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NORFOLK ISLAND.
WE regret to state that the accounts of the
relapsed state of this settlement recently published
are but too well confirmed by the intelligence just
received by the "Governor Phillip." Our own
letters are enclosed in a package on board that ship,
and have not been delivered, but we have endea-
voured to collect the best information possible of the
recent daring attempts of the prisoners and their
results.
It appears that twelve prisoners had manufac-
tured a boat, by means of which they succeeded
in gaining Phillip Island; whither they were pur-
sued and captured.
A plan was laid by the boat's crew employed in
unloading the Governor Phillip to take the schooner
Coquette, but this was defeated, and the patties
were imprisoned on board.
On the morning of the 21st June, at seven o'clock,
the boat's crew were let out of the prison for the
purpose of stowing the cargo of the launch, which
was hanging to the stern of the brig. On reaching
the deck, and seeing only two soldiers and the
sergeant there, the crew took advantage of the
absence of the other ten, of which the guard consists,
and rushed on the two sentries and threw them over-
board; the serjeant immediately shot one of them
named Kelly, when he was knocked down by the
others and severely wounded with a belaying pin.
One of the soldiers was drowned, and the other saved
by a prisoner named Wolfe. The seamen were then
ordered into the launch, excepting two, who were
told to remain on deck, and one of them was placed
at the wheel, with a prisoner of the name of Moss
to assume the command. The captain with his
officers happened to be below, and before they could.
proceed on deck the companion-hatch was put on,
the fore and main hatches were also battened down
on the rest of the guard and crew, and the mutineers
were thus in complete possession of the vessel, but
without any arms, except the pistols and cutlasses
taken from the two sentries.
Shortly after they had taken the vessel one of the
party proposed to Captain Boyle to furnish them
with provisions, water, arms, &c., on obtaining which
they would give up the vessel to him, and proceed
to sea in the "island" launch; but he refused to
comply with their proposals, as he knew that the
vessel must ultimately fall into his hands again, the
prisoners being without provisions and water, to
obtain which they must necessarily expose them
selves to the fire of the crew and military, who were
well armed, and only waiting for an opportunity to
get on deck. Captain Boyle then broke the cabin
skylight, and watched for an opportunity of shooting
the man who was at the wheel; and by a well-
directed shot he at length succeeded, and killed him
on the spot. On the fall of the two master spirits,
the others told the seamen on deck that the ship was
theirs again. The hatch was taken off, and the ship's
crew and the military rushed on deck; the latter
fired on the surviving mutineers, killed three and
wounded two mortally. The serjeant of the guard
shot the corporal in the scuffle, mistaking him for
one of the prisoners. The bodies of the killed
presented a dreadful spectacle one mean's head was
literally blown off, the deck was covered with blood
and brains, and, but for the interposition of Captain
Boyle, the whole of the prisoners would have been
killed.
The guard and crew consisted of twenty-eight men,
exclusive of officers; and it certainly says little for
their vigilance or prowess that such an attempt could
have been made with any chance of success by a
handfull of unarmed men.
The total number of killed and wounded are—
Military, one drowned, and two wounded; Seamen,
one wounded; Prisoners, five killed, and two severely
wounded.
The seven remaining mutineers were fully com-
mitted to take their trial for murder and piracy.
While the authorities of the island were occupied
with the duties resulting from this scene of blood,
some of the prisoners on shore entered one of the
chapels and stole the plate. It was supposed to have
been conveyed on board the Governor Phillip, and
strict search has been made for it since her arrival in
port, but we believe without success.
Several attempts had been made previous to this
affair to take the boats belonging to the island, which
had been considered in a state of insecurity for
some time; many boats had also been secretly
manufactured in the bush. One man, named
Stephen Brennan, had been committed for murder,
and another, named Dalton, for an unnatural crime.
Another occurrence had taken place, awfully illus-
trative of the incorrigible character of some of those
wretches, and of their contaminating influence, but
which we cannot further advert to. Indeed, from
all we can learn, Captain Maconochie's philanthropic
effort is destined to terminate in a manner very
different from that which every good man must have
wished. For our own part, we can truly say our
disappointment is great in the extreme.
We shall probably have some further details to
communicate in our next.
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