THE DEPOSITION OF BLIGH. 41 



papers had been sent by Macquarie's hands to Bligh, not for 

 publication but to assist him in preparing his case against the 

 insurgents. Either by some breach of faith or culpable 

 negligence, their contents were disclosed. At once Bligh's 

 friends proposed to hold meetings at Sydney and the Hawkes- 

 bury to vote addresses of " condolence and congratulation," and 

 to disavow a paragraph in the despatch which they considered 

 false and malicious. The passage in question ran as follows : 



"... it will be apparent that I had no alternative but to 

 put Governor Bligh in arrest to prevent an insurrection of the 

 inhabitants, and to secure him and the persons he confided in 

 from being massacred by the incensed multitude." l 



It was felt that such meetings would ease the fears of some, 

 be valuable evidence for Bligh, and could not be opposed by 

 Macquarie without giving great offence to his predecessor. 

 Yet it was the very way to rouse feeling of the bitterest kind. 

 A requisition was brought to Gore, now reinstated as Provost- 

 Marshal. The Governor gave his consent, and a meeting was 

 called for II A.M. on the nth of April at Sydney. According 

 to colonial custom, the Provost- Marshal took the chair. 2 The 

 meeting was a large one. Although the New South Wales 

 Corps had embarked a few days before, several of the officers 

 were present. The chiefs of Johnston's party came in feudal 

 bands, surrounded by their servants and dependents. The first 

 resolutions dealing only with the address were declared carried 

 amidst great confusion. Then Gore read the paragraph from 

 the despatch and put the blunt question, " whether any person 

 or persons at the meeting would avow that he or they had had 

 a design to massacre the Governor and the officers in whom 

 he confided, if Colonel Johnston had not seized and imprisoned 

 the Governor ? " 



At this there was great uproar and cries of " No, no, no such 

 intention," and D'Arcy Wentworth shouted across in just wonder 

 and contempt: "What, man, do you think we are going to 

 put a rope round our own necks ? " A question so absurdly 

 worded as that put by Gore could have only one answer, and 



1 See H.R., VI., p. 575, 13th June, 1808. 



2 For detailed account of way in which meetings were called, etc., see 

 Chapter III. 



