66 



A t '.V TRALASIA ILL USTRA TED. 



been brother officers ; they had always worked cordially together in establishing the 

 infant settlements under their charge ; and it was a piece of singular good fortune that 

 both of them were admirably qualified for their posts. When King superseded Hunter 



in 1800, he found the 

 official monopoly in 

 full swing ; but warned 

 by the fate of his 

 predecessor, he set 

 himself resolutely to 

 the work of reform. 

 The Royal Instruc- 

 tions required him 

 " to order and direct 

 that no spirits be 

 landed from any ves- 

 sel coming to Port 

 Jackson without your 

 consent." He accord- 

 ingly issued the most 

 stringent regulations 

 in order to prevent 

 the landing of spirits, 

 beyond certain speci- 

 fied quantities, from 

 ships arriving in the 



Port ; and in many cases he actually sent back 

 the ships without allowing them to land any. 

 In 1806, when he left the colony, he had thus 

 sent back nearly seventy thousand gallons of 

 spirits, and over thirty-one thousand gallons of wine. The 

 quantity which he allowed to land was sold at prices fixed 

 by his order, ranging from four to ten shillings a gallon. 

 The ruling retail price at the time of his arrival was forty 

 shillings a gallon ; its prime cost to the importers not being 



more than seven and sixpence to half-a-sovereign. In Hunter's time, eight pounds a 

 gallon had been recovered by the plaintiff in open Court, and the judgment which 

 allowed this excessive rate was affirmed by that Governor on appeal. 



\\ hether King was absolutely successful in carrying out his policy of reform is not 

 altogether clear, historical authorities being divided on the subject ; but there can be 

 no question that he succeeded in doing so to a very considerable extent, and that 

 under his rule the settlement made extraordinary progress. It may be said, indeed, 

 that the success of the experiment made by the Imperial Government in sending out the 

 I-irst Meet dates from the first year of the century; and there can be little doubt that 

 the result was largely due to the energetic and intelligent Administration of Governor 



THE COW PASTURES, 

 CAM DEN PARK. 



