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[Page 3]
motives & of my opinions than to enquire into the particulars of what Mr. Serle had alleged, & to attempt to answer them. I was pleased to find they had made various reforms, distributed clothing to many naked wretches, given some additional allowance to the more emaciated, & confirmed the salutary establishment of a Committee of prisoners to judge of the quality of their rations, positively contracted for by Government, but which had not been carried into effect under the reduced allowance, or if carried into effect had fallen into disuse. They had not indeed done all that was required but more might be expected. I thought no more of myself, but rested Satisfied.
A day or two afterwards I met on the road Maj.r General Nichols (the General of this district) a brave & honourable Soldier. Perceiving some shyness in his manner, I introduced the subject of his interview at the prison with the Commissioners, & asked him if he heard my letter read. The General told me he had, & without entering into the merits of the question added with a generous frankness that a circumstance had occurred which he wished I could explain as it seemed to him to bear directly on my honour. In that part of my letter where Dr. Cochrane is mentioned, the Doctor being present when it was read, was interrogated as to the truth of the representation in as far as he was implicated, & it appeared to him (the General) & the officers of his Staff that he directly denied it. So serious an imputation demanded an instant explanation. I told the General it should be made without delay. I applied to the Doctor by a note, inclosing [enclosing] him the form of a letter which he was required to sign & which he signed accordingly. It purported