THE EARLY GOVERNORS. 821 
ing the people, the Governor had the assistance and active co- 
operation of a member of the council, the judge of the court of 
admiralty, and one Archibald, (‘‘ his excellency’s” servant,) who 
silenced opposition by knocking its authors down, The British 
sovereigns appear to have generally made their Bahama Governors 
out of very bad material. It was difficult as well as expensive 
for the oppressed islanders to make their complaints heard across 
the wide and stormy Atlantic, but three prominent inhabitants 
succeeded in reaching London, and preferred ‘‘ charges of a very 
extraordinary nature against the Governor,” who, after much 
delay, was ordered to meet his accusers, and defend himself 
against their formidable indictment. After along and expensive 
trial, the charges were sustained and the Governor removed. 
In 1738 John Tinker was appointed Governor, and made the 
people happy in the commencement of his administration by his 
removals and administrative reforms, but he appears, from Bruce’s 
account founded upon personal knowledge, to have developed 
some of the worst qualities of his predecessors. In the most 
arbitrary, unjust and illegal manner, he made a variety of orders 
for the disposal of very valuable prize property captured by a 
privateer, for the purpose of enriching himself, and benefitting 
certain people of Nassau. 
Peter Henry Bruce, in April, 1741, arrived in asin: and 
and commenced work upon its fortifications under a commission 
from the British*government. An old fort, very much out of 
repair, called Fort Nassau, within which were wooden barracks 
in a tumble-down condition, then stood on the north side of 
what is now known as Flemish Square, where the present stone 
barracks are situated. It had sixteen badly-mounted guns; the 
remainder of its armament consisted of guns in part spiked, in 
part charged with stones and sand, in part buried below high-, 
water mark, and in part scattered about the place; and of gun! 
