Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/392

330 beau and the principal officers of our expedition, that we were under arrest. Shortly after we learnt that several others of our companions had shared the same fate, without being able to divine the cause of so arbitrary an act of authority; but we were soon informed that intelligence which Dauribeau had received from Europe, had determined him to hoist the white flag, and put himself under the protection of the Dutch, who were then at war with France. He had undoubtedly already then formed the project, which he afterwards carried into execution, of selling the vessels of our expedition. To insure his success, it was necessary for him to get rid of all those persons under him who he knew would strongly disapprove of such a measure. We were therefore delivered into the hands of the Dutch as prisoners of war, to the number of seven, namely, Legrand, Laignel, Willaumez, Riche, Ventenat, Piron, and myself, and conducted to Samarang by a march of 200,000 toises, over roads bad in the extreme, and in the rainy season. We were obliged to use boats to cross several large plains, inundated by the torrents descending from the mountains situated to the southward, and which form a part of the great chain which runs through the whole land of Java from east to west.