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[Page 3]
mencement of my captivity, has made me feel the disappointment less heavily. From the late change in administration and the consequent opening of an intercourse between the British and French governments, I am also induced to prolong my hopes, not only upon this head, but for an honourable termination to my imprisonment. The tyranny exercised upon that worthy man and excellent officer the late captain Wright, I see has excited much interest in England, and animadversion from our government; but of my even still more unprecedented case, the correspondence of the then Secretary of State is silent; for which, considering the nature of the representation to Mons. Talleyrand, I am unable to account.
The list for Dec.1805 informed me, that a new Investigator was then lying at Plymouth; and no captain or service being assigned to her, this has raised my conjectures. I was tempted to hope, that she was to be sent out here to me, under the command of one of my officers for the completion of our voyage; but twelve months having since elapsed, and everything, at least with me, remaining [in] the same state, this hope is nearly dissipated
Since my last letter, of July 28 by Mr. Larkins, my situation remains the same; and if the increased lapse of time has diminished my hopes of procuring attention from the French government, the departure of my friend captain Bergeret for Paris, and his promise to exert himself to this end, have kept them from vanishing altogether. General De Caën has also given him a similar commission, being as I am credibly informed revenu sur mon compte; [income on my account]; the same authority adds, "le principale [principal] obstacle à la cessation de votre captivité vient de ce que vous návez jamais été officiellement réclamé par votre gouvernement auprès du gouvernement Français"; [the main obstacle to the cessation of your captivity comes from the fact that you have never been officially claimed by your government from the French government]; how far this is actually the case, is unknown to me, but that such is the opinion of the general, I cannot doubt.
The fear of importuning you too much with my misfortunes, prevents me from making this letter any longer; I will, therefore, conclude with expressing the sentiments of respect and gratitude, with which I