60 ST. HELENA 



I therefore gave positive orders that if any troops advanced near 

 my post without permission they should be fired upon. These 

 suspicions were not without cause, for Archibald Nimmo, who had 

 been one of the most daring and active in seducing the soldiers and 

 administering the oath and obligation to seize the Governor and send 

 him off the island, had the audacity to range himself among the 

 friends of the Governor who came to reinforce Plantation House. 

 He had hoped to turn those friends into foes, and seemed at one 

 time, when the Longwood mutineers approached, to be on the eve 

 of making the attempt, but perceiving he was suspected, and closely 

 watched by a non-commissioned officer with a drawn sword imme- 

 diately behind him, he was thus deterred from putting his designs 

 into execution. About one in the morning two lights and a number 

 of men were discerned moving slowly alongside of the hills, two 

 miles east of Plantation House. Major Doveton, commandant of 

 volunteers, despatched two active men to gain intelligence. John 

 Bayley and Kennedy were selected, but immediately a black mes- 

 senger brought in news that Colonel Broughton and his party were 

 taken prisoners. I therefore wrote a pencilled note to Capt. 

 Sampson to advance with thirty men to form an ambuscade on the 

 left flank of the mutineers' column, and commence attack by one 

 fire, in a manner so as to avoid Colonel Broughton, and immediately 

 after to rush on them with the bayonet. Major Kinnaird was to 

 support this attack. These orders were just given when Major 

 Wright arrived with the news that the mutineers had halted within 

 sixty yards of Kinnaird, and sent forward the terms on which they 

 would surrender. The negotiations ended in the unconditional 

 surrender of the whole party. The first proposals sent by the 

 mutineers were that grievances must be redressed, and a promise 

 given that soldiers should have regular issues of spirits from the 

 stores. I replied, I would grant no terms, I could not treat with 

 rebels, and if they did not instantly surrender I would put every 

 man to the sword j then they said all they would ask now was my 

 promise of pardon ; this I positively refused, and at the same time 

 informed them that if they did not yield unconditionally Major 

 Kinnaird had orders to put the whole of them to death. It was 

 now daylight, and seeing a superior force opposed to them they 

 surrendered, saying they would trust to my mercy. Of 200 men 

 who had sallied from Jamestown on the mad enterprise only seventy- 

 five remained in the morning; the others seem to have repented 

 and returned to their barracks. The prisoners were put in close 

 confinement at High Knoll. The discomfiture of these rebels had 

 not subdued the mutinous spirit of their associates outside, and it 

 was reported that an attempt would be made to rescue the prisoners. 

 So I sent across orders to Colonel Smith to occupy two strong 

 positions, which commanded with cannon the barracks and the 

 roads leading to the interior. 

 General orders were issued : 



" 25th December, 1811. A considerable portion of the St. Helena 



