Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/234

was its instigator, and in a published letter, which may be seen in the British Museum,^[1] they warned him not to "presume to expect to pollute the holy and immortal cause of liberty by the association of his name with those of its purest defenders. He knows well, and it is meet that the world at large should know, that upon the justest grounds he stands a man rejected and expelled from our society." They petitioned for an inquiry in Sydney.

Muir, it appears, was not on good terms with Palmer until the latter was unjustly accused, but then warmly took his part. Margarot seems to have eluded inquiry. Grose declined to investigate the matter, and released Palmer and Skirving, telling them that they would receive every indulgence that in their unfortunate situation could be consistently granted, and in Palmer's narrative we read—"All idea of our trial was soon given up. We had houses appointed to us contiguous to each other, and myself, Skirving, and Mr. Muir have no cause to complain of any want of civility or attention. Margarot wrote a pompous letter to Grose, demanding his release on the ground that his sentence was fulfilled on his arrival in Sydney. Grose told him that "he might rest assured I have not the smallest doubt, neither shall I have the least hesitation, of forcing as much good order from you as from any other prisoner in the place."

Although the "Reminiscences of Glasgow" state that Mrs. Margarot died of grief when her husband was banished, all these records about her still exist, and in July 1801 Margarot applied for the advantages of a free settler for her, alleging that she "came here in the ship Surprise in the year 1794;" but Governor King merely indorsed the application—"Mr. Margarot respecting his wife."

Collins records that all "the gentlemen who came from Scotland in the Surprise" were pleased with the brick huts set apart for them by Grose, and soon "declared that they had found sufficient reason for thinking their situations not quite so terrible as in England they had been taught to expect."