and they were rapidly arrivin«][ iu the colony at the close of Hunter's rule. Some of them at once intrigued against the government, and Maorice Margarofc was an accomplice in their scheoies. His diaries (some kept in English and some io French) teemed with notices of them* ICvery rumour, true or false, of a disaster to the British army was entered in them with glee. In 1801 he lamented the failure of an attempt to escape in an American vessel:— " McCarthy, *fcc., d^c, cherchant a echapper ont ete pris, ramenes, mis en prison, et aux fers ! ! !" ^^ la March 1801 he has heard rumours that a revolution in England has been successful. In April IHOl there has been a decisive battle in Ii^elaud. In May *MeB liusses ont extermines la marine Anglaise.** In November he thinks his own day of triumph so near at hand that he writes :■ — " Ton nous envoya de la ande poiu'rie tine je garde pour la faire manger par I le scelerat qui vole a la fois le gouvernement et le prison- ^■aiier/' In Jan. 1802 an Irish convict escapes in an American ^H^essel. In May 1802 **Toiis les Irlandais sont ramenea, ^EdiIs en prison," &c* On 19th July ^' Envoyai un permit a ^" signer an Clouverneur ; il le dechirer sans mot diie/* On 5th March 1804, *' loi martielle publiee par proclamation ;'* on the 10th March, '* deux Irlandais furent pendus a
- Sydney, et je suppose que cela linit la trajedie;" on the
I 28th, **La Ladp Ndsom et la ReHtinne avec les infortunes I firent voile pour le Coal River" (the Hunter). On the 29th of the same month, ' le vaisseau xAmericaiii /'f//n>n recut ordre de sortir du port pour n'avoii* baisse pavilion a la Ladi^ Nelson/' In Jan. 1804 Margaret wrote, ** d'aujourdlmi je compte deux mois pour Tarrivee de bonnes nouvelles." In April no disastrous news told of the downfall of England, and he writes :— '* din cote la peur augmente et du mien Tespoir, car certainement le retard des vaisseaux promet beaucoup. Dieu la veille." '•" McCarthy's petition to Kin^^ for ])ardoii on this occasion is still in exiatence. He said, ^" When the Aiiierican oaptain made the offer of taking me away* the ideii of my fiiniily at that time ao foroibly occurred to my mind that I thought it wo«hl he even criminal in me to refuse. If your Excellency will look over this imprudent step of mine, I will to the hour of my death entertain the most grateful sense of yonr ExceUeney'a j^oodness, and ahall ever pray for yonr Excellency*s happiness." The (Jovernors minnte is: ** Florence I&cCarthy to be forgiven, He was, 4th Feb. 18Q1." o2
