Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/396

 of Peru (when there was no war between Spain and England J though the man alleged bis belief that war had been declared), ''as leading to these acta if not noticed" and checked. Such practices would he injurious to His Majesty's possessions, and tended to destroy the fishing prosperously estaldished. i priety of two or three sloops of war bein^ stationed here for the purpoae of preventing too great a number of bad cliaractera from eatablisliing them- selves Qji the f^ociety lalauda, and to provent many abuses and irregulari- i ties on tbe part of the Anieiicans, as well as for the protectiou of these Hettlements generiilly. ** By an Order, in May 1805, King took under his protection till Otaheitans, Sandwich Islanders, and New Zealanders, No one was to take tiiem on hoard in Sydney without his written order, 'Mvhich will not be given unless with a ! Lcertainty of the masters taking them to the island they phelong to.** Caniphell of the narrimfto}! had manned his unlawful prizes with Tahitians, and Iving declared that "all such Otaheitaiis, &.c,, are protected in their properties, claims for wages/' and redress, like His Majesty's suhjects. A few words may l)e said ahout the control of the con- victs as a body. Constant attention was '* required to luake their labour in the least benetieiaL" There were, King w^rote, exceptions, but the general character of the male convicts was perverse; they were indifferent to labour; labour made profluctive by the inspection and exertion of authority. The overaeci's placed o'er this description are not much better, being mostly under sentence of the law, and requiring the ineentive of a certain reward^ which is limited to tlie labour of one convict each, and their families victualled from the stores, with the prospect of emnncipation, and even- tually a free pardon /' Convicts assigned to individuals were permitted to agree with tlieir masters, for increased allowanccB and money payment, to do additional work. For a year of such extra service the established price was i;10. On proof of mis- conduct during assignment, -convicts were *Vremanded to Admiralty, kindly promoted for the author by Admiral Sir Antoiw Hoakins, has reaulted in a ** return" concluding with the words, **lfo further trace." In(|uiry by the author through the Uritish Ambassador in Madrid, and in person with the learned Don Fasquale de Gayaogoe, fttihtl to elicit any facts about Baaa or Roblniis*
 * To prevent thesu^ growing evils I would respectfully suggest the pro-
 * ' their perseverance in their crimes eoiild only be corrected and their