26

NORFOLK PLAINS.

an amount of money. Even if such objections should have operated against the propriety of longer retaining the dependency, such of the free settlers, at least, as were willing to remain, might have been permitted to continue on the island under the government of a magisterial executive. Yet, with all the natural capabilities of climate, soil, and situation acting strongly in its favour, instead of against it, not only was the convict establishment abolished, but every exertion made to get the free population out of the place at the same time.

Many of these, it is to be remembered, were settled with their families on beautiful and productive farms at Norfolk Island, and had had children born to them on the soil they were called upon to quit. They were removed, and had grants of land given to them either in New South Wales, or Van Diemen's Land. A considerable band of them settled on the northern division of the latter colony, where the district to which they removed, is to this day called "Norfolk Plains ;" and another township farther to the southward, and situate about twenty miles from the town of Hobart, was called "New Norfolk," in commemoration of that event. The island, however, from which they were taken, was not many years vacant, before the British government saw its error, and gave directions to Governor Bligh to re-occupy it for the purposes of a penal settlement, whither all convicts re-convicted in New South Wales of

transportable offences were to be sent, and subjected to the severest discipline.

It was in the government of Captain King, that the first attempt to settle on the shores of Port Phillip was made by directions from the authorities at home. So important was that locality considered, that in 1804 an expedition was fitted out from Britain to take possession of the country on the southern coast of Australia, to form a convict settlement, and to organize a local government under a Lieutenant-Governor and a suitable

corps of officers. Colonel Collins, who was despatched to perform the duty, most unfortunately debarked his companions and subjects in the most unpromising locality that could have been chosen in the whole range of that extensive inlet. Irritated at the escape of some of the prisoners, and by the

the apparent difficulty of supporting the population in such a tract of country, Colonel Collins abandoned the project, without even attempting a survey of the harbour and other parts of the neighbourhood, and proceeded with his whole charge to Van Diemen's Land, where in due time the settlement of Hobart Town in the south, and of Launceston in the north, were, by them, established.

It was very shortly after the occupation of the country around the present site of Launceston by the expedition of Colonel Collins, that the settlers of Norfolk Island removed to Van Diemen's

Land, and assisted in the early colonization of the sister island.

View of the first settlement in Van Diemen's Land.

It is somewhat curious that the abandonment of Norfolk Island and Port Phillip, in the one case unadvisedly hurried, in the other, imprudently deliberate, should have contributed to the settlerent of Van Diemen's Land as an original dependency of New South Wales, but subsequently as an independent Crown colony.

The first, and in fact, the only mutiny that has occurred in the colony amongst the prisoner population, took place while it was under the government of Captain King. The mutiny broke out at the government agricultural establishment

at Castle Hill, when some hundreds of the men threw off the control of their overseers, and arming themselves with such weapons as came to hand, set off on their way to Sydney, hoping to awe the authorities, and incite the remainder of the population to join the rebellion. They were, however, promptly met and put down by the military under Major Johnstone of the New South Wales corps, and some of the ringleaders having been condemned to the punishment of death, order and subjection were restored.

Whilst these events were passing, the opposing government and military influences were daily widening the breach occasioned in the administration of the former Governor, between the members of the New South Wales corps, and the civil representative and officers of the Crown. Το counteract the weight which the military had acquired among the social branches of the colony, the Governor resorted to the dangerous expedient of emancipating as many of the convicts as he conveniently could, and encouraging them to take a position amongst the colonists which might have been very well as a reward for merit, or an encouragement to reform, but which proved of the most mischievous tendency when used merely as an instrument of party spirit.

Many of the emancipists were allowed licenses to sell spirits, and in the pursuit of a business which brought them perpetually into contact with

the most depraved portion of the colonists, they were led to encourage the evil, fierce, and reckless dispositions of the lower classes, convict and free, and to participate in the fruits of their frequent lawless practices. By degrees bushranging became prevalent, and prison discipline so relaxed that it was nearly being altogether subverted; profligacy in private life, and the greatest weakness in administering the authority of the police and executive department marked the last years of Captain King's government, so that at his departure in 1806, after six years of residence, no one satisfactory circumstance in the progressive history of the colony remains to be noted.

SECTION IV.

GOVERNMENT OF CAPTAIN BLIGH.

Captain King was succeeded by Captain Bligh, whose name as a naval officer has been well known in connection with the mutiny of the Bounty, out of which vessel he was turned adrift by his crew in the South Pacific Ocean, when prosecuting a voyage from the South Sea to the West Indian Islands. The return of Captain Bligh to England, having navigated an open boat through Torres Straits to the Dutch settlement of Timor, with safety to himself and his crew, as well as the subsequent adventures which