Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/244

 which acTiised liim of **coiiniviDg at, if not piirtieipatingj in, that mean species of trade which has so often been with me snbject of complaint, and which I have so long in vain been strngf(Ung to repref3s/' His admission that he had Btrnggled in vain was testimony to the liecessity of his re- call, hnt it was natural that he sbonld be blind to the fact, fl Conscious of rectitude of intention, lie may be pardoned for ^ thinldn^f that he had done all that was possible. His suc- cessor, on whom fell the invidious task of replacing bim, far from impiifT;nuig his character, wrote — ''His public conduct has been guided 1)}^ the most upright intentions, but he has been most sliame fully deceived by those upon whom he had every reason to depend for assistance and advice**' But Hunter could not be comforted. Sir J. Banks, informing King of Hunter^s arrival m fl England, said— '^ Hmiter was received, as yon might ex- 1 pect, civilly, but not warmly. He began to complain, but the answer was obvious. The king's pleasure to remove him did not imply any censure of his conduct. Another man mi*^ht be thought fitter without any fault being found With his proceedings.'* The state in which that ''other man" found the colony was described by him in a memo- randum which is stiil in existence. H " From the visits received and the warmth of attention fsliowu line, my ^^ aniviil and remaiiiinig in the government seemed to be generaUy Mell liked and anxiously lookeil for. iStill I conld not help foreboding that many of those who now smiled on the rising aun would change their Ideas ^M wlien the proeeedingi? which the good nature of my predecessor had sane- ^| tioned ehouhl he any ways eheL'ked, which was the principal object of my < misaion. Vice in every shape appeared to be tolerated not by fuithority, for that was bliiidedj but by the artitice and cupidity of those whose interest was so nmcli concerned in those excesses not being noticed. One skip load of spirits was not disposH^l of; cellars, from those of the better sort tr) til OS e of the blackest charaoters in the colony, were fvill of spirits ; the Supplij hnlk was the receptacle of npwaids of {siti gallons of spirits, the property of a com missioned officer. The informotion I gained sufficiently informed me that a total change in the measures hitherto pursued was absolutely necessary. But at the same time I was well assured that measures must be adopted with caution » and persevered] in, as violent or sudileu steps would by no means answer. to pei'form the unpopular t^isk of Incoming a reformer in, was composetl of persons in authority who, for .some time past, had l>een, if not sanc- tioned, allowed to carry on the most oppressive monopolies, to the preju- dice and rniu of the other description, who, although banished their native country for the worst of crimes, could. If their industry had not beeu 1
 * I coidd not Iielp rejecting that the colony I was shortly to direct and