it should in part represent his battle with the Serapis, particularly her tops. To go through with a minute detail of all and every circumstance that related to this scene would, I fear, tire the patience of the reader; I shall therefore be as concise as possible in my relation of this exhibition. First then, all the boats belonging to our ship were busily employed with their respective crews from the time the approaching scene was known on board, (which was the day before it was to take place, at ten o'clock in the morning, till about twelve at night on the day on which the company were to dine, in passing to and coming from the shore, bringing off all the articles wanted. And the reader may rest assured that neither cash nor pains were spared in order that the scene every way should appear magnificent. In a short time our quarter-deck had the appearance of a lady of qualitie's drawing-room. Over head was suspended an elegant awning, the edges of which were cut in scollops, and decorated with a variety of silk roses, tassils, &c. from a little below the awning: at the sides were hung thin canvass lined with pink coloured silk, and which fell down so as to reach the quarter-deck. These sides were hung with a great variety of French pictures and looking glasses; some of the first had been drawn by one of the most finished artists in France, and many of which were quite indecent, especially to meet the eyes of a virtuous woman. However, in these days they made a part of French etequette on such an occasion. The quarter-deck of our ship was covered with the most elegant carpets, the plate alone which was made use of on this singular occasion was estimated to be worth two thousand guineas (for my own part I believe it might have been rated at double that sum.) French cooks, and waiters or servants, were brought from the shore to assist in this business and for nearly twenty hours preceding the serving up of dinner, we were almost suffocated with garlick and onions, besides a great many other stinking vegetables. A French lady (who was said to be a great connossieur in the art of cookery, and in hanging and arranging pictures in a room where the first companies went to dine) was gallanted on board by captain Jones the evening before the day on which the company were to dine, and was by him directed to take upon herself the superintendance of the approaching feast. The next day was ushered in by thirteen guns, and the dressing of the ship with the thirteen stripes, and the colours of all nations who were friendly to the United States. Captain Jones and his officers were all dressed in uniform, with their best bib and band on, and we were directed by captain Jones to conduct ourselves with propriety and to pay implicit obedience to my lady superintendant of the ceremonies. At a quarter before 3 o'clock in the afternoon the ship's boats (three in number, each having a midshipman who acted for this time as cockswains; and the men who rowed the boats were all neatly dressed in blew broad cloth, with the American and French cockades in their hats,) were dispatched on shore to bring on board the company. Jones received them as they came up the ship's side and conducted them to their seats on the quarter-deck with a great deal of ease, politeness, and good nature.[30] Dinner was served up at half past 3 P.M. The company did not rise from table till a little after the sun set, when captain Jones ordered his first lieutenant to cause all hands to be called to quarters, which was done just before the moon was rising. I of course, mounted into the main top, which had always been my station as long as I had served under Jones (of which and the men at quarters there, I had the command.) Orders were given before we mounted into the tops that we must be well supplied with ammunition blunderbusses, muskets, cowhorns, hand granadoes, &c. The same as if we were now to engage with an enemy; and when the signal was given (which was to be a cannon fired upon the fore-castle, and as soon as the gun was fired, the sham fight was to commence.) At 8 o'clock it began, and lasted about one hour and a quarter without any intermission. Such a cracking of great guns, swivels, small arms, cowhorns, blunderbusses, &c. such a hissing and poping of hand granadoes, stink pots, powder flasks, was now heard as they fell into the water alongside, as was never the like in the harbour of L'Orient, seen or heard. Some of the ladies were much frightened, and the sham fight would have continued longer had it not been that some of them intreated captain Jones to command the firing to cease. The fight over, a band of music which had been ordered on board by the commandant, and who had been paraded upon the fore part of the quarter-deck, now played their part, and all was glee and harmony. At about twelve at night the company took their leave of captain Jones, and the boats set them safe on shore, in the same order and regularity as they came on board, excepting a few who were landed half seas over; these the midshipmen assisted along to their lodgings, and returned on board to give an account to captain Jones that we saw all the company safe at their respective places of abode. For several days after this nothing of any note was to be heard in conversation among the French at L'Orient, in their coffee houses and private dwellings, but captain Jones's feast and sham fight. Upon the whole, I believe it must have cost himself as well as the United States a vast sum of money. There was certainly a great quantity of powder burnt, and an abundance of wine (besides other liquors) drank. The cost of the whole of this entertainment, including the powder, amounted (by an estimate made by the American agent's first clerk, and who it seems paid the cash for sundry bills relative to this business, to 3,027 crowns at 6s. 8d. each, Massachusetts currency.) Whether captain Jones charged the whole or any part of the expences of this business to the United States I never learned.