4 
4 — Account of the late Mr. 
CH 
thofe who tock an a¢tive part in the caufe of | 
Reform will no- eafijy be forgotten. Among 
thofe in North Britain, were the fubjeé of this 
Memoir, Mr. Muir, Mr. Skirving, Mr. Ger- 
ald,.and Mr. Margarot, the. laft mentioned 
gentlemen, were active in aflembling a Con- 
vention of Delegates from the feveral Societies 
aflociated for obtaining a Reform in the Come 
mons’ Houfe of Parliament: the cafe of Mr. 
Palmer .was diftinét and peculiar. He was.in- 
dicted and brought to trial in the month of Sep- 
tember, 1793, for writing and publifhing .an 
Addrefs to the People, on the Subject of Re- 
form. The faét of publication was diftin@ly 
proved, but with the drawing up of the Ad- 
drefs he had nothing to do it was indeed, 
avowed by one of the witneffes for the Crown, 
to have been written by himfelf. Mr. Palmer: 
was, however, found guilty, and fentenced to 
tranfportation beyond feas for the term of feven 
years. From the court Mr. Palmer was con 
veyed to the Tolbooth of Perth. In this prifon 
_ he lay fome weeks, after which he was conveyed 
by fea, to the Thames,. and put on board the. 
Stanilaus huik lying off Woolwich: while in 
this fituation, he was part of the time inirons, 
but having permiffion to fee his friends, feldom 
a day paffed in which one or more, among 
whom was the writer of this article, did not 
vifit him with a view of offering him any af- 
fiftance of which he might ftand in need, to 
alleviate the calamities incident to his fitua- 
tion. On the rath of February 1794, he was 
taken from the hulk and put on board the Sur- 
prize Tranfport, Patrick Campbell,’ matter. 
It was not however, till the end of April, that 
the fleet fet fail, of which the Surprize was 
one. The account of his fufferings and thole 
of Mr. Skirving, has been laid before the pub. 
_Jic*, to that, the truth of which was aurhentie 
cated by a great number of witnetfes, we refer 
the reader, who will be fhocked and aftonifhed 
at the indignities and cruelties inflited on thefe 
worthy charaGers, without even a pretence for 
‘the exercife of this wanton abufe of authority. 
On the 25th of Ofober, they arrived at Port 
Jackfon, New Holland, from which place 
he and his fellow-fufferers difpatched their 
firft letters to thofe friends, who had interett- 
ed themfelves in their welfare. _Mr. Muir, 
who, in comparifon of his affociates, had been 
kindly treated, bore an honourable teftimony 
to the condu& of Mefirs. Palmer and Skirving, 
-and gave explicit evidence to the injuftice of 
the charges brought againft them, and to the 
inhumanity which they experienced through the 
whole of their voyage. Soon after their arrival, 
Mr. Muir, Skirving, and Palmer delivered let- 
ters of recommendation to the governor of the 
Colony, from perfons in England of the firft 
refpectability ; houfes were appointed to them 
contiguous to each other, and Mr. Palmer 
wrote to his friends faying, ‘‘ we haveno caufe 
to complain of any want of ‘civility or atten- 
jion.’? From this time they employed them- 
* See a Narrative of the fufferings of T. F. 
Palmer, and W. Skirving, dutjnag a voyage to 
Wew South Wales 1794, on board the Surprize 
Tranfport, by T. F. Palmer, 2d Edit, 1797. ° 
Thomas Fyfoe Palmer, (Feb. 1, 
> th: 
felves in cultivating the land allotted to them, 
and the accounts given by Mr. Palmer and we 
Skirving, were of the moft favourable kindy ~ 
both with refpect to the climate of re nhedy | 
and the fertility of the land. We have already — iy 
feen that Palmer, Muir, and Skirving arrived 
at. Port Jackfon, in. October 1794. Farly in 
the following year, Mr. Jofeph Gerald, who 
had engaged in the fame caufe, was doomed th) 
to experience, the fame harfh treatment. He 7) 
had been long confined in a clofe room in New- Yi 
gate, before he embarked for New Holland ; ¥ 
his health was completely broken, and in. a | 
very fhort time after he landed at Port Jackfon | 
he fell a victim to the difeafe of the climate, 
By the fentence pafled on Mr, Palmer, -he 7) 
could not fet foot in Great Britain, till the | 
middle of September 1800, without incurring 7 
the penalty of death. The voyage, however, 
would take. feveral months had it been made ~ 
by the fhorieft and quickeft route; he, there- 
fore, with his friends begen to make prepara- ¥ 
tions for. returning at the end of the year 1799+ | 
A fhip. was purchafed for the’ purpofe, the 
principal part of which was the property of Mr. 
Palmer, though Captain Reed, Mr. Bofton, § 
and Mr. Ellishad afmall fhare in her. On the } 
2oth:of January 1800, they fet fail from Port i 
Jackfon,. with an. intention ef going directly 7 
to New Zealand, to take in timber for the mar me 
ket at the Cape of Good Hope. ‘The Ship was. 
in a wretched condition, and provifions werd 
taken on board for a voyage of only fix months, 
a period which they had fixed for their arrival # 
at the Cape Twenty fix weeks, however; ~ 
they {pent at New Zealand, during which the 
whole of their ftores were expended. Diftrefs 
of the moit alarming nature now compelled — 
them to go in fearch of provifions ; they tteers 7 
ed for Tanga Taaboo, but there they could ob- — 
tain no relief, in confequence of an exifting © 
_war between the natives of this, and the neigh.) 
bouring iflands. From thence they refolved)” 
to call at'the Feegee iflands ; at one of which © 
they procured a fmall{upply, andthe favourable 
reception which they met with in the firft in- — 
ftance; determined them to vific the others. — 
By endeavouring to get to the ifland of Goraa — 
they ran their crazy veffel on a reef, which © 
carried away a large part of her keel, andin ~ 
lefs than half an hour, fhe made rigs Sit of 
water ; but the furf rifing, they were driven off 
the reef into deep water. Immediately they 
caft anchor, and with the afliftance of the na~ © 
tives, repaired their vefiel. To them alfo 
they were indebted, not only for a fupply of. 
every necefsary.while in that ftate, but fora 
liberal ftock to go to fea with. They now” 
defermined to proceed to Macao, in China; 
but meeting with contrary winds, they failed 
till their provifions were exhaufted, and the re~ _ 
pairs of the fhip. were ali opening again. In © 
this dreadful fituation, they were compelled to 
put into the ifland of Guam, though they well 
knew it was an enemy’s port. Upon coming ~ 
to anchor, January 10th ‘8or, the Spanifh — 
governor, in reply to their folicitations for pro- 
vifions, affured. them, that unlefs they deparied 
in two hours, he would detain them as prifon 
ers of war, for to the enemies of his country a 
c “" COUIG 
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