concealed, and presented their pieces at us. The headmost of them took his hat off, and asked us for our papers. I shewed him an old pocket book, pretending to look for mine: the man said, we must accompany him to his officer, for he himself was no judge, and pointcd towards the Austrian turnpike. ‘With a great deal of pleasure,’ we replied, and asked if we were not in ‘the Emperor’s dominions?’ he answered, ‘Yes.’ – We accompanied these soldiers to their officer, who was a young man, and spoke no other language than the German. However, we comprehended perfectly that he was displeased at our attempting to elude him and the guard. He examined us; and we made him understand as well as we possibly could, ‘That we were American seamen, who had escaped from the Danes at Altona, and were making the best of our way to Trieste, where we expected to procure a passage to our native country.’ He desired one of his soldiers to go, and inform the Bavarian at the next barrier, that he wanted him. This circumstance occasioned me much uneasiness. I endeavoured to learn from him, if he intended to send us to Salzburgh. He said we should be conveyed there immediately. We were much pleased at this, as we dreaded being given up to the man at the next barrier; who now had arrived, and was astonished, when the officer observed that he had let us pass without examining or interrogating us. My friend the Bavarian was excessively nettled at the information.
“Our escort for Salzburgh being appointed, we proceeded once more in bondage. Every thing now depended upon the disposition of the Austrians with respect to America and England. We resolved to persevere in our American tale, unless we had some great inducement for acting otherwise. At about 2, we arrived at Salzburgh, and were instantly conducted to the town house. We were interrogated by the director of police, a very civil gentleman, who spoke several languages fluently. He asked us in French, what countrymen we were? We would not understand him. He then asked the same in Italian and German? we were equally ignorant. At last he asked us in English; we then perfectly understood him, and answered, ‘Americans.’ ‘How have you contrived’, said he, ’to enter the Emperor of Austria’s territories without regular passports? You will be considered as spies.’ – ‘We belonged,’ said I, ‘to an American ship taken by the Danes, in consequence of being boarded by two English frigates in the British channel, on her passage up the Baltic. Our names are Manuel, chief mate; Henderson, surgeon; and Lincoln, myself, a passenger.
“The director requested we would each make out a regular declaration, who and what we were; and bring it him the next morning – he should send us to a tavern for the night, and requested we would not stir from it without his permission. He expressed also his astonishment at our having crossed the continent, without being able to speak any other language than the English; and added, ‘That if we were Englishmen we had nothing to fear from the Austrian government.’ My God! I never