Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/290

 The gentlemen and the wealthy emancipists sent their sons to learn Latin at Halloran's School, by far the most popular in the Colony, while the poorer folk usually sent their boys to the free Government schools, where they learned little more than the three "R's". Education a little bridged the social chasm between the wealthy emancipists and the colonial gentlemen, for in Halloran's schoolroom the sons of both sat on the same bench, learned the same lessons, and whimpered under the same ferule.

As the colonists began to feel that New South Wales was their home the sociability of the settlement increased. The ceremonies of the Old World—dinners, evening parties, race-meetings, became frequent, and were varied by the more distinctive entertainments of water-parties and kangaroo-hunting. The officers of the garrison were the centre of all social gatherings, and for this reason their attitude towards the emancipists was a matter of considerable importance to the settlement. During Macquarie's time three regiments were stationed in New South Wales, the 73rd from 1810 to 1814, the 46th from 1813 to 1817, and the 48th from 1817 until after his departure.

The New South Wales Corps, which was relieved by the 73rd Regiment in 1810, after a service of thirty years, had kept with some strictness to a policy of exclusion. General Grose, who had originally raised the corps, and who for some years commanded it, thought that no officer should stay in the company of a man who had been a prisoner, and that any officer who did do so ran the risk of losing his commission. The 73rd had not considered the subject when they came out, and as Macquarie was their Colonel they were much under his influence. The officers consequently associated with and entertained the emancipists whom they met at the Governor's table, though they distinguished these from the remaining freed-men. Indeed one of their officers was tried by Court-Martial and dismissed from his regiment because he played cards with a man who had been a convict.

"I know," said Riley, "that he pleaded the precedent of