or to return to England in the first neutral ship." Rear-Admiral
Sir Edward Pellew, commander-in-chief of the British naval forces in the
East Indies, tried to effect an exchange by the liberation of a French
officer of equal rank. But in this direction nothing was concluded.

Under these circumstances, with agreeable society, amidst sympathetic
friends, in a charming situation, well and profitably employed upon his
own work, Flinders spent over five years of his captivity. He never
ceased to chafe under the restraint, and to move every available
influence to secure his liberty, but it cannot be said that the chains
were oppressively heavy. Decaen troubled him very little. Once (in May,
1806) the General's anger flamed up, in consequence of a strong letter of
protest received from Governor King of New South Wales. King's affection
for Flinders was like that of a father for a son, and on receipt of the
news about the Cumberland his indignation poured itself out in this
letter to Decaen, with which he enclosed a copy of Flinders' letter to
him. It happened that, at the time of the arrival of the letter in
Ile-de-France, Flinders was on a visit to Port Louis, where he had been
permitted to come for a few days. The result of King's intervention was
that Decaen ordered him to return to Wilhelm's Plains, and refused the
application he had made to be allowed to visit two friends who were
living on the north-east side of the island.

John Elder, Flinders' servant, remained with him until June, 1806. He
might have left when there was a general exchange of prisoners in August,
1805, and another opportunity of quitting the island was presented in
April, 1806, when the lame seaman departed on an American ship bound for
Boston. But Elder was deeply attached to his master, and would have
remained till the end had not his mind become somewhat unhinged by
frequent disappointments and by his despair of ever securing liberation.
When his companion, the lame seaman, went away, Elder developed a form of
melancholy, with hallucinations, and appeared to be wasting away from
loss of sleep and appetite. Permission for him to depart was therefore
obtained, and from July, 1806, Flinders was the only remaining member of
the Cumberland's company.

Throughout the period of detention Flinders was placed on half-pay by the
Admiralty. It cannot be said that he was treated with generosity by the
Government of his own country at any time. He was not a