Part 21 (1/2)
The 8th ushered a male child into the world, and as he was the first born on the island, he was baptized by the name of Norfolk.
At noon on the 15th, parties were sent out in search of the c.o.c.kswain of the coble, who had lost himself in the woods, as he was returning from Ball-Bay, where the boat had been hauled up the preceding day at sun-set: he was found on the 18th, naked and almost exhausted, insomuch that he was obliged to be carried to the settlement, having received several deep cuts and bruises which rendered him incapable of getting out of his bed for some time.
Thomas Watts, a convict, was punished with twenty-four lashes, on the 19th, for contemptuously refusing to work, and being abusive to the corporal of marines, who reprimanded him for not going to work with the rest of the convicts.
The weather, during this month, was very fine and settled, and the wind northerly until the 22d; from which time to the end of the month, we had constant heavy rain, without an hour's interval of dry weather: such a continuance of rainy weather I never heard of, and it was frequently attended with heavy gales of wind from the north-east.
In consequence of some irregularities which had happened, I found it necessary to a.s.semble all the free people on the 23d, and to read the articles of war.
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 a.s.sertion, 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 circ.u.mstances 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 was.h.i.+ng, 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 s.h.i.+p that comes here, except the Sirius, we will every man and woman have our liberty, to which we were all sworn last Sat.u.r.day; and we (the convicts) would have had it already, if the Sirius was not the first s.h.i.+p expected, and the day that Watts was flogged was intended to have been the day for making Mr. King and the free people prisoners.”
Francis added, ”that it was proposed to take the Golden-Grove on her pa.s.sage, as they (the convicts) were all for it, except one man, and he was the forwardest in the present plot. Robert Webb appearing, put an end to this conversation; and Elizabeth Anderson repeated to Webb all that pa.s.sed between her and Francis: on Robert Webb's suspecting the story being an invention of hers; they agreed that he should lie concealed in the bed, which had a curtain made of a piece of tent, while she should endeavour to draw from Francis a fuller account of the plan laid by him and the rest of the convicts; and this morning (the 23d.) at day-light, Robert Webb being still in bed, Elizabeth Anderson got up, and on seeing Francis near the hut, she wished him the 'good morrow,' and informed him that Webb was gone to town to grind his tools; she then said, 'come Bill, sit down and drink a little rum, it will do us both good, and drink to the boys of the s.h.i.+p that will take us from this place:' to which health they both drank. Elizabeth Anderson then asked Francis how long it was since they (the convicts) had planned the scheme; he said they were all sworn on this Sat.u.r.day month past, at Thompson's, in the vale, excepting Widdicome and Rice, (convict rope-makers,) who were Mr. King's right-hand men, and therefore not to be trusted: Lucas (the convict carpenter) had not been asked, but they were sure he would be on their side, when they (the convicts) got the day.
”Francis continued saying, 'I'll tell you how it is to be done; the whole is left to my management, and the best time will be the first Sat.u.r.day after the arrival of any other vessel than the Sirius. Most of the marines and free people will be a-cabbaging*, and as Mr. King generally goes to the farm twice a day, in his absence I will step into his house and hand out the arms** to my men; then I will go out and take Mr. King, and after that the other officers, and what marines are in camp, and the rest as they come in from cabbaging: we will then put them all in irons, two and two together, when they will be as helpless as bees. We will then make the signal for a boat, and when she lands, we'll _nab_ the boat's crew; then send the coble off with Mr. King's compliments, and request another boat may be sent to carry off plank, as the first boat was stove, and the coble could not carry luggage: when the second boat comes, the people belonging to it will be _nabbed_, and the two boats with the coble will be filled with our people (the convicts) and the women, and take possession of the s.h.i.+p. Three of the sailors might remain, if they were willing, and one officer should be kept to navigate the s.h.i.+p; the rest of the officers and s.h.i.+p's company will be left on Nepean or Phillip-Island, with the coble, from whence they might go to Norfolk-Island and liberate the commandant.
[* Getting the wood-cabbages.]
[** The marines arms were kept in my house.]
”Elizabeth Anderson then expressed her wishes that it might succeed, and Francis left her.”
The taking Webb and Anderson's depositions, and interrogating them, took up two hours; and it being Sat.u.r.day, most of the convicts were out getting cabbages: there was a possibility that the accusation against William Francis might be an invention; yet, having received that information, it became necessary to use every precaution against a surprize; I therefore ordered a constant guard of three privates, to be commanded by Mr. Dunavan, the serjeant, and corporal, and a guard-house was built between my house and the surgeon's, in which the provisions and stores were deposited. The store-house occupied by the marines, I removed from the water side nearer to my house. Every person, without exception, was ordered to live in the town, or camp, and I recalled the party who had been sent to Ball-Bay.
Being still desirous to obtain fuller proof the criminality of the parties concerned in this diabolical scheme, I desired Messrs. Dunavan and Jamieson to watch the return of John Bryant, a convict, who had always behaved very well: they were to interrogate him respecting the plan laid by the convicts, and to a.s.sure him of a pardon, if he would discover all he knew. I also sent to the house of William Thompson, in the Vale, to search for any written agreement that might have been drawn up, but none was found; however, the persons employed in this search found a quant.i.ty of Indian corn in a chest in Thompson's house, which, from its not being quite hard, must have been stolen from the King's grounds in Arthur's Vale, as there was no other on the island.
The next step I took was to order William Francis, John Thompson, Samuel Picket, and Joshua Peck to be taken into custody, on their return from cabbaging.
Messrs. Dunavan and Jamieson met John Bryant, and persuaded him to discover all he knew about the plot; presently afterwards, they brought him before me, when he was sworn on the cross, being a catholic, and I took his deposition; the substance of which was as follows:
”That on the pa.s.sage from Port Jackson to Norfolk-Island it was talked among the convicts to take the Golden-Grove transport from the officers and crew and run away with her, and on its being proposed to Bryant he said they could be only fools to think of such a thing. That in going out to work on the 14th of this month with all the ”convicts, Samuel Picket remarked how easy it would be to take the island, by making the commandant prisoner, when going to, or returning from the farm in Arthur's Vale; after which, coming in and seizing the arms, and making prisoners of the marines and other free people. It was soon after agreed that the rest of the convicts were to be consulted, and if they were willing, a meeting was to be held at John Thompson's house in the Vale; Samuel Picket and Joshua Peck being inmates of his.”
The remainder of Bryant's deposition, respecting how the island was to be taken, agreed in every particular with the testimony of Elizabeth Anderson and Robert Webb.
I next sent for Joshua Peck, and examined him on oath, and after much prevarication, he gave nearly the same account how the business was to be conducted as the others had done, except as to the manner how the officers were to be made prisoners, which was, ”that after ”they had secured me, they were to go to Mr.
Dunavan's house at ”the entrance of the vale, and take him and conduct him to the farm, ”where we were to be tied back to back; after which, one of the ”convicts was to be sent in with a message as from me, to speak with ”the surgeon, serjeant of marines, and the rest, and they were to be ”secured one by one as they came out.”
To Bryant and Peck, I put the two following questions, telling them, that as their depositions and examination would be sent to the Governor, it was necessary that they recollected the nature of the oath they had taken, and to give a just answer.
Question.--Can you a.s.sign any reason for the aforesaid plot being formed? Answer.--None, but the hopes of regaining our liberty.
Question.--Have you at any time heard any convict on the island express any discontent at the conduct of officers, or on any other ground? Answer.--None.
It was now clear to me that a scheme had been entered into, in which all the convicts were concerned, except the rope-makers and carpenter already mentioned; and their succeeding in it, so far as regarded the taking myself and the officers prisoners was not to be doubted; for, I must own, that I was not sufficiently upon my guard against the description of people I had to deal with; as the apparent satisfaction which they often expressed at being on this island in preference to Port Jackson, added to the great indulgences they had frequently received from me, lulled any suspicion of their having the most distant idea of the kind.
The second part of their plan, viz. that of taking any s.h.i.+p which might come to the island, was very doubtful; but had the first succeeded, the destruction of the provisions and stores would have followed; and it is difficult to say what fatal consequences would have ensued from the drunken state they would have been in whilst the rum lasted: indeed, I must in justice to them observe, that no sanguinary measures were thought of; on the contrary, they proposed good treatment to myself and the free people; but how far that intention would have been observed by a set of men of their description, when in a state of drunken madness, may easily be conceived.