"the Shape & Sise of Hell in Miniture"
St Vincent - Prison Journal

"An Account of the Emprisonment of Jn.o Bulmer In the Lemoeira Lisbon from the 21th of December 1797/ Togeather With His Sundry Expences &c", providing a month-by-month description of the nearly two year's imprisonment of John Bulmer, a cobbler by trade (see p.55), serving as mate on the transport Sally of London, accused by the Portuguese authorities of conniving at the theft of gunpowder taken "from on board of the Selvadore de Monde & St Nicholass His M. prises Captured by Erl St. Vincant febuarey 14th 1797" ("...about 7. PM...I was took out By One of the Commissioners Officers & 2 Other Ragged fellous who tyed my hands With a Courd and led me through the streets Which Way I knew not. at length I cume to the Gates of a Huge Prison...I was then Enterd in a Dungon three Storey beneath the Earth Whare Remained A Robber and a Merderer the Instant I had entred this horid place the dores was Shut & I was left without a spark of Leight. by this time it was Midnight 22nd [December] & I being Much fateaged put off My Jacket & Shoes & Laid them under my head for a pillow...thus I Remained alone Vewing With little Leight I had the Shape & Sise of Hell in Miniture I found the Length to Bee 45 feet & the Bredth 7 feet. the Woals I Supposed to be Near 18 feet thick with a Window of Iron Bars...the Cheeks & top of the Doors Was of Arch Work all stone. in the frunt of the West Window Was a table of stone for setting my Victules upon & on which Stoud a Gar of Water..."), describing, inter alia, how he and fellow prisoners had petitioned for Lord St Vincent to intercede for them, and how he refused to help ("...for some time after hearing this Nuse I Was out of My Sences..."), and how, eventually, through the agency of George Roach of the British Factory at Lisbon, his release was secured, c.100 numbered pages, stitched, some dust-staining and soiling, dog-eared, but overall in good sound condition, narrow folio, December 1797 to November 1799