Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/358

 302 geosb's TBFATMENT 1794 Military tTernu civil authori^. An imaginary sUght. The mutiny at Norfolk Island. King's narrative. Origin of the mutiny. Island he did not then interfere, apparently because no qnestion as to the status of the military had arisen. Bnt King's action in appointing Nepean, and afterwards in suppressing a mutiny among the soldiers^ raised the question in a very pointed manner. The Nepean appointment and ihe mutiny had nothing to do with each other, but information concerning the whole of the ^ansactions — the visit to New Zealand, the appointment of Captain Nepean, the conse- quent difficulty with Lieutenant Abbott, and the suppression of the mutiny — reached Grose at one and the same time, and were considered together. King's proceedings throughout appear to have been regarded by Grose as a deliberate design, not only to flout his authority, but to belittle the military power which it was his determination to make paramount. Grose's extravagant condemnation of King was not endorsed by the authorities at Whitehall.* Before adverting to the extreme measures which Grose took to disparage Ki n g and propugn the military, it is necessary to relate the leading circumstances of the mutiny and its suppression. The affair was the subject of numerous despatches and reports. A full and consecutive narrative will bo found in King's despatch to Dundas of the 10th March, 1794.t This account was written by King with the view of setting himself right with the English authorities. It was transmitted through Grose, who was asked to read it and forward it to the Secretary of State with whatever observations he thought it desirable to make. When Grose wrote his covering letter (eight months after the events had transpired) his resent- ment appears to have moderated, for he informed the Duke of Portland that the facts were 'Wery fairly and exactly stated " by King. The narrative may be regarded, there* fore, as an impartial and accurate statement of the facts. King, in stating his case, traced the origin of the mutinous disturbance to the intimacy which had sprung up between the soldiers and the convicts; a practice which he
 * Post, p. 316. t HUigriciil Becoida, vol. ii, p. 186.