Address:
M^rs Anne [sic] Flinders
      Partney near Spilsby
            Lincolnshire

Annotation: N^o 38         June 7^th 1810

                            Wilhems Plains in the Isle of France
                                          June 15. 1809

My dearest friend

      I am awaked at five o'clock this morning with
the information that all the English prisoners in this island are to be
exchanged with our ships cruizing off, and that if I wish to write
by them my letter must be at the port before noon: and in that case,
captain Henry Lynne of the navy, one of the prisoners with whom I
have had some correspondence, will take charge of them. The only letter
I have time to write for England, is to thee my best love; to say to the [sic]
that my health is good, and my situation as yet exactly the same, and
in the same family as before.
      Ships are expected daily from France, and as I know
that one copy of my memoir to memorial to the marine minister is ar-
rived, I hope for the speedy reception of an order, either to set me at liber-
ty or to send me to France, which general De Caen shall not be able
to find pretexts to avoid executing. My great apprehension is, that
the ships bearing copies of this order, being taken by our cruizers, all the
letters will be thrown overboard, and my imprisonment be thus prolonged
by my very countrymen. — I have written to admiral Bertie, comman-
der in chief at the Cape, who I hope will take such measures as that
I may have my liberty in August or September, if I am not sent to
France before; but my disappointments have been so great and so nume-

-rous, that I can have entire confidence in nothing.
      My last letter to thee, dated Feb. 27. and 28, last, was also
sent by a cartel which carried Portuguese prisoners to Rio Janeiro in
Brazil. I wrote by that occasion to Sir Joseph Banks, and to Standert
but have not time to do the same now. To the latter I enclosed a bill
upon the Navy Board for £268.10, a duplicate ^{the second} of one sent by a prece-
ding letter, and desired him to inform thee of its being received, and
whether the Navy Board had accepted it. It is for that part of my perso-
nal pay due, and I was not certain whether the admiralty considered
me to be upo still upon full pay, though I suppose they will so long
as I am detained here.
      The messenger says he is ready to set off, I must then once
more bid thee an adieu, from this distance! When thou writest to our
friends pray at Boston, Donington, Spalding, Tidd &^c pray remember
me affectionately to them all. To Samuel I beg of thee to write particu-
larly, to say how my affair stands; and if thou hast a correspondence
with Sir Joseph Banks, inform him of the date of this letter and of the
then state of my prospects; adding, that it is very certain, general
De Caen will never release me during the war, even for an order from
his government, so long as that order is not positive, or can admit
of any pretext for invasion.
      I hope our ministry will have requested such an order as I

desire, and that it will be sent out to the Cape; for French ships are
at present an uncertain conveyance.
      Adieu then my best love; Confide in an all-protecting Pro-
vidence, and in the inviolable affection and tender friendship of
                      thy Matt^w Flinders

      My affectionate remembrances to thy family, and that at Enderby
must by no means be forgotten.