410 
A VOYAGE TO 
[At Mauritius. 
1805. 
March. 
April. 
May. 
instructions to La Pdrouse, &c., and counsellor of state, who might 
be supposed to interest himself in my voyage ; and annpxcd to the 
letter copies of papers showing the reception given to the French 
ships at Port Jackson, and the necessity which had forced me to stop 
at Mauritius ; and begged him in the name of humanity and the 
sciences, to use his influence that I might either be permitted to con- 
tinue the voyage, or otherwise be ordered to France for examination. 
My worthy friend Pitot wrote to the same effect, to M. De Bougain- 
ville, the navigator and counsellor of state, — to M. De la Lande, the 
astronomer, — to M. Chaptal, minister of the interior, and to M. 
Dupuis, counsellor of state ; and admiral Linois had the goodness to 
write to M. De Fleurieu in favour of my request. At the same time 
I wrote to the secretary of the Admiralty, inclosing a copy of the 
first letter ; and all these being sent away in duplicate, by oppor- 
tunities which occurred soon afterward, every step seemed to have 
been taken that could afford any hope of liberty and the restitution 
of my books and papers. 
The fate of my officers and people on board the Rolla had been 
a subject of some anxiety ; but about this time I had the satisfaction 
to learn from the public papers, that they had arrived safely in 
England ; that lieutenant Fowler and the officers and company of 
the Porpoise had been honourably acquitted of all blame for the loss 
of the ship, and that Mr. Fowler had much distinguished himself in' 
the action between the China fleet and admiral Linois’ squadron. 
Permissions being granted to several prisoners to go away on 
their parole in American vessels, Mr. Aken, who still remained at 
the hospital, conceived hopes that his might pass amongst the rest, 
if he applied. In this notion I encouraged him, since my own pro- 
spects were so obscure; and recommended that his plea should turn 
wholly upon his long-continued ill health, and to say nothing of his 
connexion with me. The application was made accordingly; and on 
the 7th, he came to the Garden Prison with the unexpected informa- 
tion of being then at liberty to depart, on giving his parole “ not to 
