Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/330

 to the effect that the French intended to form a settlement in Van Diemen's Land, On the 18th King formall}^ presented his compliments to Lt.-Gov, Paterson, requesting him to fiirnish information which he cannot hut himent he had not an opportunity of doing before he closed his despatches/* Paterson evasively replied that lie considered what he had heard " common- place conversation," which he would have communicated, Governor King," He added in a postscript: *'One of the officers who spoke of it sent CoL Paterson the accom- panying charts." King (again on the 18th) told Paterson that had he ever heard the rumour he would " certainly have required a positive explanation from the French com* modorCj and would have taken a vessel up to have preceded any attempt. ., - As I have been kept ignorant of it until their departure, itonly remains for me to counteract them. It is therefore necessary that an officer of the rank of captain, and a»many n on- eotii missioned officers and privates as can he accommodated, aliould be sent by a conveyance that I hope wUl be able to leave this in seven days, in order to assert His Majesty's clainia and dispossess and remove any party that may be landed there. I shall take leave to retain the chart given to you by the French officer (until a copy <]an be made) who spoke to you of the aettlemeut intended to be made/' The ** conveyance'' which i^vas to be the means of assert- ing His Majesty^B claims was the colonial armed schooner CHmherlaud {mentioned sometimes as of 26, and sometimes aa of 29 tons burden). Her commander was to be young Charles Eohbins,^^ master's mate of H.M.S. Buffalo, who was to be endowed ** with the territorial rank of captain," The Surveyor- General of the colony, Grimes, was to accompany the warhke expedition, which was to go to King's Island and Port Phillip, and thence to Storm Bay, shore during your examination of those places, placing a guard of two men at each place, who are to turn up ground for a garden, and sow the seeds you are furnished with,'* H.M.S. Porpoise was to follow, on her return from Tahiti with pork, and the King*3 colours were to be **kept flying WAS bom Hi BzLrnataple in Devonshire.
 * in order that Governor Kin^f may take the necessary steps
 * but that he could not suppose it was unknown to
 * taking care to hoist His Majesty's colours every day on
 * Robbins entered the navy in 1798^ being then aixt^n years of &ge« H«