340 VOYAGE IN SILARCH 



US, informed us, that the fleet in which we in- 

 dulged the hope of going to Europe was not to 

 fail for fix or feven months ; and they afTured 

 us, that it was not probable that there would be 

 before that period any other opportunity for us 

 to return to our country. The dyfentery which 

 I had caught in the marfhes of the Strait of 

 Bouton made me fear that I Ihould experience a 

 return of it in the midft of the marflies of Ba- 

 tavia, the exhalations from which are ftill 

 more infalubrious: bcfides, Batavia is fo per- 

 nicious an abode to moft Europeans, efpe^ially 

 during the firfl: twelve months that they in- 

 habit it, that out of a hundred foldicrs who 

 arrive from Europe, there commonly die ninety 

 within the year ; the reft, who have become a 

 little inured to the. climate, drag on a lariguifh- 

 inej exiftence. The other Europeans who there 

 enjoy all the comforts of opulence, do not 

 perilh in fo frightful a proportion ; but with 

 the fcanty allowance that was granted to us 

 as prifoners of war, we could not hope to pro- 

 cure ourfc! ves there any other articles than thofe 

 of the firil neceftity. 



Citizen Piron and rnyfelf did not obtain per- 

 miflion to go to Batavia till the moment of the 

 departure of the Dutch fleet. Our companions 

 in misfortune, Laignel, Vcnrcnat, and Wil- 

 Jaumez. fet off to proceed thither ; and thp 



2 moment 



