218 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



sheep, seed, corn, etc., for two years ; together with tools 

 and necessaries. 1 



Captain Phillip remained as Governor of New South 

 Wales until relieved by his comrade Hunter, in 1792. 

 Phillip developed high qualities in his post, and succeeded 

 in winning general approval for the manner in which he 

 had carried through its initial difficulties. His task was 

 by no means a light one. As might have been counted 

 upon sooner or later, a mutiny broke out among the con- 

 victs. The arrangements for provisioning the people were 

 by no means adequate to their need, and more than once 

 they were on the verge of famine. The first of the ships 

 sent out with fresh supplies was wrecked, and everything 

 on board lost. The next one brought two hundred and 

 twenty-two female convicts, many of them invalid and 

 decrepit ; with hardly enough food for the daily rations 

 of the people. This, at the very time when the Governor 

 was advising, for the time, some restriction in dispatching 

 convicts, excepting carpenters, masons, bricklayers, and 

 farmers. The reproductive powers of the country were 

 hardly yet in fair activity. These shortcomings, added 

 to those resulting from the large proportion of ignorant 

 and helpless persons in the Colony, made Phillip's task 

 particularly arduous. Yet he triumphed in great measure 

 over these adverse circumstances, and handed his au- 

 thority to Governor Hunter with good promise for future 

 years. 



Hunter's period of office was a time of increasing 

 prosperity. As far as concerned individual conditions, 

 everything was improving for the colonists. His suc- 

 cessor, in the year 1800, was Philip Gidley King. It is 

 remarkable that these three officers all proved such able 

 administrators, and reflected such honour on the Naval 

 Service. Writing to Governor Hunter in March, 1797, 

 Banks is very enthusiastic over the prospects of New 



1 Op. cit., p. 424. 



