BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 87 



incident made Collins very apprehensive of further 

 attacks; and, indeed, a few days after this affray the crew 

 of the cutter, while collecting oyster shells on the river 

 bank opposite Hobart, was attacked by a numerovxs party 

 of natives, and beaten off with stones and clubs. 



As I have already observed, Lieut.-Governor Collins 

 was very reluctant to have anything to do with the 

 Risdon people, and would v/illingly have shipped them 

 all off to Port Jackson ; but he now received express 

 and positive instructions fi-oai Governor King to take 

 over the command ; and, accordingly, on the 8th May, 

 (immediately after Bowen's retui-n fi'om the Huon), a 

 General Order was issued, notifying that he ^ad taken 

 upon himself the command of Risdon ; that Lieut. 

 Bowen was to continue in the direction of the settlement 

 under him until further orders, and that the officers and Collins to 

 prisoners were to return to Port Jackson in the Ocean. Kmg, I5th 

 The stores were immediately removed to Sullivan's ^^' 

 Cove, the few remaining prisoners being victualled 

 from the Hobart camp. The stock was also removed — Collins to 

 17 head of cattle, and 45 sheep and lambs ; and, a few Hobart, 31st 

 days later, the whole of the prisoners were removed to ^^^' ■^ 

 the camp, where they could be kept at work in one 

 ofang;, under a strict guard and a viorilant overseer. 



Although Collins badly wanted more military, he did Ibid. 

 not care to keep the small detachmeni of the New South 

 Wales Corps, as he had at first thought of doing ; for, out 

 of the 23 soldiers, one had been taken to Sydney by Bowen 

 for robbery, and he himself had sent four others thither on 

 a charge of mutiny. He therefore determined to despatch 

 them all to Sydney, where a Court Martial could be 

 assembled to correct and punish their evil propensities. 

 Of the convicts, 50 in number, there were only 11 men and 

 2 women whom the Governor deemed it expedient to keep. 



It was not until the 9th August that the Ocean got Knopwood. 

 under way for Sydney, and carried with her the whole 

 civil and military establishment, — Capt. John Bowen, 

 Dr. Mountgarret, Wilson the storekeeper, the turbulent 

 soldiers and the mutinous convicts, 40 or so, who had 

 formed the first Settlement in Van Diemen's Land. 

 Thus ended the first and ai)ortive Hobart. 



The only free settler who remained was Richard Clark, Collins to 

 who had been made superintendent of stonemasons. King, 3rd 

 Both King and Collins speak highly of his character ■^^.°," o\' 1^^*" 

 and capacity. Collins gave him a similar position in the j^i^ ' 1804. 

 new Hobart at Sullivan's Cove ; and in this ofiice he ibid, 15th 

 acquitted himself well. A few sheep were given him, May. 

 and a location of 200 acres on the other side of the 

 river, nearly opposite Hobart, 



