382 A VO V AGE TO [ Al Mauritius^. 
1804. for he accepted the proposition to accompany the officers for the sake 
January. ^ ^ Wa lk, and in the hope of obtaining some intelligence. He 
found the poor Cumberland covered with blue mold within side, and 
many of the stores in a decaying state, no' precautions having been 
taken to preserve her from the heat or the rains ; the F rench inven- 
February. tory was afterwards brought to him to be signed, but he refused it 
with my approbation. 
This new proceeding seemed to bespeak the captain-general 
to have finally taken his resolution to keep us prisoners ; and my 
disappointment at seeing it, instead of receiving back my books and 
papers and permission to depart, was extreme. In the hope to 
obtain some information I wrote a note on the 3rd, to solicit ol 
His Excellency the honour of an audience ; and five days having 
elapsed without an answer, the interpreter was requested to deliver 
a message to the same effect. He presently returned with the con- 
cise answer, No; but afterwards told me in conversation that the 
general had said, “ captain Flinders might have known that I did 
“ not wish to see him, by not giving an answer to his note. It is 
“ needless for me to see him, for the conversation will probably be 
“ such as to oblige me to send him to the tower.” 
My intention in requesting the audience was to have offered 
certain proposals to the general’s consideration, and if possible to 
obtain some explanation of the reasons for a detention so extraor-^ 
dinary, and now protracted beyond six weeks; and being disap- 
pointed in this, a letter was written on the 12th, containing the fol- 
lowing propositions. 
1st. If your Excellency will permit me to depart with my 
vessel, papers, &c., I will pledge my honour not to give any inform- 
ation of the Isle of France or any thing belonging to it, for a limited 
time, if it be thought that I can have gained any information; or il 
judged necessary, any other restrictions can.be laid upon me. If this 
will not be complied with, I request, 
2nd, to be sent to France. 
