of John Morris, that was formerly gate-keeper at Port Arthur. This trial occupied the Court nine days. The Jury retired, and returned a verdict, and found twelve out of fourteen guilty of murder. On the 5th of October the sentence of death was then passed on us, and to be carried into effect on the 13th of October, 1846. Sir, the strong ties of earth will soon be wrenched, and the burning fever of this life will soon be quenched, and my grave will be a haven--a resting-place for me, William Westwood. Sir, out of the bitter cup of misery I have drunk from my sixteenth year--ten long years--and the sweetest draught is that which takes away the misery of living death; it is the friend that deceives no man; all will then be quiet--no tyrant will there disturb my repose, I hope, William Westwood. Sir, I now bid the world adieu, and all it contains. William Westwood, his writing. Beneath the letter is printed as follows:-- _The Dying Declaration of William Westwood, alias "Jackey Jackey."_ "I, William Westwood, wish to die in the Communion of Christ's Holy Church, seeking mercy of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.--Amen. I wish to say, as a dying man, that I believe four men now going to suffer are innocent of the crime laid to their charge, viz.:--Lawrence Kavanagh, Henry Whiting, William Pickthorne, and William Scrimshaw. I declare that I never spoke to Kavanagh on the morning of the riots; and these other three men had no part in the killing of John Morris as far as I know of. I have never spoke a disrespectful word of any man since my confinement. I die in charity with all men, and now I ask your prayers for my soul!" William Westwood, aged twenty-six years. Jackey Jackey, at the time of his death, was twenty-six years of age. He was 5 feet 9 inches in height, with fair hair, blue eyes, and a ruddy complexion. Shortly after the death of these men, Mr. John Price, superintendent of Port Arthur, was sent to Norfolk Island with instructions to break up the settlement and remove the prisoners to Van Diemen's Land, and this was gradually effected. Two or three years later the Government of the Island was again transferred to the Governor of New South Wales, and in 1857, about two hundred of the Pitcairn Islanders--the descendants of the Mutineers of the _Bounty_ were landed there and have remained unmolested to the present time, and the later history of this beautiful island may be summed up in the one word "peace." FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 35: _Launceston Chronicle._] [Footnote 36: "Posperity" in the paper is so obviously a typographical error that I have taken the liberty of correcting it.] CHAPTER XII.