Among all these successes,--which, however inconsiderable they really might be, were yet occasions of triumph for them,--there remained one great source of chagrin, which was the capture of the long-boat and of the ten men who had landed in it. It became necessary, therefore, to think seriously of some means of rescuing them. For this reason, on Monday morning, after having consulted among themselves and held council after council, they came to find me, to say that, their ship dragging considerably, perhaps on account of the currents, which are very strong in these latitudes, or perhaps because they had only one small anchor remaining, they could not longer hold their anchorage, and they thought, therefore, of going to Surinam, a Dutch colony, twenty-four leagues or thereabouts from Cayenne; but, however, they very much wished to receive first some news of their long-boat and the people who had landed on Saturday. I told them, in reply, “that this was very easy; that it was only necessary to fit out one of the boats which they had taken from us, and to send it to Cayenne with the proposal for an exchange of prisoners.” “But would they be willing to receive us?” they asked me; “would they not inflict on us some injury? Would they permit us to return?” It was easy for me to remove doubts which had so little foundation, by telling them, as is the case, “that the law of nations is the same in all countries; that the French did not pride themselves less than the English in observing it; that nothing was so common among civilized people as to see the generals mutually sending heralds-at-arms, trumpeters, or drummers, to carry their terms of agreement; and that, therefore, they need have no fear for those of their crew whom they might send to land.” After renewed consultations, which they held among themselves, they began to make their proposals, some of which I found to be entirely unreasonable. For example, they wished to have returned to them their boat with all the arms, and to have all the prisoners released, whatever might be their number, in exchange for only four Frenchmen, which was our number. I answered him, “that I did not think they would accede to this article of war; that, as far as it related to men, the usage is to change them head for head.” “But, you alone, do you not value yourself as much as thirty sailors?” said one of the crowd to me. “No, certainly,” I answered; “a man of my profession, in time of war, should not count for any thing.” “All this is very well for wit,” said the captain; “but, since you take it in that way, I must go and make sail. I am able very well to bear the loss of ten men; it leaves me a large enough crew to continue my voyage.”