THE FIRST GREAT PASTORALIST 51 



his wrong-doing in certain public cases, he declared 

 that his acts were right and just. Rugged man though 

 he was, with features as if moulded of cast-iron, he was 

 a tenderly affectionate husband and father. But his 

 pride, and the morbid sense of honour that had led him 

 into most of his troubles, forbade him to " become a 

 party to his own dishonour." Like Dante, if he could 

 not return save on such terms, he would not return at 

 all. Still Lord Bathurst would not consent. He could 

 go no further than he had done. He even stated that 

 McArthur's unequivocal refusals raised an insuperable 

 barrier to his return. 



Mc Arthur was a man fertile in resource, and now he 

 played his trump-card. If the Secretary of State 

 refused to let him return, he would appeal to the 

 Commons of England in ParHament assembled. He 

 would adduce such proofs of Bligh's peculations as 

 would scare the Government into releasing him, in 

 order to keep him quiet and preclude the exposure. 



The bold step was successful. Li February, 1817, 

 he was able to announce that his " differences with 

 certain great people " were satisfactorily arranged. No 

 concessions were made on one side or admission on the 

 other. His honour was saved. Now he could face the 

 brave wife and the loved children from whom he had 

 been separated for seven years. His " tempest- 

 shattered bark " was within sight of its haven. At the 

 end of 1817 he returned to New South Wales. In due 

 time he was made a member of the newly created Legis- 

 lative Council, but thenceforth he played a secondary 

 part in the political history of the Colony. He was 

 still to be closely connected with its pastoral history. 

 Revenons d nos moutons. 



McArthur had been granted his broad domains by 

 Governor King in 1804 ; twenty years later he was 

 not yet in full possession of them. For some occult 

 reason Governor Brisbane refused to .give him a legal 

 title to them. His son, John, with some of his father's 

 grit, was then in London, and he vigorously pushed 



