Garden Prison .] 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
403 
to France, where the decision of my fate was remitted ; and where, 
should the judgment of the French government be favourable, it 
could be immediately followed by a return to my country and fa- 
mily, and the resumption of my peaceable labours. No answer being 
given at the end of a week, a second letter was sent, inclosing a copy 
of the extract from captain Baudin ; and His Excellency was re- 
quested to compare the treatment of the French commander at Port 
Jackson with what I had received at Mauritius, and at least to give 
Mr. Aken and myself the liberty of some district in the island where 
we might take exercise, and find the amusement necessary to the 
re-establishment of our health ; but neither of these letters obtained 
any reply, or the least notice. 
Mr. Aken had been removed to the hospital in September, and 
after a stay of six weeks had returned, more from finding himself 
so ill accommodated and fed than from the improvement in his 
health. He now declined rapidly ; and my own health was impaired 
by a constitutional gravelly complaint to which confinement had 
given accelerated force, and by a bilious disorder arising partly from 
the same cause, from the return of hot weather, and discouraging 
reflections on our prospects. We were therefore visited by Dr. 
Laborde, principal physician of the medical staff, who judged the air 
and exercises of the country to be the most certain means of restora- 
tion ; and in order to our procuring them, lie gave a certificate which 
I sent to general De Caen through colonel Monistrol, then become 
town major. No answer was returned ; but after some days it was 
told me that Dr. Laborde had received a message from the general, 
desiring him not to interfere with matters which did not concern 
him ; and this was the sole mark of attention paid to his certificate 
r or to our situation.* 
Being thus disappointed in every attempt to procure an 
* The doctor had said in his certificate, “ J’estime qu’il faut prove nir l’augmenta- 
tion tie ses maux ; et en le secourant Apropos, e'est assurer la conservation d’un homme 
“ dont les tiavaux, doivent servir aux progr&s des sciences, et & l’utilitd de ses semblables.’ 5 
1804 . 
December. 
1805 . 
January. 
