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[Page 5]
to France, will include my books, papers, charts etc of all of which a part is still kept from me.
I have learnt privately, that in the dispatches with which I was charged by governor King, and which were taken from me by the French general, a demand was made for troops to be sent out to Port Jackson for the purpose of annoying Spanish America, in the event of another war, and that this is considered to be a breach of my passport. 'Tis pity that governor King should have mentioned anything that could involve me in the event of a war, either with the French at Mauritius, or the Dutch at Timor or the Cape; or that having mentioned anything relating to war, he did not make me acquainted, in a general way, with the circumstance; in which case I should have thrown them overboard, on learning that war was declared; but as I was situated, having little apprehension of being made a prisoner, and no idea that the dispatches had any reference to war, since it was a time of peace when I left Port Jackson, I did not see the necessity of throwing them overboard at a hazard. To be the bearer of any dispatches in time of peace, cannot be incorrect for a ship on discovery more than for any other, but with a passport and in time of war, it certainly is improper. I do not however, presume to blame governor King. After a misfortune has happened, we all see very well the proper steps that ought to have been taken to avoid it: to be endued with a never-failing foresight is not within the power of man; I only request that he, and all the friends of science would use their endeavours to remedy the misfortunes that have befallen me, and the produce of my voyage, in consequence.
In the letters that I received from Mrs. Flinders at the same time that I was favoured with your letter of June 20 1805, she speaks of coming out here to me. Since my detention, after continuing more than two years, now seems likely to be extended to the uncertain termination of the war, perhaps to ten years, I have left it entirely to her determination to make the voyage or not, provided she can be certain that no orders for my return to Europe have been given, and provided she meets with such an opportunity of conveyance as I have pointed out. May I request of you, Sir Joseph, to favour her with information you may have from France, and your opinion of her undertaking the voyage. No man can know better than you the difficulties of such a voyage for a woman, and your heart will tell you the distress and hardships of a separation, without end, of two young people so attached to each other as we are.