Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/208

 committed on the high seas, I will feel it my duty so far to exercise the general powers with which I am entrusted for the protection of His Majesty's subjects in the territory as to send home prisoners these persons who shall be deemed most criminal (if criminality be attached to the proceedings by the Court of Enquiry), for your Lordship, and His Majesty's Government, to adopt such measures thereon as may appear due to the circumstances of the case."

The court met for the first time on the 20th August and closed its proceedings—protracted by reason of Wylde's other judicial duties—on the 4th of October.

The period was not a tranquil one. The position of the officers and crew of the Chapman was dangerous, for the Sydney people knew, most of them from personal experience, the miseries of the voyage and the helplessness of the prisoners under harsh discipline. Stories told by the convicts from the Chapman were repeated in every tavern, and it was little wonder that there was talk of vengeance in the air. Drake, the master of the Chapman, wrote to Campbell on the 19th August:—

"In consequence of ill-treatment my ship's company have received from the people here, particularly on Sunday night, when several of them were unmercifully beaten, and their lives threatened, as was mine and my officers, and as we are to attend to-morrow at the court-room, I beg you will have the goodness to give us protection to and from that place. Several of the people on shore were heard to say last night, that to-morrow should be their day for revenge and that they would have my life. Under these circumstances I beg you will take it into consideration."

Campbell asked Wentworth to provide special police protection, and told Drake of the arrangement without concealing his contempt and scepticism; but there is no reason to suppose that Drake exaggerated the case.

The forced detention of the Chapman of course caused the captain great loss and injury, and he was probably uneasy as to the result of the inquiry. While Macquarie was at Parramatta, and Lieutenant-Governor Molle in charge at Sydney, Drake