212 ST. HELENA 



the administrator of both civil and military law in the island. 



Sir Hudson Lowe was appointed and made Governor of 

 St. Helena. In announcing this to the island, the Court 

 avowed to the St. Helena Government that they could not 

 contemplate without pain the attendant consequence of 

 the removal of Colonel Wilkes, whose conduct had entitled 

 him to their entire approbation. Until Sir Hudson Lowe 

 arrived, Sir George Cockburn was in power, and conse- 

 quently the disposal of the troops was in a way subservient 

 to his wishes. This placed Governor Wilkes in a secondary 

 position, which was heightened by the fact that there was 

 now a senior officer to Colonel Wilkes. 



Brookes says : 



The arrival of the second battalion of His Majesty's 53rd 

 Regiment, with detachments of other troops, brought into operation 

 the clause in the act of the 27th of George II, chap, ix, which trans- 

 fers from the Company's Government to the senior officer of the 

 King's forces serving in the settlement, the authority for holding 

 general courts-martial. 



That senior officer (Sir George Bingham) held also a Colonel's 

 commission of prior date to Colonel Wilks', but as the charter vests 

 the powers of Captain-General in whatever person holds the office 

 of Governor, Colonel Wilks consequently still remained paramount 

 in military as well as in civil authority. These circumstances 

 formed altogether rather an unusual assemblage of powers, but 

 the characters of those in whom they were severally lodged, pre- 

 cluded all risk of the consequences which might have arisen from 

 a want of unanimity. Inconvenience was effectually prevented 

 by a general order issued in the name of the Governor and Council, 

 appointing Sir George Bingham Commandant of the troops, and 

 by another order immediately after from the Governor directing 

 the Commandant to comply with all requisitions from Sir George 

 Cockburn, which could in any way be connected with the safe 

 custody of his charge. 



The island was well guarded, for on the day the Northum- 

 berland anchored a ball of twenty-four was fired at her 

 from one of the fort batteries because Admiral Malcolm 

 had omitted to send some one on shore in a boat to an- 

 nounce his arrival. After the sunset gun no vessel of any 

 description was permitted to enter or leave the port, or 

 even to alter its position, there being officers appointed for 

 the sole duty of watching vessels after the firing of the gun. 



The curiosity excited in the colonists by the arrival of 



