THE EARLY GOVER^TORS. 3^1 



ing the people, the Governor had tlie assistance and active co- 

 operation of a member of the council, the judge of the court of 

 admiralty, and one Archibald, ("his excellency's" servant,) who 

 silenced opposition by knocking its authors down^ The British 

 sovei'eigns appear to have generally made their Bahama Governora 

 out of very bad material. It was difficult as well as expensive 

 for the oppressed islanders to make their complaints heard across 

 the wide and stormy Atlantic, but three prominent inhabitants 

 succeeded in reaching London, and preferred "charges of a very 

 extraordinary nature against the Governor," who, after much 

 delay, was ordered to meet his accusers, and defend himself 

 against their formidable indictment. After a long and exjoensive 

 trial, the charges were sustained and the Governor removed. 



In 1738 John Tinker was appointed Governor, and made the 

 people happy in the commencement of his administration by his 

 removals and administrative reforms, but he appeal's, from Bruce's 

 account founded upon personal knowledge, to have developed 

 some of the worst qualities of his j^redecessors. In the most 

 arbitrary, unjust and illegal manner, he made a variety of orders 

 for the disposal of very valuable prize property captured by a 

 privateer, for the purpose of enriching himself, and benefitting 

 certain peo])le of Xassau. 



Peter* Henry Bruce, in April, 1741, arrived in Nassau, and 

 and commenced work u])on its fortifications under a commission 

 from the British government. An old fort, very much out of 

 repair, called Fort Nassau, within which wore wooden barracks 

 in a tumble-down condition, then stood on the north side of 

 what is now known as Flemish Square, where the present stone 

 barracks are situated. It had sixteen badly-mounted guns; the 

 remainder of its armament consisted of guns in part spiked, in 

 part charged with stones and sand, in part buried below high- 

 water mark, and in part scattered about the place; and of gun' 



