Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/478

This page has been validated.
450
MACQUARIE IN VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. COL. DAVEY.

intervals, kangaroo flesh was issued; and after the flood of 1806 seed wheat cost sometimes three or four pounds sterling per bushel, as in the older colony. Hobart had no control over the settlement at Port Dalrymple, where Paterson presided, and, with King's consent, named the river Tamar, and the town Launceston, in honour of Governor King, a native of the ancient capital of Cornwall. There, also, difficulties were met by grants from Sydney. During Bligh's government many of the settlers at Norfolk Island were removed to Hobart, chiefly in 1808.[1]

Collins, having declined to recognise Bligh as Governor-in-Chief, when called upon to do so in 1809, Macquarie would have proceeded against Collins if the "fell sergeant death" had not anticipated him. Macquarie[2] had lost no time in suggesting that Collins ought to be recalled, and that Foveaux should be appointed in his room, but Collins died before Bligh sailed to England in 1810. Macquarie visited Hobart in 1811, and reciprocated compliments with the inhabitants. He marked out and named many streets. Lt. Col. Giels (73rd) became Acting Governor in 1812, and, after encouraging agriculture for a time, gave way to a newly-appointed Governor (Colonel Davey), who arrived at Hobart in Feb. 1813. He had served at Trafalgar in the Marine Corps. He was rough, but generous. He was not prone to repress evil tendencies in those around him, for he is reported to have "shared in common a taste for spirituous liquors." But trade prospered, agriculture was extended, wheat was exported to Sydney, and whale-fishing grew into importance. Until 1814 Van Diemen's Land depended solely on New South Wales for the administration of justice in civil cases. Besides the Criminal Court of Judicature established under the Statute 27 Geo. III., cap. 2, there was the Governor's Court—a Civil Court presided over by the Judge-Advocate, and two nominees of the Governor. These courts were the Judicature in the parent colony.

Bates, the Deputy Judge-Advocate, arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1806; but Collins thought Bates'

  1. ↑ In Oct. 1810 Macquarie recommended that Norfolk Island should be "totally evacuated."
  2. ↑ Despatch, Macquarie. 1810.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.