Port Louis .] 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
381 
walk out, and perhaps depart altogether, so soon as three Dutch 
ships commanded by rear-admiral Dekker should have sailed. These 
ships were loaded with pepper from Batavia, and bound to Europe ; 
and it seemed possible that one reason of our detention might be to 
prevent English ships gaining intelligence of them by our means ; 
but this could be no excuse for close imprisonment and taking away 
my charts and journals, whatever it might be made for delaying our 
departure. 
Finding it impossible to obtain the third volume of my log 
book, the charts of Torres’ Strait and the Gulph of Carpentaria were 
finished without it; fortunately the journal kept by Mr. Aken in the 
Cumberland had not been taken away, and it proved of great assist- 
ance. Our time passed on in this manner, hoping that the Dutch 
ships would sail, and that general De Caen would then suffer us to 
depart, either in the Cumberland or some other way ; the surgeon 
came almost daily, on account of my scorbutic sores, and the inter- 
preter called frequently. I was careful not to send out my servant 
often, for it appeared that he was dogged by spies, and that people 
were afraid of speaking to him ; the surgeon and interpreter were 
almost equally cautious with me, so that although in the midst of a 
town where news arrived continually from some part of the world, 
every thing to us was wrapped in mystery; and M. Bonnefoy after- 
wards acknowledged, in answer to a direct question put to him, that 
an order had been given to prevent us receiving any intelligence. 
On the 29th, admiral Dekker sailed with his three ships; and 
whilst anxiously expecting some communication, the interpreter 
called to inform me that an order had been given for the schooner 
to be moved up the harbour, and the stores to be taken out; and he 
wished to know if Mr. Aken should be present at making the inven- 
tory. I asked what was to be done with us, — with my books and 
papers ? To which he answered by a shrug of the shoulders : he 
had come only for the purpose of executing his order. On each of 
the two following days Mr. Aken was taken down to the schooner.; 
1804. 
Jwiuary. 
