etoes, and the bites
of these noxious insects upon bodies ready to break out with scurvy,
produced effects more than usually painful and disagreeable. Being almost
covered with inflamed spots, some of which had become ulcers on my legs
and feet, I wrote to the captain-general, requesting the assistance of a
surgeon; and also to know under what limitations he would allow me to
write to the Admiralty of Great Britain, and to my family and friends;
but the main subject was left untouched, in expectation of an answer to
the former letter.

In the afternoon, one of the aides-de-camp said that His Excellency did
not prevent me from writing to whom I pleased; but that my letters must
be sent open to the town major, who would forward them to their address.
The same evening a surgeon, who did not speak English, came to our room;
next morning [SATURDAY 24 DECEMBER 1803] he returned with the
interpreter, and finding the ulcers to be scorbutic, ordered me, in
addition to his dressings, to drink plentifully of lemonade and live upon
fruit and vegetables. Their visit was repeated on the following day
[SUNDAY 25 DECEMBER 1803]; but nothing transpired relative to the
general's intentions, nor to any answer proposed to be given to my letter
of the 21st; and I therefore wrote another in the following terms.

Sir,

From whatever cause it may be that I have received no answer to my letter
of the 21st last, I shall yet continue to do my duty to my government and
the cause of discovery, by pointing out every circumstance that may have
a probability of inducing you to liberate my people, my vessel, and
myself.

A former letter showed, that upon the principles adopted in voyages of
discovery by your own nation, the plea for detaining me a prisoner was
untenable; and also that independently of any passport, it ill became the
French nation to stop the prosecution of a voyage of discovery,
especially one carried on with the zeal that mine has hitherto been. In
this letter I shall endeavour to point out another circumstance, at least
as important as the former, so far as regards the injustice of my
detainer. In this point of view then, Sir, I shall admit, that to make
any remarks upon a port which might enable either myself or others to
come into it again with more facility, or which might give information
concerning the refreshments and articles of commerce to be procured at
it, is, although made in time of peace, a crime; and consequently, t