BY JAMES B. WALKER. 115 



mander, " that you entertain a design of leaving some 

 ])eo})le either at Dienien's Land or on the south-west 

 coast of New iSouth AVales, to found a French Colony 

 there, I deem it my duty to declare to you, Monsieur 

 le Commandant, that by virtue of the proclamation of 

 1788, whereby England formally took possession, all these 

 countries form an integral part of the British Empire, 

 and that you cannot occupy any ])art of them without 

 breaking the friendly relations whicli have been so recently 

 re-established between the two nations. I will not even 

 attempt to conceal from you that such is the nature of 

 my positive instructions on this ])oint that it will be my 

 duty to oppose by every means in my power the execution 

 of the design you are supposed to have in view. 

 Accordingly, 11. M.S. Cumberland has received orders 

 not to leave you until the officer in command of her is 

 convinced that your proceedings are wholly unconnected 

 with any attempt at invasion of the British territory in 

 these parts."* With King's own copy of his letter before 

 ust we can hardly accept Peron's version as accurate. 

 Proba])ly, while })rofessing to give the letter textually, 

 he really relied on his memory, and interwove the 

 substance of the English Ca])tain's verbal communications 

 to the Commodore. It is sufficiently clear, however, that 

 Robbins, with the downrightness of a sailor, had left 

 nothing doubtful or ambiguous with respect to the object 

 of his mission. During the week after the arrival of the 

 Cumberland and the delivery of the despatches, the 

 representatives of the two nations fraternised and inter- 

 changed hospitalities on the disputed shores of King's 

 Island. The French meanwhile set uj) an observatory 

 on land, and pitched their tents neai- the beach. Perhaps 

 it was tliis proceeding that confirmed Bobbins' suspicions, 

 or perhaps the French Commander would not give him 

 the assurances he wanted ; at all events, before the end 

 of the week the Englishman made up his mind that the 

 time for decisive action had come; so on the 14th he 

 made a formal landing in full view of the Frenchmen, 

 marched his little party to the rear of the tents, hoisted 

 His Majesty's colours on a large tree, posted at the foot of 

 the tree his guard of three marines with loaded muskets, 



* Peron'H Vovugf, iinil cd., vol. 3, p. 11 ; and see Appendix B. 

 t Sec Appendix B. 



