Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/389

 THE COLONY.

Jan. 1st.—It appears a singular coincidence, that of all days in the year our new Governor (Mr. Hutt) should arrive on the first, as if it had been, by preconcerted arrangement, carried out with the regularity of machinery. Yet it was wholly fortuitous. One may suppose that Sir James might have desired to wear out the year that he had proceeded so far with, and have so fixed the last day of his administration; but that the new Governor should arrive so as to begin his administration on the first day of the new year, and upon the very day of Sir James's abdication, was an appropriate coincidence, such as seldom occurs. I do not know why I took so much note of it. I verily believe it was for this reason—that having been a little hard worked, what with Bull's business and the Council's, and law cases and sessions, and magisterial enquiries, I had longed for a month's recess during the interregnum. But we were cheated out of it by this speedy arrival, and I had to remain in Perth of course.

On Wednesday Sir James and Mr. Hutt met, and had so much to say to one another that Mr. Hutt did not come to head quarters before Thursday morning, when we were all duly in waiting to receive him, and introduce him to the Council (ourselves), and examine his commission, and have the proper oath administered to him, when he did the same to us in turn. Then his commission and divers proclamations were read in public; then we had a short Council. And so