THE DEPOSITION OF BLIGH. 33 



The progress of events in the Colony led to the complete 

 abrogation of these instructions. By the end of 1 809, of the 

 four principal actors, Foveaux alone remained. 



When Bligh's arrest had been accomplished, two courses 

 were open to Johnston. One was to send for Paterson at 

 Port Dalrymple and to administer the Government until his 

 arrival by right of seniority alone. The other was the one he 

 followed of proclaiming himself Lieutenant-Governor and thus 

 performing a complete act of usurpation. It is true that within 

 a week a despatch was sent to Paterson, but it did not contain 

 an enthusiastic invitation for his presence. Paterson wrote at 

 once to Lord Castlereagh and to the Commander-in-Chief and 

 then relapsed into the helpless state of ill-health to which age 

 and drink, or hard service, had brought him. A full year 

 elapsed before he decided that there was a ship which would 

 carry him with safety to Port Jackson, and long before that 

 time Foveaux was in Sydney appealing to him as his superior 

 officer for instructions and approval. Paterson was little 

 fit to give either, and indeed took no real part in the whole 

 affair. 



The self-constituted Lieutenant-Governor had got quickly 

 to work. On the 2pth of January, 1808, a bell-ringer went 

 through Sydney calling a meeting at the church for the even- 

 ing. The triumphant party turned out in good array. An 

 address and a sword of honour were voted to Johnston, and more 

 addresses to Macarthur and the regiment. Macarthur thanked 

 the people and made a flaming speech upon his wrongs. The 

 hot excited crowd heard his pious hope that no harm would 

 come to Bligh, but must have been far more thrilled by his 

 furious denunciation of the Governor and the Magistrates as 

 "blood-thirsty villains eager to drink his blood". 1 At the 

 height of their enthusiasm, increased by the heat (it was mid- 

 summer) and by liberal potations, the meeting agreed to send 

 a delegate to England to state their case to Ministers, and 

 forthwith appointed Macarthur. A subscription list for hi& 

 expenses was opened and 400 promised on the spot. But 

 by next day faction had broken out, the party split up, and 



1 Bligh to Castlereagh, 3Oth April, 1808. H.R., vi., p. 607. 

 3 



