Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/369

] was a good-natured young man, and in general very temperate; but, during that day, had drunk so much strong liquor, as to justify serious apprehensions concerning him. He probably fell overboard, and it was known that he could not swim.

All of us had much need of remaining on shore, in order to recover our strength; and the Governor gave us leave to take lodgings in the town.

8th. It was a matter of importance to the naturalists to be acquainted with the Governor of Amboyna, in order that he might facilitate the researches which formed the object of their mission. It was, no doubt, owing to pure forgetfulness, that the Commander of our expedition did not make us acquainted with the hour of his first visit to the Governor. But I requested him to favour us with an introduction, and we accordingly set out for that purpose, about half an hour past six. M. Bourguelles and M. Van Smiehl pressed themselves upon us as our interpreters.

M. Van Smiehl was a German Baron, who had lately arrived in the island. He was then but aspiring, as he expressed it, to be a servant of the Dutch East India Company. In the sequel, we had reason to felicitate ourselves that he had not much influence on the Governor; for he had attempted to persuade him, that the Regency of Batavia