Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/285

 Syed with regard to the complamts of his officer, icial relations were continued with apparent concord. His officers sat on boards with those of the colony in naval affairs. At King's reqnesfc he allowed two of them to remain in the colony to assist in forming a new settlement. He carried Flinders' charts to the Admiralty for King, who .said it was " the first safe opportunity" he had had. But on the day of his leaving, Colnett's wrath was great at the loss of his Briseis, for he wrote to King that by the Admiralty he " always had the honour of behig treated liJce a ca])tam of one of His Majesty^s ships, and not as a master of a petty coaster. It was on the report of such a man that Lord Hobart founded his unjust rebake. King kept unfaltering on his way. In Dec. 1804 he called Lord Hobart's attention to the appearance, in a list of pardons, of a free pardon to a female convict sentenced for life. It was

"given in conformity to my promise to the commander of H.M.S. Glatton after her being here one year, and nothing but a respect for my word induced me to extend that indulgence to the object benefited by it. Had I, my Lord, abused the authority delegatedto His Majesty'a Governor of this territory by granting Captain Colnett a free pardon for this woman before she landed, for the purpose of returning to England with him, and had acquiesced in other requisitions equally, if not more, extravagant and opposite to the dictates of my bounden duty, your Lordship and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty would not have been troubled with any communication from Captain Colnett respect his unprovoked and provoking conduct."