9

NEW SOUTH WALES.

THE HE favourable reports brought to England by Captain Cook on his return from the voyage in the "Endeavour," directed the attention of the British Government towards the possibility of founding a settlement in Australia. The loss of the North American colonies by their successful rebellion made it an imperative necessity that some fresh outlet should be found for the disposal of the criminal population; but, besides this, there seems ample proof that the idea of colonial expansion was at that time strong in the minds of the British people.

In 1787 Viscount Sydney, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, resolved on the foundation of a colony in that portion of the Great Southern Continent which Cook had rather inaptly termed New South Wales. In virtue of the sovereignty established by Captain Cook, the islands of New Zealand were included as part of the British dominions, in the Royal Commission appointing the Governor of the new colony. There is no doubt that the selection of Botany Bay as a place of penal settlement was largely due to Cook's official report as to the suitability of the locality; but it was keenly debated in the House of Commons whether Cook's New Zealand or Cook's Botany Bay should be the site of the first experiment in penal colonisation. "New Zealand," says an early historian, "escaped the perilous distinction, possibly on account of fears entertained that the existence of her ferocious cannibal population might prove incompatible with the safe keeping and probationary discipline of the prisoners, and that in some fatal outburst of the cannibal passion, convict, governor, and guard might undergo the common lot, prematurely, in the native oven." This, possibly, may have been the reason; indeed, the early authorities of New South Wales had a thorough dread of the old-time Maori.

In May the "First Fleet," which was to convey the expedition, was got together. It comprised the 20-gun frigate "Sirius," with its tender the "Supply"; the storeships "Golden Grove," "Fishburn," and "Borradale"; and six transports the "Alexander," "Scarborough," "Lady Penrhyn," "Prince of Wales," "Friendship," and "Charlotte." The largest of these vessels measured not more than 450 tons, whilst the smallest was not more than 270 tons. The six transports had on board 564 male and 192 female convicts; 178 marines, officers and men ; 5 medical men, a few mechanics, 40 women, wives of the marines; and 13 children. The command of the expedition was entrusted to Captain

Phillip, R.N., to whom was also granted a commission appointing him Governor and Captain-General of New South Wales. Captain Hunter, of the "Sirius," was second in command, while Mr. David Collins accompanied the expedition in the capacity of Judge-Advocate.

In January, 1788, the fleet arrived in Botany Bay. A very short examination proved that the place was ill-suited for the settlement about to be founded. The soil was everywhere poor, while there was a dearth of fresh water, and in addition to these disadvantages to settlers, the depth of water was not sufficient to allow ships of fair tonnage to approach the shore. The land northward appeared to promise bolder indentations, and Captain Phillip, taking with him three boats, proceeded in that direction, and after going a few miles, he found himself abreast of Port Jackson, marked by Cook as a boat-harbour. He entered the inlet, and found to his great surprise that he had discovered a port in every way suited for his purpose, and, indeed, as he speedily realised, one of the most beautiful as well as most convenient harbours in the world.

The fleet now sailed round to Port Jackson, and on the 26th January, 1788, the vessels anchored in Sydney Cove, the colonists were disembarked, and Captain Phillip formally proclaimed the new colony. As only a limited supply of provisions was available from the stores, it was necessary for the settlers immediately to devote their attention to agriculture. Land was therefore cleared at the head of Farm Cove, and wheat was sown, but owing to the unsuitability of the soil in this vicinity the crop was a failure. This was a contingency against which provision had not been made, and affairs were becoming very serious, when the arrival of a ship with a fresh batch of convicts, but without stores, brought them to a head. In this emergency Captain Phillip despatched the "Sirius" to Cape Colony and the "Supply" to Batavia to procure provisions, but only a very moderate quantity could be obtained, so that within a few weeks the community was on the verge of starvation. In these circumstances it was necessary for everyone to be placed on short allowance, while the cattle and sheep, which were introduced for breeding purposes, were slaughtered for food. To relieve the pressure on the stores at Sydney, a detachment of 200 convicts, with a guard of 70 marines, was despatched to Norfolk Island, where Lieutenant King had been sent to establish a branch colony, and had been successful in raising an abundant crop. To add to the colony's misfortunes, the "Sirius," in which the detachment sailed, was wrecked on a reef near the Island, and the prospect of relief from this source was for the time frustrated. The colony seemed to be threatened with extinction by famine, when three storeships providentially arrived and rescued the settlers from their privations. Trouble seemed, however, persistently to follow the young settlement. Several shiploads of convicts arrived, and in consequence of overcrowding and insanitary conditions on the voyage, it was found that out of a total of 1,700 who had been placed on board in England, 200 had died on the voyage,

while hundreds of others were in an enfeebled or dying condition when they reached Port Jackson. Trouble was also occasioned by successful and unsuccessful attempts of convicts to escape.

After a particularly arduous administration of four years, Governor Phillip returned to England in 1792, and subsequently received a pension from the Imperial Authorities in recognition of his services. During the period elapsing till the arrival of Captain Hunter, who succeeded him, the government was administered by Major Grose and Captain Paterson, the senior military officers in the colony. In the interregnum, Sydney whalers began to visit the coasts of New Zealand; and thereafter adventurous spirits, honest and outlaw, ran into the ports of the islands for spars and flax, preserved human heads, and other native curiosities. In 1793, the "Daedalus," under command of Lieutenant Hanson, was sent to cruise about the New Zealand coast with the avowed intention of kidnapping one Maori or more to teach the convict settlers of Norfolk Island the Maori method of flax-dressing. Unfortunately, one of the captives secured was a priest ("tohunga") and the other a chief ("rangatira"), and they would not admit that they knew anything about such work, and were restored to their home at Doubtless Bay after several months' detention.

Governor Hunter arrived at Sydney in 1795, and brought with him some free settlers, mainly agricultural labourers. These turned their attention to the fine alluvial land on the banks of the Hawkesbury, and before very long upwards of 6,000 acres were under crops of wheat and maize. In the following year a herd of 60 cattle was discovered at the "Cowpastures," near Camden. These animals were the descendants of cattle that had strayed away from the settlement some years previously, and besides being a welcome addition to the available food supply, proved the adaptability of the colony for stock-raising purposes.

During Hunter's term of administration the river named after him was discovered, and the existence of workable seams of coal in its vicinity was demonstrated, and about the same time Bass and Flinders carefully examined and charted the coast line to the south of Sydney. Governor Hunter left New South Wales in 1800, the population at the time being slightly in excess of 6,000. His successor was Philip Gidley King, who had been previously appointed to the control of the branch settlement at Norfolk Island.

The new Governor soon found himself embroiled in serious trouble with the New South Wales Corps. This body had been specially recruited for service in the colony, as it was impossible to find officers of regular army regiments in England who would willingly accept virtual banishment to a far distant land to act as a sort of prison guard over convicts. Some of those who were induced to accept commissions. by grants of land in the colony had never before seen service in the army, while the general idea of most of the officers seemed to be to amass fortunes as quickly as possible and return to England. It was found that the rum trade offered the speediest means to this end. Not

only did the officers of the Corps import large quantities, which they retailed at enormous profits, but some of them, in defiance of Government orders, went so far as to set up stills on their own account. The Governor resolutely set his face against the traffic, and refused to allow the landing of thousands of gallons of wine and spirits. The strong stand taken by the Governor roused the bitterest opposition amongst the officers, who found themselves likely to lose their chief source of emolument by reason of his action.

Governor King had also to face serious trouble in the shape of a mutiny amongst the convicts. It was customary to set the most refractory of the prisoners to work on the roads in chain-gangs, while those who merited better treatment by consistent good conduct were assigned as servants to the free settlers. On one occasion over 300 convicts were working in chain-gangs on the road at Castle Hill, between Parramatta and Windsor, under a very small force of soldiers. The prisoners overpowered the guard, and freeing themselves from their chains, marched towards the Hawkesbury, where they counted on the assistance of the men employed near Windsor. The insurgents, however, were speedily routed by Major Johnston, who had a force of only 20 men with him. The ringleaders were hanged, and the others were allowed to return to work under strict surveillance.

The initiation of wool-growing, one of the most important events in Australian history, took place during King's administration. Captain John Macarthur of the New South Wales Corps had received a grant of 10,000 acres of land on the Cowpasture River, near Camden, and with praiseworthy enterprise secured a small flock of Spanish merinos and commenced the experiments in wool-growing which eventually resulted in material gain not only to the originator of the idea, but also to Australia generally.

After six years of constant labour King was glad to give up the reins of office, and was succeeded in the administration of the colony by Captain Bligh. The new Governor, who assumed office in 1806, had previously won for himself a reputation for coolness and daring by his noteworthy voyage after the mutiny of the "Bounty," and subsequently at the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1798 had gained the publicly-expressed encomiums of Lord Nelson. The Imperial Authorities therefore thought that their choice had fallen on the right man to correct the abuses which King had been powerless to deal with, especially in regard to the traffic in rum. The Governor immediately. on his arrival issued a stringent proclamation forbidding the bartering of strong liquors in exchange for commodities, and applying the injunction to all persons without distinction. This drastic action was viewed with the deepest resentment by a large section of the colonists, who, in spite of all authority, maintained the illicit trade throughout the whole of Bligh's term of administration. The affair which resulted in the deposition of Bligh was not directly connected with his dispute with the officers on the traffic in rum, but there can be no doubt but that

Bligh's interference with the lucrative business which the officers carried on led to his downfall. Macarthur had received a summons from Atkins, the Judge-Advocate, calling upon him to answer a complaint preferred by the crew of a vessel of which he was part owner for non-payment of wages. Macarthur did not obey the order, but sent a letter defining his position in the matter. A warrant was therefore issued for his arrest, and he was brought before the Judge-Advocate and a jury of six officers of the New South Wales Corps--such being the composition of the Supreme Court at the time. Macarthur objected to the JudgeAdvocate's presiding at the trial on the ground that Atkins bore him personal ill-will, and the six officers sustained his objection. Bligh refused to remove the Judge-Advocate, as indeed he had not the power to do, Atkins having been appointed by the Imperial Government. The Governor now ordered the six officers to appear before him to justify their conduct, but they refused to obey. He also sent several messages to the Commandant, Major Johnston, requesting him to confer with him respecting the conduct of his subordinates, but that officer pleaded ill-health as his excuse for not complying with the Governor's request. Nevertheless, on the same evening Major Johnston arrived in Barrack Square, paraded his regiment, and marched in full military array to Government House, where he placed Governor Bligh in close confinement. Johnston then assumed control of affairs, and dismissed the Judge-Advocate and other prominent officials, appointing deputies in their stead.

Lieutenant-Colonel Foveaux shortly afterwards superseded Major Johnston, and he in turn was succeeded by Colonel Paterson, who came over from Tasmania to administer the government. This was about twelve months after Bligh's deposition, and although Paterson in a general way approved of Johnston's action, he nevertheless set the imprisoned Governor at liberty on condition that he proceeded home in a vessel then about to sail. Bligh promised to sail direct to England, but when he was at liberty he refused to be bound by a promise given under compulsion, and remained off the coast of Tasmania. When the Imperial Authorities became apprised of the turn affairs had taken in New South Wales they immediately despatched Lieutenant-General Macquarie to assume control of the colony. He was directed to reinstate Bligh for one day, and despatch Major Johnston under close arrest to England. He was unable, of course, to carry out his instructions with reference to Bligh, but Johnston was arrested and sent to England, where he was subsequently tried and punished with dismissal from the army.

During Macquarie's term of office a great improvement manifested itself in the moral and industrial condition of the colony, and the illicit traffic in spirits was rigidly suppressed. Education, hitherto neglected, received special attention, churches and public buildings were erected, and the work of exploration was pushed on. For the purpose of making himself personally acquainted with the conditions