vernor had hidden himself in
the house; the soldiers entered and searched everywhere for him, till at
length they discovered him behind a bed, where he was seeking to hide
important papers. He was arrested, and sentinels were posted to prevent
his escape. Major Johnstone assumed the Governor's position, and
appointed his friends to the most important offices in the Government
service. He continued to direct affairs for some time, until Colonel
Foveaux superseded him. Foveaux, in his turn, was superseded by Colonel
Patterson, who came over from Tasmania to take charge of the colony
until a new Governor should be sent out from home. Patterson offered
Bligh his liberty if he would promise to go straight to England, and not
seek to raise a disturbance in the colony. This promise was given by
Bligh, and yet no sooner was he free than he began to stir up the
Hawkesbury settlers in his behalf. They declined to assist him, however,
and Bligh went over to Tasmania, where the settlement to be described in
the next chapter had been formed. Here he was received with great
good-will, until the news arrived from Sydney that, according to the
solemn promise he had given, he ought at that time to have been on his
way to England. An attempt was made to capture him, but he escaped to
England, where his adventures in New South Wales were soon forgotten,
and he rose to be an admiral in the English navy. When the news of the
rebellion reached the authorities in England, Major Johnstone was
dismissed from the service, and Major-General Lachlan Macquarie was sent
out to be Governor of the colony. Major Johnstone retired to a farm in
New South Wales, where he lived and prospered till his death in 1817.

CHAPTER V.

TASMANIA, 1803-1836.

#1. First Settlement.#--After the departure of Baudin from Sydney it was
discovered that there was an inclination on the part of the French to
settle in some part of Australia. It was known that the inlet called
Storm Bay, in the island then known as Van Diemen's Land, had especially
attracted their notice, its shores having been so green and leafy. It
was now known that Van Diemen's Land was severed by a broad strait from
the mainland, and the Governor at Sydney thought that if the French
proposed to make a settlement anywhere they would be certain to
appropriate this island, and deny that the English had any claim to it.
He, therefore, prepared an expedition to proceed to Storm Bay and take
possess