Address:
London May the twenty third 1807

          M^rs Flinders


W Fawkener
Partney
Spilsby

Soho Square
May 22 1807

Madam

          Your Letter unfortunately has
been in search of me in Lincolnshire where I
was for a few days on Election busineƒs it came
to my hands only yesterday or it would have been
Sooner acknowledgd. [sic]
        it greives [sic] me to hear that Capt
Flinders after having for so long supported with
manly fortitude the very disgraceful Treatment
he has met with from these Enemies to humanity
the French has at last given way to the oppreƒsion
& sufferd [sic] his spirit to flag I can not however have
a doubt from the well known Energies of his
mind that his Low Spirits are only a temporary
attack of depreƒsion which will not be Lasting
        Respecting the poƒsibility of his
having Receivd [sic] the news of his Liberation at
this time it certainly depended on the opportunity
the French may have had of sending off the orders
given in Capt Flinders favor The order for
his Liberation aƒsured in March & three copies

of it were sent to the Coast to be forwarded
by neutrals it is not however probable that many
Neutrals at that time were to be sent with the Mail
from France to the Isle of Reunion. The Americans
who frequent that Island rarely sail from America
to India without touching at France it clearly
therefore appears Probable that the dispatch forwarded
by the Admiralty to Sir Edw^d Pellew in December
last would bring the first news of this has no
doubt before this time Reachd [sic] the Island & I
have reason also to beleive [sic] that it has been or
soon will be attackd [sic] by an English Force so
that we have now every degree of hope that
your husband either already is or soon will
be set free
              I am Madam
                your obedient Hble Servt
                        Js: Banks