Garden Prison,'] 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
393 
his power; but both Mr. Aken and myself contrived to pass 
some months neither uselessly nor disagreeably. We associated 
at table with Mr. Robertson and the two young gentlemen of the 
Dddaigneuse, by which our society was enlivened ; and between the 
employments of copying my bearing book and defaced journals, 
making some astronomical observations, reading, and the amuse- 
ments of music, walking in the inclosure, and an old billiard table 
left in the house, the days passed along rather lightly than other- 
wise. A prisoner or two were occasionally added to our number 
from the prizes brought in; but when amounting to six or eight, 
they were marched off’ to join the other merchant officers at Flacq. 
The seamen there were kept closely confined ; but the officers 
enjoyed some share of liberty, and were as happy as they could 
make themselves upon fourteen dollars a month, in a place where 
the necessaries of life were exorbitantly dear ; the hospitality of the 
French families in the neighbourhood, however , aided them con- 
siderably, and they spoke of the kindness and attention received 
in high terms. 
On June i, captain Neufville, the officer commanding the 
guard over the Prison, demanded all the spy-glasses in our possession ; 
at the same time promising that each should be returned when the 
owner had permission to quit the island, and threatening those with 
close confinement in the tower, by whom any glass should be 
concealed. There was no cause to doubt the authority captain 
Neufville had to make the threat, but it should seem he had none to 
promise., the restitution of the glasses ; for I saw all the officers 
depart, and to the best of my knowledge not one of them could 
obtain their own. When Mr. Robertson quitted the island, and he 
was one of the first, his spy-glass was not to be found. The French 
gentleman to whom he delegated his claim, wrote to the town major 
upon the subject; and the answer was, that all arms and instruments 
taken from prisoners of war were the lawful property of the captors, 
as a reward for their courage ; that for himself, he had not taken 
vol. ii. 3 E 
Ifl04. 
May. 
June. 
