The Governor's Man

This little sketch of a remarkable event in early Australian history does not pretend to be anything more. The Bligh Rebellion was only an interlude in the beginnings of the development of Australia; in some respects rather a sordid interlude. But it was a picturesque and interesting happening, and was the first manifestation of the keen sense of politics which has since possessed Australia. We do not now, when we feel that we have had enough of them, make prisoners of the members of a Governmentthough frequently they deserve such treatmentbut we still display the party bitterness and rancour which distinguished the actions of either side in 1808. Of the characters of the historical personagessuch as Bligh, Macarthur, Johnston, and the othersit may be said that they are mostly guesswork. The records are fairly complete, but at this distance, it is not altogether easy to understand the motives of dead men, and the author does not sit in judgment on them. He only claims that he has tried to be fair in his reading of Australian history.

His thanks are due to the Editor and Proprietors of "The World's News," of Sydney, in whose journal it first appeared serially, for permission to publish in book form this tale. It was written, for the most part, in that admirable institution, the Mitchell Library.

J. H. M. A.

Sydney, 1919.

Dettagli