befel the mutineers of the Bounty, must be well known to our readers.

No sooner had Captain Bligh arrived at the seat of his government, than he showed a determination to suppress the growing and injurious influence of the New South Wales corps, by depriving the officers of their licenses to sell spirits; and, indeed, abolishing, as far as practicable, the monopolizing value of rum as an article of exchange. The course taken by Governor Bligh, although it met with the highest approval from his Majesty's government, was looked upon with marked hostility by the military officers of the colony, and as they had nearly the whole of the society on their side, they quickly succeeded in exciting disaffection, and even disloyalty towards the obnoxious Governor. Not only, however, did Captain Bligh place the greatest restriction on the importation and sale of spirits in the colony, but, setting out on a tour of inspection to the settled country on the Hawkesbury, when the farmers, just at that period, were suffering from the destructive effects of an inundation of the river, his Excellency visited all their stations in person, inquiring into and learning their wants, and giving directions for their supply from the government stores, in exchange for, or in advance of, their agricultural produce. Such a system, by interfering with the lucrative trade in the necessaries of life hitherto carried on by the

colonial officers, civil as well as military, amongst the settlers, mechanics and labourers, incensed their jealousy and dislike, until they broke out into open rebellion, and deposed the Governor from his high situation upon their own responsibility.

A relation of the occurrences which led to the New South Wales Revolution, is very minutely and faithfully set forth in Dr. Lang's History of this country; but is far too prolix, and of too unimportant a character to be repeated at length here. The story, briefly told, is, that in March, 1807, Governor Bligh, on examining the manifest of a ship just come into port, observed that two stills which formed part of the cargo were consigned, one to Mr. McArthur, a resident merchant and civilian of the colony, the other to Captain Abbott of the Colonial corps. The stills were commanded to be given up to the Customs' officers by virtue of a government order abolishing the practice of colonial distillation, and prohibiting the use, or keeping of stills. Owing to some official misunderstanding, the stills were seized by the naval officers in a way which severely inflamed Mr. McArthur's mind against the government. The rupture, so commenced, was aggravated by the seizure of a vessel belonging to Mr. McArthur, within a few months following, on the ground that a convict had been conveyed away from the colony by it. On the

proof of this matter, the bond in such cases. required from the owners having been refused, the vessel was seized to indemnify the bond. The officers and men were, in consequence, left in arrears as to their wages, and even maintenance was refused them. They applied to the Judge Advocate's office for protection, as, by coming on shore, contrary to the regulations of the port, they had rendered themselves liable to imprisonment.

At the command of the Governor, the Judge Advocate, who was the chief administrative magistrate at the time, wrote to Mr. McArthur, requiring his attendance at the Judge's office, to account for having allowed the crew of his vessel to land in the colony, or so refusing to maintain them as to compel them to have recourse to the authorities on shore. To this Mr. McArthur answered, that it was owing to the illegal detention of his vessel that he had refused any longer to maintain the crew, for whose further support he considered the government was alone responsible. As this letter evinced no desire on the part of the writer to comply with the requisition of the court, the Judge Advocate, construing such conduct into a contempt of his authority, immediately issued a warrant to compel Mr. McArthur's attendance. The constable in charge of this warrant was openly set at defiance, and an insulting answer returned in the hand-writing of Mr. McArthur himself. The

chief constable was then directed forcibly to apprehend the malcontent, who was captured shortly after, and, being brought before a bench of magistrates, was committed to take his trial for misdemeanour at the Session of the Supreme Criminal Court.

Mr. McArthur appeared to stand his trial on the 25th of January, 1808, before a court composed of the Judge Advocate, and six officers of the New South Wales corps. To the appearance on the bench of the Judge Advocate, Mr. McArthur vehemently objected, as one who was prejudiced against himself and his case. The President, as he was, of the court, although he showed plainly that the court could not be constituted without him, was obliged by the military magistrates, or jurors to leave the bench, whilst Mr. McArthur delivered himself of a written address, protesting against the mode, and kind of injustice to which he had been subjected. Having heard the protest, the officers addressed a letter to his Excellency the Governor, requesting that another party might be appointed in the room of Mr. Atkins as Judge Advocate in the pending prosecution of Mr. McArthur. The Governor, of course, as he was not authorized to adopt such a step, declined to interfere in the way requested. The officers importuned, and at last refused even to allow the papers before the court to be given up, until another Judge had been

appointed. The Judge Advocate, having, in the mean time, determined upon enforcing his authority, again caused Mr. McArthur to be apprehended, an act which drew from the military officers of the court a communication to the Governor of their serious objections to the proceedings of the Judge Advocate. This letter also required that Mr. McArthur might be liberated on his former bail. In reply, his Excellency summoned each of the officers in person to attend at Government House, in order that the recriminatory charge brought against them by the Advocate General, of contemplating an usurpation of his Majesty's Government, might be investigated by himself and a bench of magistrates as a grand jury for the occasion. This procedure, the officers in question looked upon as an intention on the part of the government to set aside the authority of the Colonial Court, of which they were members, and to try them previously to their imprisonment by the court constituted by himself.

At this critical juncture, Major Johnstone, commanding the New South Wales corps, arrived in town, having been detained through sickness at his country residence, and unable to attend, although several times anxiously pressed by the Governor, with a view, doubtless, of influencing the officers of the corps to some pacific and respectful arrangement. Upon his arrival, his brother officers, assisted by Mr. McArthur and his