The dog we killed yesterday was put to good use today. We also received a bag of potatoes by donation today which went well with the dog.

Today, Mr. Cowdry informed us that if we delivered those responsible for digging the escape hole that the remainder of us should be restored to full allowance but no one was ready to comply. Two of our younger men volunteered themselves up this afternoon, taking responsibility for the hole. We shall all support them in gratitude for their sacrifice.

January 8. 1779
There are so many on half allowance that those with full allowance cannot support us. Many of our men are desperate with hunger and so we managed to catch and kill a dog which we will eat tomorrow, although his liver was promptly roasted today. We have been at Plymouth now 2 years to the day.

January 5. 1779
Captain Boardman from our ship escaped again last night and has not been brought back yet. We have counted the number of others who have been returned since our escape on the 28th and only 24 out of the original 109 are still free.

January 1. 1779
Today many of us are on half allowance after attempting to escape on the 28th of December. My friends and I were captured yesterday after making our way several miles from Plymouth before being spied by some of the local people who raised the alarm. There are so many of us that made our escape through the hole under the wall and were later captured that we cannot all fit in the black hole and therefore we are back in the Long Prison and are divided into messes for our half rations. Our officers who escape have the advantage of friends and money to aid them on their way, neither of which the common foremast hand can claim, giving us little hope of making our way out of England.

December 23. 1778
Today Mr. Heath and Mr. Sorrey delivered the last of the clothes remaining from the donation, which is a hard blow to us all.

On the 18th instant Captain Ross of our ship escaped from the officer’s prison. On the evening of the 21st instant Mr. Salter and Captain Boardman made their escape but Captain Boardman was later captured and committed to the Black Hole.

December 18. 1778
We have news again that two ships will be engaged in Portsmouth to carry us to Boston.

December 16. 1778
It has been over two years since we sailed from Portsmouth and nearly two years since our capture by the Raisonable. There has been some rumor of a cartel being arranged to exchange us for British held captive by the Americans, but our hopes were dashed several days past when we learned that the British Parliament had renewed the act which committed us to Mill Prison in the first place. We also received bad news from Mr. Heath and Mr. Sorrey telling us that the donation money which has greatly helped us is now run out. We are now on regular government rations which are somewhat better in quality than previously.

Two days past John Lott and Indian from the Charming Sally crew died, he being the seventh man to die since we were taken.