INTERMEDIARY EXPLORATION 49 



had been called to his account, and his successor, the arrogant, 

 pompous and tyrannical Bligh, had been deposed and driven out 

 of the colony. The turbulent reign of Governor Macquarie, so 

 redolent of social difficulties and caste disputes, had been brought 

 to an end by his recall, and Sir Thomas Brisbane reigned in his 

 stead. 



Though a soldier, and one who had passed a large part of his 

 life in fighting, Brisbane was a man of studious habits and con- 

 siderable scientific attainments. His forte was astronomy, and, 

 not unnaturally, in connection with such a study he took great 

 interest in exploration. His habit of secluding himself in order to 

 pursue his favourite investigations made him unpopular in a com- 

 munity where the Governor was supposed to take the lead in all 

 social movements. Perhaps it was a sense of this that made him 

 desire to distinguish his tenure of office by some substantial addi- 

 tions to the geographical knowledge of Australia. He declined to 

 accept the report of Mr. Surveyor-General Oxley that all the 

 country south of the 34th degree of latitude and west of the 147th 

 degree of longitude was uninhabitable, and useless for all the 

 purposes of civilised man. When it is borne in mind that this 

 condemnation covers the whole of Victoria, and such rivers as the 

 Murray and Murrumbidgee, the Governor's scepticism was certainly 

 warranted. He was strongly of opinion that in so large an extent 

 of territory there must be found some navigable river finding its 

 way to the sea on the east or south coast, and to test it he proposed 

 to land three or four convicts, with a couple of pack bullocks to 

 carry a supply of food, either on Wilson's Promontory or Cape 

 Howe, and let them find their way back to Sydney as the price of 

 their freedom. Mr. Alexander Berry of Shoalhaven, whom the 

 Governor had consulted in the matter, promptly pointed out to 

 him that, however strong the inducement to success, men of that 

 class were more likely to render good service under a leader than 

 if left to themselves. Indeed, apart from the unreported escapes 

 from the camp of David Collins, the experiment had been unsuc- 

 cessfully made by the five men whom Bass landed on that coast 

 and provided with directions, provisions and firearms. Accepting 



Mr. Berry's advice, the Governor authorised him to offer the com- 

 VOL. i. 4 



