An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk IslandHunter, John
History
An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island
Hunter, John
New South Wales -- History -- Sources
The next day, Robert Webb, a seaman belonging to the Sirius,
but who was employed as a gardener on the island, came to me, and
signified a wish to speak with me in private, which being
granted, he informed me that a plan had been concerted among the
convicts, to surprize me, with the rest of the officers, marines,
and free people; and to possess themselves of the public stores,
and afterwards to endeavour to surprize the Supply, or any other
vessel that might come here, and make their escape from the
island. On my interrogating him, he said that Elizabeth Anderson,
a female convict, who lived with him, had given him this
information the day before, and on his doubting the truth of what
she advanced, she offered to convince him of the truth of her
assertion, by bringing him within hearing of a convict whom she
would entice to relate the plan; which being agreed to by Webb,
this morning (the 23d.) Elizabeth Anderson invited William
Francis (a convict) into the hut, to drink a dram, when he
related the circumstances of the plan, and how it was to be
carried into execution; Webb being at this time hid from the view
of Francis, by a piece of tent which was hung before the bed he
lay in.
As I thought it necessary to substantiate this information, I
caused Robert Webb and Elizabeth Anderson to be kept apart, and
took their depositions on oath separately, both of which
perfectly agreed in every particular, and were in substance as
follow:
"That yesterday (the 22d.) between nine in the morning and
noon, Elizabeth Anderson being washing, she sighed, when William
Francis, who stood near her, asked what she sighed for; she
answered, she was very low; William Francis then asked her, if
she could get her liberty, whether she would leave Webb, and on
her saying yes, he said, the first ship that comes here, except
the Sirius, we will every man and woman have our liberty, to
which we were all sworn last Saturday; and we (the convicts)
would have had it already, if the Sirius was not the first ship
expected, and the day that Watts was flogged was intended to have
been the day for making Mr. King and the free people
prisoners."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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