Cotton was at the tip-top, and very soon Shannon was
presented with an account of purchase, and draft so far beyond his
limits, that he demurred, and rejected the purchase entirely; but
some plot should be laid to entrap him. The factor undertook the
force game, notified him that the cotton was held subject to his
order, and protested the draft for the appearance of
straightforwardness. Cotton shortly fell to the other extreme, the
lot was "shoved up" for sale on Shannon's account, Shannon was sued
for the balance, held to bail, and in default committed to prison.
His confinement and endurance of it would form a strange chapter in
the history of imprisonment for debt. Carrying his money with him,
he closed the door of his cell, and neither went out nor would allow
any one but the priest to enter for more than three years; and for
eleven years and seven months he paced the room upon a diagonal line
from corner to corner, until he wore the first flooring, of two-and-
a-quarter-inch pine, entirely through.
I might go on and tell of many others, whose poverty was well known,
and yet suffered years of imprisonment for debt; but I find I have
digressed. I must relate an amusing affair which took place this
morning between Manuel Pereira, the steward of the English brig
Janson, which put into this port in distress, and the jailer.
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