THE DEPOSITION OF BLIGH. 29 



During the long voyage he and Macquarie became close 

 friends and must have discussed through many a long day in 

 the windless tropics or southern seas the work which lay before 

 them. Close allies they remained until two years before Bent's 

 death, and this period when Macquarie could always call upon 

 the serene intellect and judicial firmness of his Judge- Advocate 

 covers by far the best years of his Governorship. 



Before the new Governor was the double task of restoration 

 and administration. But though he was to bring the guilty to 

 justice, he was not to play the part of avenger. His instruc- 

 tions with regard to the recent disturbances were transmitted 

 to him on the eve of his sailing, and so well was their secret 

 kept that, twelve months after, the purport was known in Eng- 

 land by rumour only. 1 In drawing them up, the Colonial Office 

 had before them the additional information contained in 

 Major Foveaux's despatches which had arrived in March, 1809. 

 Foveaux had started from England on his return to Norfolk 

 Island ' 2 of which he was commandant, before the news of Bligh's 

 deposition had reached England, and landed at Sydney in July, 

 1808. He was senior to Johnston in the corps and also bore 

 the commission of a Lieutenant-Governor. Bligh was in great 

 hopes that Foveaux would take his part, and the other sides 

 were correspondingly depressed. Not long, however, was the 

 matter in doubt. On the very day of his arrival, Foveaux de- 

 cided to accept the position as it stood, taking over the com- 

 mand himself and remaining at headquarters. The only 

 changes he made were to remove Bligh from his dignified im- 

 prisonment at Government House and place him in an officer's 

 barrack, and to treat his adherents with increased seventy. 



The officer in command of the whole New South Wales 

 Corps, Colonel William Paterson, was then Lieutenant-Gover- 

 nor at Port Dalrymple in Van Diemen's Land. Several 

 colonists considered that Foveaux's commission superseded 



1 Macarthur to his wife, May, 1810. H.R.,.VII., p. 370. 



2 In accordance with his instructions, Phillip had sent Lieutenant King to 

 make a settlement at Norfolk Island early in 1788. The island had an area of 

 about 13,000 acres and was situated off the coast to the north-east of Port Jackson. 

 The settlement was not a success, and was finally abandoned in the first years of 

 Macquarie's Governorship, the settlers receiving farms in Van Diemen's Land in 

 a district to which they gave the name of New Norfolk. 



