When Cork, or rather the Cove of Cork, now called Queenstown, was reached and the _Solebay_ cast anchor, the rumor spread through the cove that a number of American rebels were on board. Allen was standing on deck looking over the finest harbor in Europe, when his attention was called to a small boat hailing the war ship. Some men climbed up on deck and asked for Col. Allen, of America. Allen was so close that he could not help hearing, and he answered that he was Ethan Allen. John Hays, a merchant of Cork, clasped Allen's hand and tried to speak, but, instead of words, tears flowed down his cheeks and his voice was choked. When he did master his emotion he exclaimed, with patriarchal fervor: "Heaven bless you and all brave men like you who are fighting for liberty." He introduced his friend, merchant Clark, also of Cork, and said their mission was to offer the patriots such things as they stood in need of. Clothes, or money, or food would be willingly given if Allen would only say what was most needed. The offer was gratifying, and Allen expressed a wish for clothes for the prisoners. He explained that, though prisoners for several months, they had not received a change of clothes, and that some were absolutely in rags. The next day a boat well laden pulled to the _Solebay_, and suits of clothes were found for each of the thirty-four prisoners. A complete suit of underwear, an outer suit of warm material, an overcoat and two extra shirts, were bestowed on each of the prisoners, while Allen received superfine broadcloth sufficient for two jackets, and two pairs of breaches, in addition to a suit already made. He also received eight fine Holland shirts and socks ready made, a number of pairs of silk hose, two pairs of shoes, two beaver hats, one of which, richly laced with gold, came from James Bonwell, a wealthy merchant of Cork. On the following day the boat returned to the ship laden with wines, spirits, sugar, tea and chocolate, a large round of picked [Transcriber's note: pickled?] beef, a number of fat turkeys and many other articles for Allen's personal use, while each of the men received two pounds of tea and six pounds of sugar, with plenty of meat, chickens and turkeys for the mess table of the prisoners. Two days after the receipt of the stores the captain prohibited anything more being delivered to the prisoners, and took away everything which the men of Cork had given except the clothing. He shouted himself hoarse about the way the rebels were being feasted. "I heard him say," says Ethan Allen, in his autobiography, "that by all that was holy the American rebels should not be feasted by the rebels of Ireland." An application was made by the Mayor of Cork for permission to be granted to Ethan Allen to attend a banquet to be given in his honor by the city, the mayor and ten leading citizens being willing to give bond for his return to the ship the next morning.