Address:
Sir Joseph Banks

      M^rs Anne [sic] Flinders
          Barton
          Lincolnshire

Soho Square
June 4 1804

Madam

          I am as much at a loƒs as you
Can be relative to the manner in which Capt Flinders
Fell into the hands of the French, but from the Papers I
have seen I conjecture the following Series of
Events to have taken Place
        That Capt Flinders & his crew arrivd [sic]
Safe at Port Jackson in the investigator, from Timor
That the investigator was condemnd [sic] there as not being
fit for the Service of discovery
That Capt Flinders & his People embarkd [sic] on board the
Porpoise in order to Return home through the
Streights [sic] he had discoverd [sic] between New Holland &
New Guinea
That his First Lieut M^r Fowler was made Commander
of that ship, in order to pave the way to his future
Preferment
The history of the Shipwreck is exactly as it is Stated

except only that 8 of the Catos people were Lost
& the whole of the Porpoises escaped safe &
unhurt
Capt Flinders's arrival at Port Jackson in the
Cutter you know, & it appears certain that proper
aƒsistance would in due time be sent to the
Shipwreckd [sic] crew
I conjecture that Capt Flinders found a veƒsel of some
sort at Port Jackson ready to Sail for England
& took his Paƒsage in her
That this Ship was seizd [sic] at the Isle of France
where she had touchd [sic] not knowing of the war
There is however no reason to doubt that he will be
well treated there, it is Bonaparte only who ill treats
his Prisoners, in the Foreign ports belonging to France
they have always treated their Prisoners well as
we do theirs & left ^allowd officers to have a good
Proportion of Liberty on their Parole
        We have also every reason to hope
that Capt Flinders will be exchangd [sic] before it is
long, we have a Fleet superior to the French
Fleet in those seas & our admiral is anxiously
employd [sic] in seeking for a meeting with them
However this takes place we may fairly have this

{Mercy} Prisoner will be taken by us & we can have
no doubt that an exchange of Prisoners in the East
Indies will immediately take place.
        I am as anxious to see your
Gallant & Excellent husband as any of his best
friends can be, he has done much since he
was employd [sic] in his last expedition to increase
my Regard for him & nothing which can in any
degree diminish it
        His Recent Misfortune is one
of the Calamities of war which you & I must bear
with as much patience as we can muster, his
absence for some time is unavoidable but
shall have the more pleasure in seeing his
Return & I can not help hoping & almost
expecting that we shall have that good fortune
ere long
                  I am Madam
            your Obedient Hble Servt
                  Js: Banks