THE DEPOSITION OF BLIGH. 27 



The appointment was indeed one which a navy captain 

 would covet. Promotion continued, a pension was a practical 

 certainty, the salary sufficient, and a good field offered to ad- 

 vance a son or marry an unportioned daughter. 1 The qualifi- 

 cations required were such as every man and every man's 

 friends would readily believe that he possessed " Integrity 

 unimpeached, a mind capable of providing its own resources 

 in difficulties without leaning on others for advice, firm in 

 discipline, civil in deportment, and not subject to whimper 

 or whine when severity of discipline is wanted to meet emer- 

 gencies." 2 But when Lord Castlereagh decided to look higher, 

 he found the offer did not appeal strongly to a general officer 

 of ability in time of war. This makes it all the more remark- 

 able that, when Nightingall relinquished his appointment, the 

 choice fell on a man whose whole heart exulted in the work, 

 and who for twelve years bent the whole energy of mind and 

 body with eager zest to what he felt to be the public good. 

 It is true that Lachlan Macquarie was often wrong, was often 

 vain, was often obstinate, but not infrequently he was right 

 and he was never indifferent. Fitted by his training for the 

 work of a military governor, hereditary instincts doubtless 

 accounted for his leaning towards the patriarchal system, for 

 he was the heir of the sixteenth chief of a clan of Ulva. But 

 he had entered the army at a very early age, and by the time 

 of his appointment had served thirty years in that " school of 

 subordination." 3 He was a staunch Tory and Episcopalian, 

 and appears to have had the manners of an Englishman rather 

 than a Scotchman. He had seen much active service, chiefly 

 in India, had been in America, at Alexandria, and for three 

 years Assistant Adjutant-General in London, a post which had 

 made him known in official circles and increased his good re- 

 pute. In 1805 ne had gone back to India, returning to take 

 command of the /3rd in 1807. On the I5th May, 1809, he 

 sailed with his regiment to New South Wales. 4 



1 See, e.g., Banks to Bligh, isth March, 1805. H.R., VI., Introduction, 

 xxxv. 



n - Banks to Bligh. Ibid. 



3 A favourite phrase of Macquarie's constantly recurring in his letters. 



4 For these details of Macquarie's career see Dictionary of National 

 Biography. 



