ative to the sailing of the cartel.

JUNE 1810

June 2, a salute of twenty-one guns was fired to celebrate the marriage
of the French emperor with the princess Maria Louisa of Austria. This
intelligence, accompanied with that of the capture of La Canonniere, was
brought by a ship from Bourdeaux, which had succeeded in getting into the
Black River, as had L'Atree frigate some weeks before. The entrance of
these vessels at the time that five or six of our ships were cruising
round the island, affords additional proof of the impossibility of
blockading it effectually, without a much more extensive force than so
small a spot can be thought to deserve. Mauritius owes this advantage
principally to its numerous hills; from whence vessels at sea are
informed by signal of the situation of the cruisers, and are thus enabled
to avoid them.

On the 7th, a parole made out by the English interpreter was brought on
board for me to sign; and at daylight of the 18th a pilot came to take
the cartel out of harbour, and we received forty-six seamen of the Sea
Flower and soldiers of the 69th; my sword was then delivered back, and
the following duplicate of the parole was given, with a certificate
annexed from colonel Monistrol.

I undersigned, captain in His Britannic Majesty's navy, having obtained
leave of His Excellency the captain-general to return in my country by
the way of Bengal, promise on my word of honour not to act in any service
which might be considered as directly or indirectly hostile to France or
its allies, during the course of the present war.

Matthew Flinders.

Je soussigne certifie que monsieur Mathieu Flinders, capitaine des
vaisseaux de Sa Majeste Britannique, a obtenu l'autorisation de Son
Excellence le capitaine-general De Caen de retourner dans sa patrie, aux
conditions enoncees ci-dessus, dont le double est reste entre mes mains.

Au Port Napoleon, Isle de France, le 7 Juin 1810.
L'adjutant commt., chef de l'etat-major-gen.

(Signed) Monistrol.

I had much feared to be laid under the obligation of going to India, and
of thus losing some months of time and incurring a considerable and
useless expense; but although the parole expresses the "having obtained
leave to return by the way of Bengal," neither the part containing my
promise nor the certificate of colonel Monistrol specified any particular
route; and the officer of the staff who delivered this duplicate, said he
supposed I should not lose time in