HISTORICAL. 9 
J foieign powers, and it has remained a British possession ever 
since. Governor Field was succeeded by Major John Blackmore, a 
man of great piety, who unfortunately, in consequence of the had 
loads existing at the time, slipped off the path near Chubb’s Spring 
anc was killed. This did not happen, however, until after he had 
cone much for the improvement of the place; a court of justice, 
assembling four times in a year, was established; a similar code of 
aw s as that in force at Bombay was adopted; but trial by jury, in 
consequence of the smallness of the community, was only allowed 
T ?* e U f e ’ dm b’ or land were concerned, all other cases being 
ec.cec, y the Governor and Council by vote. At this time, 
coroner s juries sat and brought in such verdicts as this — “That all 
nanimously agree and verily believe that the said Denning dyed a 
tlm ffl C ta ^’ be ' ulvc ^ n o bin long under a lingring distemper of 
I0?r +1 Ti lliS body WOrud to a P erfect anathomy.” In the year 
non “ u u nd WaS llonoured b 3 r a visit from the celebrated astro- 
on , h- i a ej ’ lo1 ' the P ur P ose of observations ; he pitched his tent 
bni . U ^, m ° Ulltain rid § e ’ sti11 bearing the name of “Halley’s Mount,” 
+ v XaC 1 U)U sa y s t], at clouds and mist so surrounded the position of 
+i Sa V U “ aS t0 m Serially diminish his opportunities for observa- 
( , j . - TOVe ™or Blackmore was succeeded by the Deputy-Governor 
coil?, . ,° Sbua d ° hnson - For u P w ards of twenty years the little 
all tl " • la i < , U1 Ved and P ros P ered - There were certain times when 
at F 6 , in J‘ abltants were squired to assemble, like one large family 
a iort James to be inspected. Crime seldom exceeded the very 
easy one of getting into debt, or slander, or such trivial offences 
overnor Johnson was notably a good man, but there had been 
ei am eelmgs of dissatisfaction growing up amongst the soldiers 
winch he had failed to observe, and which, for want of beiim nipped 
“ the , bud ’ termmated fatall y him. On the 21st April 1693 
ie retned unsuspectingly to rest as usual within Fort James’ 
Amongst the State guard, on that night, was a soldier named 
^b th^Tl ’ Wlth T™ ° f biS C ° mrades ’ had Pruned a scheme to 
in the 1 77 an f eSCape ° m the Island - When all was quiet 
several ' T r ° f aUd tL ® Govevnor slept soundly, they let 
the fort" a I r il ' 0m " gU " dB Wh ° Were ^ir secret into 
guards calhn T T^’ by ° Ue ’ to aI1 the other 
who obi f ? th ? m m al5 °- ° n imparting their plans, any 
jected to join them were immediately imprisoned without 
