BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 217 



encourage your remaining there. Perhaps the upper 

 part of the bay at the head of the rivers may not have 

 escaped your notice, as this is the only part Mr. Grimes 

 and those that were with him speak the least favourably 

 of. From this circumstance, I shall presume, it will 

 appear to you that removing from thence will be the 

 most advisable for the interest of His Majesty's Service." 

 He then refers to Bowen's settlement at Risdon, and the 

 reports from thence, and sends to the Lieut.-Governor 

 Bass' and Flinders' MS. journals containing a description 

 of the Derwent. He next discusses the relative advan- 

 tages of the Derwent and Port Dalrymple (i.e., the Tamar), 

 The Derwent has the recommendation of being already 

 settled on a small scale, and as being an excellent 

 harbour for the China ships to touch at, and also for sealers 

 and whalers. However, if it were not for the difficulties 

 of approach in the channel of Port Dalrymple, and the 

 possibility of not finding good land there, he would 

 decidedly prefer the northern locality, as more advan- 

 tageously situated, and particularly as a place of resource 

 for the sealing and fishing vessels in Bass' Straits, and to 

 protect the fisheries at Cape Barren and King's Island 

 from the Americans. However, he leaves to Collins full 

 freedom of choice between the two places. 



In the meantime Governor Collins had got all his Collins to 

 people encamped in tents, and had placed his sixteen Hobart, I4th 

 settlers in a valley near his encampment, where they ^°'^- ^^03. 

 established themselves in temporary huts. For the first 

 few weeks the general health was good, but after that 

 time sickne-ss began to appear, and he had some 30 

 under medical treatment. A matter which troubled 

 Collins more Avas the desertion of the convicts. The 

 people had been very orderly for the first three weeks, 

 but soon a spirit of discontent arose, and, immediately 

 after the boat left for Sydney, three men absconded, — with 

 some vague idea of reaching Port Jackson, or getting on 

 board a whaler off the coast, — and within a week twelve 

 were missing from the camp. Parties were organised in 

 pursuit, and, at a distance of 60 miles from the camp, 

 five of the runaways were recaptured and brought back. 

 Hitherto the Governor had not caused his commission to Collins io 

 be read, reserving this ceremony till he should be finally Hobart, 28tli 

 settled. Now he wished to make a public example of ^^b. 1804. 

 the delinquents; and, to add solemnity to the punishment, 

 he had the garrison drawn up under arms, the convicts, 

 clean dressed, on the opposite side, while the chaplain 

 read the commission, the marines fired three volleys, 

 and all gave three cheers for His Honor. The Governor 



