Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemen's LandReid, Thomas
History
Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land
Reid, Thomas
Exiles -- Australia -- New South Wales; Exiles -- Australia -- Tasmania
At an early hour this morning I waited on the Lieutenant Governor, and
laid the whole affair before him, when he entered warmly into the merits
of the case, and promised his full support. This circumstance hastened
His Honour’s determination to come on board, as he had previously
intended. About 11 A. M. the Lieutenant Governor came and inspected the
condition of the prisoners, expressing in strong terms his approbation
of their appearance, and also the satisfaction he felt, and the
conviction he entertained of their moral improvement. Agreeably to
promise, I interested myself in their behalf, and obtained a comfortable
settlement for many of the most deserving, and enabled the others
destined for this dependency to indulge in the most pleasing
expectations as to the same effect.
The Lieutenant Governor having returned, a constable came on board by
order of His Honour, and took into custody the four sailors with whom
the women had been found, also a fifth who was principally concerned in
taking them out of the prison: he was about taking them away, when the
remaining crew, in the most violent and mutinous manner, broke off their
work; three of them forced the constable to take them also as prisoners
along with the other five; to which the constable felt himself compelled
to submit. The rest refused to return to their duty, and to a man went
below. The Police Magistrate, Mr. Humphrey, who was not in town when I
waited on the Lieutenant Governor in the morning, now came off to the
ship, followed by a serjeant with a file of soldiers. On his coming
aboard, the sailors were commanded by Captain Brown, by the advice of
the Magistrate, to go to their duty; but they obstinately refused. The
Magistrate in the most mild and liberal manner advised them to reflect
on their imprudence, and pointed out to them the serious consequences
they incurred by such behaviour. Still they persisted, directing their
whole violence of abuse against me for having, as they said, threatened
to shoot any of them who should come in my way,—with other strange and
unfounded clamours of the same kind. To the remonstrances of the
Magistrate they appeared to pay but little attention, although the
soldiers were drawn up under arms beside them. Upon their alluding to
me, I openly challenged them then or at any other time to advance any
charge they might have against me, as I was perfectly amenable to the
laws, if my conduct were not correct; but, at the same time, I renewed
my warning to them in the most solemn manner, not to be found
trespassing on the precincts of my duty, else, if they did not keep in
recollection this salutary caution, they would with positive certainty
have to repent of their folly. After much silly and vulgar rodomontade,
they suddenly changed their tone, and one by one, in the most ungracious
manner, laid aside their stubbornness and returned to their work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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