174 HEREDITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NAVAL OFFICERS. 



52. ARTHUR PHILLIP. 



ARTHUR PHILLIP was born in London, October 11, 1738. At 13 years of age 

 he was sent to Greenwich school; at 17 he was bound to the ship Fortune, serving 

 under Captain Everet; and at 23 was a lieutenant. In 1763 he married and 

 settled down as a country gentleman and farmer. When Portugal, in 1775, went 

 to war with Spain, he offered his services and organized the Portuguese fleet, 

 but resigned hi 1778, after having given services that were highly appreciated. 

 In 1787 he was commissioned captain general and governor in chief of New South 

 Wales and took 600 male and 180 female convicts to Botany Bay. As governor 

 he displayed energy and wisdom, 1788-1792. In 1814, shortly before his death, 

 he was made admiral. 



Phillip was an organizer and administrator. He invariably knew how to go 

 about the work in hand and had confidence in his ability to complete it. In start- 

 ing on his voyage which led to the foundation of Australia, he suggested that a 

 ship be sent to the Friendly Islands to bring the breadfruit plant and women to 

 Australia. He strongly recommended marriage among the convicts, of whom 

 he took both sexes. Later he urged free immigration, saying: "I would not wish 

 convicts to lay the foundations of an empire." 



He made few personal friendships, and would shrink from, if not abhor, talking 

 or writing about himself, even to his relatives. During his long exile in Australia 

 he never alluded to his family, with whom he could communicate only at long 

 intervals. He left no children. Little is known about his family. His father 

 was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and taught languages in England. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



BECKE, L., and W. JEFFREY. 1899. Admiral Phillip. New York: Longmans, Green & Co. 

 xxx + 336 pp. 



