The Convict King : being the Life and Adventures of
.Torgen Jorgen- son. Retold by James Francis Hogan. (Ward and Downey.)— Jorgen Jorgenson was born in Copenhagen in 1780. He went to sea, and had various adventures in Australasia. Returning to Europe about the time when Denmark was at war with this country, he was put in command of a Danish privateer. This was captured by a British frigate, and Jorgenson was taken to England, and there released on parole. A London merchant employed him to take provisions to Iceland, then suffering from scarcity. On his second voyage, the Danish authorities pro- hibited trade. The end of this was that the Governor was seized, and Jorgenson was installed in his place. Events moved rapidly, and on July 11th he declared himself Protector of the island threatening "death without benefit of the civil law" to any one that presumed to interfere. He made a quasi-regal progress through his dominions, and was apparently popular, as indeed was likely, seeing that his principal policy was to confiscate everything Danish. But a British man-of-war appeared on the scene, and Jorgenson was compelled to abdicate. Returning to England, he was imprisoned for violating his parole,—rather hard measure, as far as the alleged cause was concerned ; the real reason was, of course, his Iceland escapade. After this, he went through some curious experiences, chiefly in Australia, to which country he was transported. His life was wrecked by a passion for gambling; but he certainly had some remarkable qualities. Mr. Hogan has made a readable book out of the autobiography which Jorgenson left behind him.
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