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Major Johnston to Viscount Castlereagh
Headquarters,
Sydney,
N.S. Wales,
11 April 1808.
MY LORD,
A series of almost incredible circumstances have imposed on me the distressing task and responsibility of superseding the authority vested in Governor Bligh by His Majesty's Commission, and of assuming the government of this colony until His Majesty's pleasure shall be signified, or until the arrival of an officer authorized to relieve me in the command.
Whenever the facts that have influenced me throughout so solemn a transaction shall be laid before my gracious Sovereign, I humbly trust His Majesty will approve of my conduct, and that it will be apparent I had no alternative but to put Governor Bligh in arrest to prevent an insurrection of the inhabitants, and to secure him and the persons he confided in from being massacred by the incensed multitude; or, if the Governor had escaped so dreadful an end, and retained his authority, to see His Majesty's benevolent and paternal government dishonour'd by cruelties and merciless executions.
The event that I have the honor to report to your Lordship, took place on January 26, and although such a space of time has since elapsed, I have found it impossible to prepare that arranged detail, and that connected chain of evidence which so uncommon a subject has made it my indespensible duty to transmit to your Lordship.  
In a short time after, a letter was presented to me imploring me instantly to put Governor Bligh in arrest, and to assume the command of the colony. This letter was also approved of by all the officers of the Corps present at headquarters; and at the events I had myself witnessed left me no cause to doubt the propriety and necessity of complying with this requisition, t immediately ordered the Corps under arms, and directed four officers to proceed to Government House and summon Governor Bligh to resign his authority. The Corps quickly followed, attended by the civil officers and a considerable number of respectable inhabitants.  
The four officers who had carried the summons met me at the Governor's door and reported that he was nowhere to be found, nor any information to be obtained of him, although the strongest assurances had been given that his person should be strictly guarded from insult or violence.
After a rigid search, the Governor, however, was at last discovered in a situation too disgraceful to be mentioned, and which I solemnly declare to your Lordship would have been most gratifying to my feelings had it been possible to have concealed from the public.
As soon as Governor Bligh made his appearance, I assured him of his personal safety and of every attention in my power to offer him.