324 
APPENDIX. A. 
service, so that it affords the strongest evidence in 
favor of Mr. Jorgensen s assertion, that the trans¬ 
action itself could not be displeasing to the natives, 
many of whom were loitering about the plain before 
the house, with their long poles in their hands 
spiked with iron, which they use for walking upon 
the snow, and which they might have now em¬ 
ployed as offensive weapons; instead of which they 
looked on with the most perfect indifference, 
though they were in such numbers that one half of 
them could with ease have overpowered the inva¬ 
lids who were stationed to guard the door; for it is 
sufficiently known, that in time of war the crews 
of merchantships consist of such men only as are 
unfit for the service of his Majesty. Mr, Phelps, 
having taken this step, was aware that, as a British 
subject, he had it not in his power to establish 
or even to maintain in the island any form of 
government without the consent of his own; but 
he was at the same time fully sensible of the ne¬ 
cessity of some regular authority being consti¬ 
tuted, till more decisive measures could be taken 
for the welfare of the country; and it was there¬ 
fore determined that Mr. Jorgensen, not being a 
subject to the crown of Great Britain, or respon¬ 
sible to it for his actions, should assume for the 
present the chief command. Conformably to 
such a determination, this gentleman immediately 
