Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/277

 favour. It was testified that be had been a gallaiit officer, and had fought at the taking of Seringapatam. King gave him a pardon ** conditional on his not leaving the colony/' and availed liimself of hiB sericeH in teaching *' the use of our few cannon/' He had previously forwarded (1st March 1802) a petition for the king's clexnency, respectfully supporting it hioiself.^^ Duelhng was not in those days socially reprehended; and, if it had been, the New South Wales Corps could hardly have ostracised a stranger for it, %vhen their own colonel had recently fouglit with one of his captains. Behasis was kindly received in Sydney. Two days after appointmg his body-guard, the Governor notified that he had appointed Mr. G. B. Bellasis **to be a lieutenant of artillery, and to rank as such in this colony, being charged with the inspection and direction of the batteries and cannon in this settlement ; and also as commandant of the Governor's body-guard of cavalry/' The Governor was independent of the New South Wales Corps, and finding this to be the case, the defeated Paterson permitted Ensign Barrallier to be King's aide-de-camp. These proceedings may appear trivial, l>ut the records of them are the floating relies which show the conditions of the time, and the weapons with which King waged war against the dangerous notions encouraged amongst the military by Grose and Paterson, and unchecked by Hunter. It is to the honour of King and of the military that in time of danger no disagreement on other subjects prevented them from addi'essing themselves with whole-hearted energy to the duty of the day, as was shown in the prompt suppression of the insurrection in 1804. In Dec. 1804 we find Major Johnston, who had gallantly aided in putting down the rebellion in the previous Marcii, writing thus to Piper at Norfolk Island: ''His Exeellency has not as yet refused me anything I have requested of him for the comfort of the soldiers." -'After some deluy Lord HoJmrt, cm fiiU oousideration of the case, and of the conduct of Mr* BeUaaia, deapatclied (Nov. 1803) a free patdoii. The Ooveinor had autit'ipated it. Hella^ia' **ofiice retniired him to take a principal pait in the ceremonies" attendant ojj the King's liiithday in June 1803, when the Royal standard was displayed for the first time in the colony, and King gave
 * * a free pardon on the occajsvtm.