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Port Louis.] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 365 
Next morning, the sentinel in our chamber was ordered to take 1803 - 
December. 
his station without side ; and in the afternoon M. Bonnefoy, the in- Monday 19. 
terpreter, came to say that business prevented the captain-general 
from seeing me before the following day. Mr. Aken had permis- 
sion to go on board the schooner under the conduct of an officer ; 
but not being allowed to remain, he brought away the time keeper, 
with my sextant and artificial horizon ; and we commenced a series 
of observations for a new error and rate, ready against the day of 
our departure. - 
Mr. Charrington came from the schooner on the 20 th to in- Tuesday 20. 
form me, that the seamen were committing many irregularities, 
taking spirits out of my cabin and going on shore as they pleased ; 
the French guard seeming to take little or no cognisance of their 
actions. At one o’clock, the interpreter and a military officer took 
me to the government house, and I expected to have an interview 
with the general and a termination put to our confinement. They 
shewed me into the secretary’s office, and requested a copy of my 
passport and commission ; and having made out one myself and 
signed them both, the interpreter then said the general was busy 
and could not see me that day ; and I was taken back without learn- 
ing when he would be at liberty, or what was intended to be done. 
As yet I was unable to comprehend any thing of the captain- 
general’s conduct ; but however great my indignation at seeing my 
liberty and time thus trifled with, it was to be feared that in writing 
to him for an explanation, before seeing what turn the affair would 
take, might be productive of more harm than good. The disorders 
on board the schooner, however, requiring immediate correction, I 
wrote a note to inform him of them ; requesting at the same time, 
that Mr. Aken might remain in the Cumberland, and that the caulk- 
ing of the vessel’s upper works and fresh boring of the pumps might 
be commenced, these being the principal objects for which 1 had 
stopped at the island. In the evening the interpreter called to say, 
that the corporal of the guard on board the schooner had been 
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