"I have now been kept in prison seven months. The time passes
drearily along, and I have yet to remain five months longer before
any orders are likely to be received concerning me from the French
Government; and then it is uncertain of what nature they may be,
since it is not known what statement the General has made of my
particular case; and probably the vessels carrying the despatches
will be taken, and the letters thrown overboard, in which case it
cannot be guessed how long I may be kept. My dependence,
therefore, is on the Admiralty demanding me to be given up, by
virtue of the French passport, in which, even here it is
acknowledged, there has been no infringement on my part further
than in intention, which intention has been misconstrued and
misunderstood by a man violent against the name of an Englishman,
and ignorant of what relates to voyages of discovery.

"This arbitrary man is now doing me the greatest injury without
even making a plea for it. His own subjects (for he is a most
despotic monarch), Frenchmen, who are acquainted with the
circumstances, condemn him for it; but the generality cannot
believe that the commander of a voyage of discovery, whose labour
is calculated for the good of all nations, should be kept a
prisoner without something greatly wrong on his part; and, since
no crime is charged against me, it is currently reported here that
I have not the requisite papers to prove my identity.

"I hope, Sir Joseph, that, even from the charts which I have sent
home, you will think we did as much as the lateness of the season
with which we first came upon the coast, and the early rottenness
of the _Investigator_ could well allow; and I think our labours
will not lose on a comparison with what was done by the