once again in a bustle of defensive preparation. The Governor,
Vice-Admiral King, took possession of St. Pierre. The French, under
Admiral Richery, threatened St. John's, but desisted in face of the
vigour of the new Governor, Admiral Sir Richard Wallace (1796), who
raised volunteers, strengthened the forts, and prepared new batteries.
In 1797 the mutiny at the Nore broke out, provoked by real grievances.
As far off as Newfoundland the spirit of disaffection spread, and an
outbreak occurred on H.M.S. _Latona_, then lying in the harbour of St.
John's. It was quelled by the resolution of Captain Sothern; and
Governor Waldegrave (1797-1800), afterwards Lord Radstock, summoned
the mutineers before him and addressed them in the presence of the
Royal Newfoundland Regiment, whom they had tried to affect with
sedition. "I may venture to say," the Governor writes home, "my speech
was of much service." It was certainly of much vigour. "If I am to
judge from your conduct," he said, "I must think that the majority of
you are either villains or cowards. If the greater number of you are
against your officers, ... I have a right to say that you are
traitors.... If there are only a few bad men among you, which you
pretend to be the case, I maintain that you are a set of dastardly
cowards, for suffering yourselves to be bullied by a few villains, who
wish for nothing better than to see us become the slaves of France....
You were all eager for news and newspapers to see how your great
delegate, Parker"--the ringleader at the Nore--"was going on. I thank
God I have the satisfaction to inform you that he is hanged.... You
looked up to him as an example whilst he was in his glory. I recommend
you to look to his end as an example also.... I have now to tell you
that I have given orders to all your officers, that in case any
further signs of mutiny should appear among you, they are not to think
of confining the ringleaders, but to put them to death instantly; and,
what is still more, I have given orders to the officers commanding the