Garden Prison .] TERR A AUSTRALIS. 
gave me some hopes, particularly after the reception of a note from 
him, promising to use his exertions to obtain a favourable change in 
my situation. Mr. Richardson, commander ol the Thetis, informed 
us some days afterward, that all the prisoners of war would be 
allowed to go to India in his ship, and that hopes were entertained 
of an application for me also being successful. Captain Bergeret 
did not call until the 3rd of July, al ter having used his promised 
endeavours in vain, as I had foreseen from the delay of his visit , foi 
every good Frenchman has an invincible dislike to be the bearer of 
disagreeable intelligence. 
On the 5th, a letter came from Mr. Lumsden, chief secretary 
of the government at Calcutta, acknowledging the receipt of mine 
addressed to the marquis Wellesley in May 1804; he said in reply, 
“ tli rit although the governor-general had felt the deepest t egret at 
“ the circumstances of my detention and imprisonment, it had 
“ not been in His Excellency’s power to remedy either before the 
<< present time. The ship Thetis,” he added, “ now proceeds to the 
(£ Isle of France as a cartel ; and I have the honour to transmit to 
“ you the annexed extract from the letter of the governor-general 
“ to His Excellency general De Caen, captain-general of the French 
“ establishments to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope. The 
“ governor-general entertains no doubt that the captain-general of 
“ the Isle of France will release you immediately on receipt of that 
“ letter.” 
Extract. — I avail myself of this opportunity to request your Excel- 
lency’s particular attention to the truly severe case of captain Flinders ; and 
I earnestly request Your Excellency to release captain Flinders imme- 
diately, and to allow him either to take his passage to India in the Thetis, or 
to return to India in the first neutral ship. 
Mr. Lumsden’s letter and the above extract were inclosed to 
me by the secretary of general De Caen, who at the same time said , 
