TERRA. xAUSTRALlS. 
3T9 
the chart of the Gulph of Carpentaria ; and this employment served 
to divert my chagrin, and the indignation which, however useless it 
might be, I could not but feel at the author of our imprisonment. 
The want of my log book, however, was a great obstacle to laying 
down the parts seen in the Cumberland ; and nothing mot e having 
been said of it, a short letter was written to general De Caen on the 
5th, reminding him that the log was necessary to the construction 
of my charts, and that only a small part of the printed books had 
yet been delivered. A verbal answer was brought by the interpreter, 
and two days afterward the books came from the schooner; but 
respecting the log no answer was made. 
The sentinel placed at the door of our chambers ( for we had 
a few days before obtained a second, with musketo curtains to our 
beds), became unusually strict at this time, scarcely allowing the 
master of the tavern, or even the interpreter or surgeon to see us ; and 
one day, hearing me inquire the name of some dish in French from 
the slave who waited at dinner, the sentinel burst into the room and 
drove away the poor affrighted black, saying that we were not to speak 
to any person. Previously to this, a Dutch, a Swiss, a Norwegian, 
and two American gentlemen had called ; but except the Swiss, who 
found means to bid us good day occasionally without being no- 
ticed, not one came a second time, for fear of being held in a 
suspicious light by the government ; and now, the surgeon and 
interpreter were not admitted without a written order. Two appli- 
cations had been made by the surgeon in my behalf, to walk in the 
fields near the town ; the last was personally to the captain-general, 
but although he might have caused a sentinel to tollow, or a whole 
guard if thought necessary, an unqualified refusal was given to M. 
Chapotin’s humane request. 
tion with the Coepang rate, was 57“ 40' 40", 5, or 10' 43", 5 greater than afterwards ob- 
tained from twenty-seven sets of lunar distances. In laying down the track fro n Timor, 
this error lias been equally distributed throughout the thirty fivfe days between November 
14 and December 19, 1803. 
| 
1804. 
January. 
