ICELANDIC AFFAIRS 253 



all the people on board were rescued. They were even- 

 tually brought home in the Talbot. 



Jorgensen hastened up from Liverpool to London 

 and called upon Sir Joseph at once. But he found the 

 captain of the Talbot had forestalled him, with his own 

 version of the affair, and his own ideas of the Dane's 

 qualifications for personal government. Three weeks 

 later, Jorgensen was arrested, charged with having 

 broken his parole, and sent to Tothill Fields prison. He 

 spent a year on one of the hulks in Chatham harbour. 1 



Banks appears to have befriended the Danish adven- 

 turer as far as he could. And he was not clear in his own 

 mind about the character he had to deal with. Jorgensen 

 was brave and rather reckless, but well-meaning. He 

 learned gambling on board the prison-hulks, and this 

 weakness pursued him for many years. He was ruined 

 over and over again by getting into the company of 

 gamblers. Thus was thrown away once more a very fine 

 character. He ended his years in Tasmania, having been 

 transported for life. 



Sir Joseph Banks, writing to Hooker shortly after the 

 above-mentioned incidents, says, " Whether the usurper 

 best deserves to be hanged is a matter that may be 

 doubted. But that both of them deserve it richly for 

 retarding the destinies of an innocent nation in trying 

 to facilitate their trade is what I do not doubt, and a 

 matter of which I think you will in due time be convinced, 

 if you are not already." 



Mr. Hooker writes from Halesworth in reply (July 27, 

 1810) : 



"... I must, Sir Joseph, once more crave your in- 

 dulgence whilst I bring forward the name of Jorgensen. 

 I am fully sensible that you have done for him more 



1 The entertaining details of the Icelandic " Revolution " are to be 

 found in Hooker's published Journal (London, 1813), and in Sir George 

 Mackenzie's Travels in Iceland (1810). 



