court-martial and to writers who wrote long enough ago
to have had a personal knowledge of the subject or acquaintance with
actors in the events. The lady whose letter we have quoted in the first
pages of this chapter refers us to Lang's _History_ for a justification of
Bligh, and Dr. Lang, as is well known to students of Australian history,
wrote more strongly in that governor's favour than did any other writer.
Dr. Lang tells us that the behaviour of certain subordinates towards
MacArthur was highly improper, and that MacArthur's speech in open court
was "calculated to give great offence to a man of so exceedingly irritable
disposition as Governor Bligh." Again, Dr. Lang says that Bligh by no
means merited unqualified commendation for his government of New South
Wales, and that the truth lies between the most unqualified praise and the
most unqualified vituperation which the two sides of this quarrel have
loaded upon his memory.
Judge Therry, who came to New South Wales in 1829, in a judicial summing
up of the causes of this revolt, gives Bligh full credit for his attempt
to govern well, and condemns in strong terms the outrageous conduct of
the New South Wales Regiment; but he describes Bligh as a despotic man who
"had proved his incapacity to govern a ship's crew whom he had driven to
mutiny, yet had been made absolute ruler of a colony." Says Therry:--
"The extravagant and illegal proceedings to which these men" (the
Judge-Advocate and his blackguard attorney) "had recourse
contributed perhaps more than even the shortcomings of Bligh
himself to the catastrophe that ensued. The governor's conflicts
with many, but especially with MacArthur, were bitter and
incessant through his career."
Says Dr. West, writing in 1852:--
"The governor resolved to bring to trial the six officers, who had
repelled the Judge-Advocate, for treasonable practices; and, as a
preliminary step, ordered that they should appear before the bench
of magistrates, of whom Colonel Johnston, their commander, was
one. It was now supposed that Bligh intended to constitute a novel
court of criminal jurisdiction, and that he had resolved to carry
to the last extremes the hostility he had declared. Colonel
Johnston, as a measure of self-defence, was induced to march his
regiment to Government House, and place His Excellency under
arrest, demanding his sword and his commission as governor. This
transaction throughout caused a very strong sensation, both in the
colony and at home. Opinions widely differ respecting its origin
and its necessity. That it was illegal, it may be [Sidenote: 1811]
presumed, no one will deny; that it was wanton is not so
indisputable. The unfortunate termination of Bligh's first
expedition to Tahiti, the imputations of harshness and cruelty for
ever fastened to his name, and the disreputable agents he
sometimes employed in his service made the position of the
officers extremely anxious, if not insecure. Bligh had become
popular with the expired settlers, who reckoned a long arrear of
vengeance to their military taskmasters, and who, with the law on
their side or encouragement from the governor, might have been
expected to show no mercy. Had Bligh escaped to the interior, the
personal safety of the officers might have been imperilled. The
settlers, led on by the undoubted representative of the Crown,
would have been able to justify any step necessary for the
recovery of his authority, and at whatever sacrifice of life."
The court-martial on Johnston was held at Chelsea Hospital, and lasted
from May 11th till June 5th, 1811. Bligh complained that many of his
papers had been stolen, and the want of these was detrimental to his case.
Johnston, in the course of his defence, said:--
"My justification of my conduct depends upon my having proved to
the satisfaction of this honourable court that such was the state
of the public mind on the 26th of January, 1808, that no
alternative was left for me but to pursue the measures I did or to
have witnessed an insurrection and massacre in the colony,
attended with the certain destruction of the governor himself. In
doing this, I have endeavoured to show not only the fact of
Captain Bligh's general unpopularity, and the readiness of the
people to rise against him, and the probability that they would be
joined by the soldiery, but also the causes of that unpopularity,
founded on the general conduct of the governor."
The court came to the following decision:--
"The court having duly and maturely weighed and considered the
whole of the evidence adduced on the prosecution, as well as what
has been offered in defence, are of opinion that
Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston is guilty of the act of mutiny as
described in the charge, and do therefore sentence him to be
cashiered";
and approval of the sentence is thus recorded:--
"His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the
behalf of His Majesty, was pleased, under all the circumstances of
the case, to acquiesce in the sentence of the court. The court, in
passing a sentence so inadequate to the enormity of the crime of
which the prisoner has been found guilty, have apparently been
actuated by a consideration of the novel and extraordinary
circumstances which, by the evidence on the face of the
proceedings, may have appeared to them to have existed during the
administration of Governor Bligh, both as affecting the
tranquillity of the colony and calling for some immediate
decision. But although the Prince Regent admits the principle
under which the court have allowed the consideration to act in
mitigation of the punishment which the crime of [Sidenote: 1811]
mutiny would otherwise have suggested, yet no circumstances
whatever can be received by His Royal Highness in full extenuation
of an assumption of power so subversive of every principle of good
order and discipline as that under which Lieutenant-Colonel
Johnston has been convicted."
If Bligh had no part in bringing these disasters upon himself, he was a
very unfortunate man (he was never given another command), and his enemies
were extremely lucky in coming off so well. Mutineers whom he accused of
taking active part against him, instead of getting hanged, rise to high
rank in the service of the King; the military leader of an insurrection,
in place of being shot on a parade-ground, is mildly dismissed the
service, and becomes a prosperous settler upon the soil on which he raised
the standard of revolution. But, whatever may have been his faults,
arising from his ungovernable temper and arbitrary disposition, the
statements of his military traducers reflecting on his personal courage
may be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.
CHAPTER XII.
OTHER NAVAL PIONEERS, AND THE PRESENT MARITIME STATE OF
AUSTRALIA--CONCLUSION.
Long after Bligh, the last naval governor, was in his grave, the pioneer
work of naval officers went on; and if not the chief aid to the settlement
of Australia, it played an important part in its development. Begun at the
foundation of the colony, when the marine explorer did his work in open
boats; carried on, as the settlement grew, in locally built fore-and-aft
vessels down to the present, when navigating officers are year in, year
out, cruising "among the South Sea Islands," or on the less known parts of
the northern and western Australian coast-line, surveying in up-to-date
triple-expansion-engined steam cruisers or in steam surveying yachts, the
work of chart-making has always been, and still is, done so thoroughly as
to command the admiration of all who understand its [Sidenote: 1793]
its meaning, and withal so modestly that the shipmaster, whose Admiralty
charts are perhaps little less or even more valuable to him than his
Bible, scarcely ever thinks, if he knows, how they are made.
In the earliest days of the colony, Phillip and Hunter were land as well
as sea explorers; Dawes and Tench, of the Marines, and Quartermaster
Hacking, of the _Sirius_, in 1793 and 1794, made the first attempts to
cross the Blue Mountains. Shortlands (father and son), Ball, of the
_Supply_, and half a dozen other naval lieutenants, all made discoveries
of importance; Vancouver, McClure, and Bligh (the latter twelve years
before he was thought of as a governor) each did a share of early
charting.
The list might be extended indefinitely. Let us take only one or two names
and tell their stories; and these examples, with the narrative of Flinders
and Bass, must stand as illustrative of the work of all.
In land exploring the military officers were not behindhand. Beside the
work of the marines, a young Frenchman, Francis Louis Barrallier, an
ensign of the New South Wales Corps, who came out with King,
distinguished himself. King made him artillery and engineer officer, and
he did much surveying with Grant in the _Lady Nelson_. Inland he went west
until stopped by the Blue Mountains barrier; and King tells us an amusing
story of this trip. Paterson, in command of the regiment, told King that
he could not spare Barrallier for exploring purposes, so King, to get over
the difficulty, appointed him his aide-de-camp, and then sent him on an
"embassy to the King of the Mountains."
Barrallier went home in 1804, and saw a great deal of service in various
regiments, distinguishing himself in military engineering, among his works
being the erection of Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square. He died in
London in 1853.
The _Lady Nelson_ was a little brig of 60 tons burden, one of the first
built with a centre-board, or sliding keels, as the idea was then termed.
She was designed by Captain Schanck, one of the naval transport
commissioners, and when she sailed from Portsmouth to begin her survey
service in Australia, she was so deeply laden for her size that she had
less than three feet of freeboard.
Lieutenant James Grant was, through the influence of [Sidenote: 1800]
Banks, appointed to command this little vessel. He has much to say on the
subject of sliding keels, for which see his _Narrative of a Voyage of
Discovery_. The _Lady Nelson_ was well built, and Grant showed his respect
for her designer by his naming of Cape Schanck in Victoria and Mount
Schanck in South Australia. In one of his letters to Banks, Grant says
that, with all his stores of every description on board, he could take his
vessel into seven feet of water, and could haul off a lee shore, by the
use of sliding keels, "equal to any ship in the navy." On the night of
January 23rd, 1800, it blew such a gale in the Channel that six vessels
went on shore, and several others were reported missing. This gale lasted
for nine days, and during that time the _Lady Nelson_ rode comfortably at
her anchor in the Downs.
Grant's instructions when he left England were to proceed through the
newly discovered Bass' Straits on his way, report himself at Sydney, and
then set to work and survey the coast, beginning with the southern and
south-western parts of it. The brig sailed, with a crew of seventeen all
told, in February, 1800, and arrived on December 16th of the same year,
being the first vessel to pass through Bass' Straits on the way from
England to Australia. On the voyage Grant discovered and named many points
on the Victorian coast-line; then, as soon as the vessel arrived and
received a thorough overhaul, she was sent to sea again to continue the
work in company with a small intercolonial vessel, the _Bee_.
They sailed on March 8th, 1801, and were surveying until May 2nd, when
Grant sums up the work done in these words:--
"We have now gained a complete survey of the coast from Western
Point to Wilson's Promontory, with the situation of the different
islands of the same, and ascertained the latitudes of the same,
which from our different observations we have been able to do
sufficiently correct.... These points being ascertained so far as
lays in our power, I judge it most prudent to make the best of our
way to port, keeping the shore well in sight to observe every
particular hitherto unknown."
The portions left out in this extract refer to the latitudes and
longitudes, which are so correctly given that the only ascertainable
difference between them and the figures in a recent addition of Norrie is
in the case of Wilson's Promontory, which Grant says is [Sidenote: 1801]
in longitude between 146° 25' and 146° 14', and Norrie's table gives
us 146° 25' 37".
On the return of the little vessel, she took part in an interesting
ceremony, which the following proclamation by Governor King, dated May
29th, best describes:--
"Thursday next being the anniversary of His Majesty's birth, will
be observed as a holyday. The present Union will be hoisted at
sunrise. At a quarter before nine the New South Wales Corps and
Association to be under arms, when the Royal Proclamation for the
Union between Great Britain and Ireland will be publicly read by
the Provost-Marshall, and on the New Union flag being displayed at
Dawes Point and on board His Majesty's armed vessel _Lady Nelson_
the military will fire three rounds, which the batteries will take
up, beginning at the main guard, Bennilong and Dawes Points, at
the Windmill Hills, and at the barracks. When finished, His
Majesty's armed vessel the _Lady Nelson_ will fire 21 guns, man
ship, and cheer. At noon the salute will be repeated from the
batteries, New South Wales Corps and Association will fire three
rounds, and at one o'clock the _Lady Nelson_ will fire 21 guns in
honour of His Majesty's birthday. The Governor will be ready to
receive the compliments of the officers, civil and military, on
those happy occasions, at half-past one o'clock."
King had a high opinion of Grant as a seaman, but he considered him an
unscientific man, not suitable for surveying, and wrote to England to that
effect. Grant himself confirms this in a letter asking to go home, as from
the "little knowledge I have of surveying, ... where I may be enabled to
be more serviceable to my country." His faith in sliding keels had been
somewhat shaken by this time, and he complained that he could not claw his
vessel off a lee shore, and so Flinders found, when Grant with the _Lady
Nelson_ kept him company along the Barrier Reef when the _Investigator_
was surveying that part of the coast. The _Nelson_ had been ordered to act
as tender to the _Investigator_, but she was so unsuited to the work that
Flinders lost patience and sent her back to Sydney, where she did a great
deal of surveying in the exploration of the Hunter River and its vicinity.
Grant went home, and cut a much better figure as a fighting officer, was
promoted commander, and died in 1838. On his way home he took a box of
King's despatches to convey to England, and when the despatch-box was
opened it was found to be empty. King, writing of this matter, said:--
"I do not blame Lieutenant Grant so much for the [Sidenote: 1802]
villainous transaction respecting the loss of my despatches as I
deprecate the infamy of those who had preconcerted the plan.
Before the vessel he went in left the colony, it was told me that
such an event would happen, and the master's conduct prior to his
leaving this fully justified the report. I would not suffer the
vessel to leave the port before a bond of £500 was given that
neither Lieutenant Grant or the despatches should be molested.
Under these circumstances and Lieutenant Grant's knowledge of the
master, he ought to have been more guarded, as I gave my positive
directions that the vessel should be seen a certain way to sea,
and the box was not given from my possession before the vessel was
under way. However, the plan was too well laid and bound with
ill-got gold to fail. Let the villain enjoy the success of his
infamy. As to any publication of Mr. Grant's, I believe nothing
new or original can arise from his pen without the aid of
auxiliary fiction."
Lieutenant Murray, of the _Porpoise_, relieved Grant in the _Lady Nelson_,
and Murray and his mate. Lieutenant Bowen, further explored Bass' Straits
and the Victorian coast, their chief achievement being the discovery of
Port Phillip.
The _Lady Nelson_ was off the heads of Port Phillip on January 5th, 1802,
but the weather was too bad to enter, and Bowen was sent to examine the
bay in one of the brig's boats. This he did, and the _Lady Nelson_
entered, and anchored off what is now the quarantine station on February
15th. Murray took possession of the place on March 9th, naming it Port
King, and Surveyor Grimes made a survey of it. They left on March 12th.
The Frenchman Baudin, with the _Geographe_ and _Naturaliste_, eighteen
days later ran along this coast and claimed its discovery, although the
Englishmen, Flinders in particular, had already surveyed and named nearly
all his discoveries; but Baudin was gracious enough to admit that Port
Phillip, which he had only sighted, had been first entered by the _Lady
Nelson_. Flinders sailed into the bay on April 26th, thinking that he had
made a new discovery, until, on his arrival at Port Jackson, he heard of
the _Lady Nelson's_ prior visit, and that Governor King, with modesty and
regard for his old chief, had altered Murray's name of Port King to Port
Phillip.
In consequence of Murray's services in the _Lady Nelson_, King appointed
him acting lieutenant, and strongly recommended the Admiralty should
confirm the appointment.
With the recommendation, Murray sent home, through the governor, the
following certificate of his services, which is interesting as showing
how such certificates were then written, and because of what came of this
particular recommendation:--
"In pursuance of the directions of Sir Roger Curtis, Bart.,
Vice-Admiral of the White and Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's
ships and vessels employed and to be employed at the Cape of Good
Hope and the seas adjacent, dated the 8th July, 1800.
"We have examined Mr. John Murray, who appears to be more than 21
years of age, and has been at sea more than six years in the ships
and qualities undermentioned, viz.:--
|Ships. |Entry. |Quality. |Discharge. |Y.|M.|W.|D.|
|_Duke_ |9 June, 1789 |Able Seaman|2 Dec., 1789 | |5 |2 |2 |
|_Polyphemus_|10 Oct., 1794|Midshipman |7 May, 1797 |2 |7 |2 | |
|_Apollo_ |8 May, 1797 |Mate |27 Dec., 1797| |8 |1 |3 |
|_Blazer_ |2 Jan., 1798 |2nd Master | | | | | |
| | | and Pilot|26 July, 1798| |7 |1 |3 |
|_Porpoise_ |7 Oct.,1798 |Mate |9 July, 1800 |1 |9 | | |
| | | | |6 |1 |3 |1 |
"He produceth journals kept by himself in the _Polyphemus, Apollo_,
and _Porpoise_, and certificates from Captains Lumsdine,
Manly, and Scott, of his diligence and sobriety. He can splice
knots, reef and sail, work a ship in sailing, and shift his tides,
keep a reckoning of the ship's way by plain sailing and Mercator,
observe the sun and stars, and find the variation of the compass,
and is qualified to do the duty of an able seaman and midshipman.
"Given under our hands on His Majesty's ship _Adamant_, in
Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, this 9th day of July, 1800.
"J. Motham, \ Captains of / _(Adamant,_
"Thomas Larcom, | His Majesty's | _Lancaster,_
"Roger Curtis, / ships \ _Rattlesnake_."
The Secretary to the Admiralty wrote to Governor King on May 5th, 1802,
stating that this passing certificate of Mr. Murray's was "an imposition
attempted
