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412 casting about for a successor to Sir Hercules, selected. The choice of H. M. Government fell (October 4, 1865) on Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell, an Irishman who had a splendid record of varied and long services to recommend him. He had entered Trinity College (Dublin) in 1880, gained honours both in classics and in science, and graduated B.A. (1835) and M.A. (1838), to which honours was added, later on, the degree of Hon. LL.D. (1844). Having been called to the bar both in Ireland (1838) and at Lincoln's Inn (1840), he was appointed Chief Justice of the Gambia (1843 to 1847). As Governor of the Gambia (1847 to 1851) he conducted several exploring expeditions in the interior of Africa, for which services he was created C.B. (1852). Sir R. G. MacDonnell next served (1852) as Governor of St. Lucia and St. Vincent. In 1855 he was created Knight Bachelor and appointed Captain-General and Governor-in-chief of South Australia, which government he held till March, 1862. After serving two years (1864 and 1865) as Governor of Nova Scotia, Sir Richard was promoted to the Governorship of Hongkong where he took over, on 11th March, 1866, the reins of office from the Administrator, the Hon. W. T. Mercer.

Within a few days after his arrival in the Colony, Sir Richard found himself painfully disillusioned. By his interviews with the officials in Downing Street, he had been led to believe that he would find in Hongkong a full treasury, a steadily increasing revenue, public works of all sorts finished or so nearly completed that little remained to be done, a Mint ready to commence operations and sure to pay well, and a competent official staff, purged by the labours of Sir Hercules of every taint of corruption. To his intense surprise and disappointment, Sir Richard found the position of affairs well-nigh reversed. The interregnum, rapidly developing the mischief which had secretly been brewing during the closing year of Sir H. Robinson's administration, had wrought an astounding transformation scene, of which the Colonial Office was as yet blissfully ignorant. For several months after this crushing revelation which burst upon him immediately upon his arrival, Sir Richard stayed