1 ' 1 ' V
1 M j , „
garrison at Port Louis, consisting of a sergeant’s guard of soldiers,
a subaltern, and a field officer. The men mutinied because
their superior was thought to be unnecessarily severe,
and occupied them unceasingly in drill and parade, to the prejudice
of their obtaining food sufficient for health. They were
obliged, in consequence of his system, to live upon worse fare
than the settlers, because they could not go about to forage for
themselves ; and the result was that, after many threats, they
murdered him. A small armed schooner* arrived a few days
afterwards from Buenos Ayres, by whose officers and crew,
assisted by some French sailors, the principal mutineers, nine
in number, were taken and put into confinement on board.
They were afterwards carried to Buenos Ayres.
On the 26th of August 1833, three ‘gauchos’ and five Indians!
(tbe prisoners before mentioned), set upon and murdered
Mr. Brisbane; Dickson, the man in charge of Vernet’s store;]
Simon, the capataz; the poor German ; and another settler;
after which atrocious acts they plundered the settlement and
drove all the cattle and horses into the interior. Only that morning
Mr. Low, who was then living with Mr. Brisbane, left Port
Louis on a sealing excursion, with four men. Hardly was his
boat out of sight, when the deceitful villains attacked Brisbane
in Vernet’s house: suspecting no treachery, he fell at once by the
knife of Antonio Rivero. Simon defended himself desperately^
but was overpowered ; the others, overcome by fear, fell easy
victims. The rest of the settlers, consisting of thirteen men,
three women, and two children, remained with the murderers
two days, and then escaped to a small island in the Sound;
where they lived on birds’ eggs and fish, till the arrival of the
English sealer Hopeful,§ on board which was an officer of the
navy, || who in some measure relieved their immediate distress,
but could not delay to protect them from the assaults which
* Sarandi.
t Antonio Rivero, J. M. Luna, M. Godoy,—J. Brasido, M. Gonzales,
L. Flores, F. Salazar, M. Lattore.
i P. 240. §Nov. 1833.
j{ Mr. Rea. The Hopeful belonged to Messrs. Enderby.
they anticipated. About a month after the Hopeful sailed,
H.M.S. Challenger, Captain M. Seymour, arrived, having a
lieutenant of the navy and four seamen on board, who had
volunteered from H.M.S. Tyne, and were duly authorized to
remain at the Falklands. The following extract from a letter
will show what took place on Captain Seymour’s arrival.
“ Captain Seymour, and the consuls, being anxious to visit
the settlement of Port Louis, landed some distance from it (the
wind being strong from S.S.W.), intending to walk there.
About a mile from the houses they were met by an Englishman
named Channon, sent by the gauchoes to see who they were,
and whether the ship was a whaler in want of beef, or a man-
of-war. He informed them that the gauchoes and Indians had
murdered Mr. Brisbane: Dickson, who had been left in charge
of the flag by Captain Onslow ; Simon ; and two others : and
had pillaged the houses, destroying every thing in their search
for money. He then pointed them out, sitting under a wall,
with their horses behind the remains of the government house,
ready saddled for a start on our nearer approach. They had
two gauchoes, prisoners, who had not been concerned in the
murders, and whom they threatened to kill, if he, Channon, did
not return. He also stated that one of them was willing to
turn king’s evidence, and would bring back all the horses, if
possible, provided Captain Seymour would ensure his pardon.
The whole of them, nine in number, retreated into the interior
as soon as they found out it was a ship of war, taking all the
tame horses, between fifty and sixty.* As his party were not
armed. Captain Seymour thought it right to return on board;
but after dark. Lieutenant Smith was sent with a party of
marines, and two boats, to try and take them, if they should
be still about the houses, and to leave with Channon a bottle
containing a crucifix, as a signal for Luna-! On their landing.
Lieutenant Smith took all necessary precautions, left six men
in charge of the boats, and proceeded cautiously with the
* Thirteen men and three womenhad escaped to an island in the Sound,
as they could do nothing against the murderers, who had all the arms.
t The gaucho who offered to become king’s evidence.
. t:(i
17