Two seamen, one an Englishman, and the other a Frenchman, were tried for desertion from one of our frigates.

They had left their ship about three months, when the frigate captured a French privateer, and found them on board as part of her crew.

For the Englishman, of course, there was no defence; he merited the punishment of death, to which he was immediately sentenced.
There may be some excuse for desertion, when we consider that the seamen are taken into the service by force, but there could be none for fighting against his country.

But the case of the Frenchman was different.

He was born and bred in France, had been one of the crew of the French gunboats at Cadiz, where he had been made a prisoner by the Spaniards, and expecting his throat to be cut every day, had contrived to escape on board of the frigate lying in the harbour, and entered into our service, I really believe to save his life.