Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 2.djvu/132

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COA?!!? O1? AIJ?TRALIA. rl 1 pairs; but, from her being put into quarantine, ism, and other unforeseen delays, they were not cora. pieted for nearly a month: our sails were re* paired by the Mellai's sailmakers; slid, as our running rigging was condemned, and we had very little spare rope on board, her rope'makers made sut?cient for our wants, The greater part of our bread being found in a damaged state from leaks, was surveyed and condemned. Captain Flinders's* account of Mauritius

  • It afforded me very g?eat pleasure to hear the high terms in

which my late friend and prodecover Captain Flindere was spoken ? by* the inhabitants of this island, and their general regret at his infamous detention. His friend M. Pitot had lately died, but l met many French gentlemen who were acquainted with him. (?ene- ral Decaen, the governor, was so much disliked by the inhabitants, that Captain Flinders gained many friends at his expense, who would not otherwile have troubled themselves about him; and �t!? circumstance, probably, went far towards increasing the seve- rity of the treatment he so unjustly'received. An anecdote ofhlm w*? related to me by a resident of Port Louis, which, as it re- dmmd? to hi? honor, I cannot !o?e the gratiRcatiou of recording. When Captain Flinders was at the house of Madame d*Arifat, in !he district of Plains Willterns, in which he was latterly permitted to ?*side upon his parole, an opportunity of escaping from the islaod w? offered to him by the commander of a ship bound to India: it was urged to him by his friends that, from the tyrannical treat* sent he had received, and the unjustl�e .de?sties he was en- dating, no parole to such a man as Oeneral Decnon ought to be thought binding, or prevent him from regaining his liberty, and bracing any opportunity of returning to his friends and country. The e?cope was well planned, and no chance of discovery likely to hoppen: the ?hip nailed from Port Louis, and at night, bringing to