BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 79 



the Governor of Risdon Creek to learn the events that 

 had occurred during his unlucky absence, Lieutenant- 

 Governor Collins had arrived in the evening of the 15th 

 February, and next morning had landed at the Risdon 

 settlement under a salute of 11 guns from the Ocean. 

 On landing, he had been received by the officer in charge, 

 Lieut. Moore, of the New South Wales' Corps, and the 

 rest of the establishment — consisting of the doctor, store- 

 keeper, and military force of 16 privates, one sergeant, 

 and one drum and fife. After examining the camp, 

 gardens, water, &c,, the new Lieutenant-Governor had at 

 once come to the conclusion — which indeed was pretty 

 evident — that Risdon was not, in the Chaplain's words, 

 " calculated for a town." According!}^, on the following 

 day the Governor, with the Chaplain and Wm, Collins, 

 had gone exploring, and had returned much delighted, 

 having found at a place on the opposite side of the river, 

 six miles below Risdon, "a plain well calculated in 

 every degree for a settlement." Forthwith the tents 

 of the new establishment had been struck and taken on 

 board the ships, which had dropped down the river to 

 the selected spot, and anchored in Sullivan's Cove So 

 that on the 20th February — five days after Collins' Knopwood. 

 arrival — his tents had been pitched at the mouth of the 

 creek on the present site of Hobart, and the glory of 

 Risdon had departed. 



Bowen's settlement had had its own internal troubles, 

 which, no doubt, Lieut. Moore duly reported to the 

 Governor of Risdon Creek. On the 21st February, the Collins to 

 day after the founding of the new Hobart at Sullivan's King-, 29th 

 Cove, a further batch of five convicts had escaped from February 

 Risdon, having found means to steal half a barrel of 

 gunpowder from under the very feet of the sentry, and 

 also two " musquets," with which they had got off into the 

 woods. The runaways, however, did not find the woods 

 inviting enough for a permanent residence, and one of 

 them having voluntarily come in, the others followed his 

 example next day, bringing the arms and ammunition 

 with them. It was too troublesome and expensive to 

 send them to Sydney for trial; they were therefore 

 heavily ironed, and kept to work as a gaol gang. 



The only consolation that the Risdon Governor could 

 have found in his adversity — besides the greater oppor- 

 tunities of good fellowship which were now afforded him, 

 with no doubt better fare than the salt pork and bread, 

 which had hitherto been the regulation diet — was the 

 consideration that the religious wants of his people, 

 about which Governor King had been so emphatic, 



