information, one on whom he well knew he might safely depend.
Accordingly, Captain Nelson was dispatched on this business, which he
executed with his usual adroitness and success. He reflected that the
Albemarle, from it's having been formerly a French ship, might still be
taken for one on this occasion. Having, therefore, sailed for the
Spanish main, he hoisted French colours, and lay off the Havannah
harbour. While he remained in this situation, a boat filled with
scientific gentlemen, who had been collecting curious plants, and other
natural rarities, on the Spanish main, happening to pass near, he
ordered them to be hailed, and invited aboard. From these persons, who
had no suspicion that this French-built vessel, and under a French flag,
being addressed also in that language, was any other than it pretended
to be, very readily mentioned all the particulars relative to the force
and number of the ships in the harbour: their astonishment, however, is
not to be described, when they found themselves prisoners of war, on
board an English frigate. The worthy captain soon satisfied them, that
they had not fallen into the hands of free-booters; and, in
consideration of the scientific pursuits in which they were manifestly
engaged, the manner in which they had been captured, and the requisite
information with which they had faithfully furnished him, he told them,
in the handsomest way possible, after regaling them on board for some
time, that they should be at liberty to depart whenever they pleased,
with their boat and all it contained, on their parole of honour, to be
considered as prisoners, if his commander in chief should refuse to
acquiesce in their being thus liberated, which he did not think at all
likely to happen. Struck with such generosity of sentiment, they
earnestly entreated him to take whatever might be most acceptable from
their collection of natural curiosities, or any thing else they had to
offer; but he positively declined receiving any reward for doing what he
felt to be his duty under all the circumstances of the case, and they
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