DEPORTATION TO THE DERWENT. 



15 



up the Norfolk for a voyage of discovery, and four months 

 after her arrival at Sydney she sailed with those two adven- 

 turous explorers, passed through Bass Strait, and accomplished 

 the first circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land. 



In April, 1800, Captain King returned to New South Wales 

 from England, but he did not go back to his old government at 

 Norfolk Island. He had brought with him His Majesty's 

 Commission as Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales, and 

 when Governor Hunter left Sydney for England in September, 

 1800, King succeeded him in the government of the principal 

 Colony. 



Before Governor Hunters departure, and in accordance with 

 orders from Home, Major Joseph Foveaux, of the New South 

 Wales Corps, was appointed Commandant of Norfolk Island, 

 and assumed the Government, in July, 1800. Matters were in 

 a bad way in the island. With the withdrawal of King's 

 zeal and energy improvement had ceased. The population had 

 increased somewhat, but in all other respects the settlement 

 was steadily going back. Governor Hunter, wjio touched at 

 the island on his way to England in H.M.S. Buffalo (October, 

 1800) to land some mutinous Irish prisoners, gave a deplorable 

 account of its condition. Its appearance was most un- 

 promising. All the buildings were in a state of rapid decay, 

 and but few signs of industry were visible. The people were 

 idle and refractory, the crops were mostly a failure. All they 

 could supply to the Buffalo was a few hogs and some 

 vegetables. 



The sanguine hopes of King were doomed to disappoint- 

 ment. The island had been at first occupied chiefly with a 

 view to developing the manufacture of New Zealand flax. 

 This had proved a complete failure. Much had been expected 

 from the pine forests ; but the timber was found to be unfit for 

 ship-building and too brittle for spars, even if it had been 

 possible for ships to lie there and take it in. The soil was 

 fertile, it is true, but from the uncertainty of the climate and 

 the many plagues — drought, blight, and caterpillars — the crops 

 oftener than not yielded but a poor return. The project of 

 settling pensioners and expirees had proved abortive. The 

 soldiers and 6ailors were mostly too ignorant of farming to 

 succeed, and the inveterate idleness of the bulk of the settlers 

 of another class had been a still more insuperable obstacle to 

 their prosperity. Moreover, they were discontented and 

 disaffected, and laid the blame of all their misfortunes upon 

 the Government. 



Governor Hunter was not alone in his opinion. Collins, 

 who had ample opportunities of forming a correct judgment, 

 speaks in his work on New South Wales of Norfolk Island 

 as the place for transporting offenders who had been again 



