ON THE HIGH SEAS. 181 



made an attempt to leave the port. Molle and Macquarie were 

 on bad terms, and Campbell, always very faithful to his chief, 

 was anything but cordial to the Lieutenant-Governor ; but at 

 midday on the 2nd September he warned him that the Chipman 

 was to be carried off the next night. No attempt was made, 

 however, until next morning, when she " hoisted a Blue Peter 

 and fired a gun as a signal for her leaving the port ". Molle did 

 not know what to do, and sent round to Campbell, who refused 

 to assist or suggest. He pointed out that he had warned Molle 

 the day before, and as he had not heard what measures had then 

 been taken, he could not presume to offer advice on the situa- 

 tion. 1 



Molle then sent a military guard on board with orders to fire 

 on the officers "in case the ship offered to move". 2 



On the 4th September, Drake wrote to the Governor stating 

 that his ship was ready for sea and demanding the cause of de- 

 tention ; and not receiving an answer, applied to the Judge- Ad- 

 vocate. He learned that certain officers must be detained, but 

 the ship might depart as soon as he had replaced them. 3 On 

 the 24th he asked for the ship's register, and the naval officer 

 of course refused to give it up. 



" I stated," Drake wrote to Macquarie on the I4th October, 

 " to the Special Committee . . . on the ^th instant, that I had 

 nothing further to offer in evidence. The same indecision seems 

 still to pervade their councils, the ship's register is withheld, the 

 ship is occupied by a military force and laying at heavy ex- 

 penses ready for sea." 4 He wrote again in a similar strain on 

 28th October. The Secretary replied : " I have it now in com- 

 mand from his Excellency to inform you that he cannot possibly 

 interfere in your case until the Court of Enquiry shall have re- 

 ported on the circumstances of the charges alleged against you. 

 His Excellency desires it to be perfectly understood that the 

 detention of certain officers of the ship Chapman on criminal 

 charges need not at all interfere with the ship proceeding 



1 Campbell to Molle, n., 3rd September, 1817. R.O., MS. 



2 Drake to Macquarie, i4th October, 1817. R.O., MS. 

 3 J. A. Wylde to M., 2Oth September, 1817. R.O., MS. 

 4 Drake to Macquarie, i4th October, 1817. R.O., MS. 



