to put back, after being out ten days. It seemed necessary, to save her life, and he was obliged to proceed alone on his important enterprise, and, as the partner of his father and brothers, Benjamin Rotch established the whale-fishery in France.

RECOLLECTIONS OF SEVENTY YEARS.

CHAPTER I.

RESIDENCE. SIEGE OF DUNKIRK. - FRENCH REV

W

HEN at last my father was established in Dunkirk, the outfit of his whaling ships was the revival of trade in that town, and the inhabitants welcomed the strangers who brought them wealth and prosperity. As the crews and the officers of the whaling ships were from Nantucket, and some of these had their families with them, there was a large number of Americans in Dunkirk. Many English also were attracted thither by the brisk business created by the fishery.

After a separation of two years, my mother resolved, even at the risk of her life, to join her husband in Dunkirk, and his parents and sisters went with her, all strict Quakers, and objects of curiosity to the French, who saw for the first time the peculiarities of that sect, and could not understand either their faith or their scruples.

The residence in a French town of such an exemplary family of Friends, was hailed by the English Quakers as affording an excellent opportunity for promulgating their doctrines, and a succession of preachers came over to Dunkirk for that purpose, and always stayed at our house. As they spake no French, my father used to act as their interpreter, but once, when he could not attend, a person was employed in his stead. The preacher began his discourse with these words, "Job was an upright man"; and they were rendered into a French expression equivalent to "Job was a tall, gentlemanly man," and the rest of the sermon was, probably, no nearer than that to the real meaning.

The peace principles of the Quakers will not allow of any demonstration of pleasure at a victory won by force of arms, in any cause, and when the whole town was in a ferment of joy for the success of the French arms, and was making great preparations for a general illumination, these conscientious Quakers refused to illuminate. The Mayor of Dunkirk was a good friend of my father, and urged him to do it as a mere act of self-preservation, "for," said he, the people will be so exasperated by your not illuminating, that they will commit some outrageous act of violence, from which I cannot protect you." Fully aware of the danger they would in

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cur, both father and son were resolved, in spite of all the remonstrances of their friends, not to illuminate; they would maintain their principles at all hazards.

When their neighbors were lighting up their houses, they shut their shutters, locked and barred their doors, and retired to a back parlor, to await their fate. It was a very solemn time for them all, and was spent in silent prayer. At the end of an hour, the door-bell rang, and my father chose to answer it, though he expected, on opening it, to be assailed by an angry mob. Instead of this, a friend entered, exclaiming, "I am glad to see that you have illuminated after all." "But I have not done it." "Yes, your house is illuminated, and very prettily done too." In utter amazement my father went into the street, and saw a large frame-work of wood covered with lights, and put up against the front of the house. This was the work of the Mayor to save the good Quakers from destruction.

Though the French could not comprehend the principles of these strange people, they honored them for their adherence to them, and always bore kindly with their peculiarities. Even when the town of Dunkirk was besieged by the English, and all citizens who could bear arms turned out to defend their homes from the invader, my father was excused from the duty of a sol

dier, and appointed commander of the fire department, a post of danger which he solicited. The firing of hot shot sometimes produced a conflagration, and that spot became the point toward which the enemy directed their guns. It was, of course, a dangerous place to those engaged in extinguishing the fire. My father thus proved that it was not cowardice that prevented his taking up arms.

I will now describe that siege of Dunkirk, as I have heard my father relate it.

One of the numerous acts of the British government to destroy the Revolutionary power in France, was sending a large force, under the command of the Duke of York, son of George III., to besiege and take the city of Dunkirk. He sat down before the town in the most approved manner of those times. The wide plain beyond the city was covered with the tents of the English army, while rows of cannon and mortars seemed to threaten the ancient walls of Dunkirk with certain destruction. The peaceful inhabitants were much alarmed, and every citizen capable of bearing arms was enrolled as a soldier; for there was no military force there, and the English might have marched into the town and taken it at once; but not knowing its defenceless state, they began to bombard it with hot and cold shot. Orders were given by the