Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/612

 last-named settleineut to Captain Stirling, who had hecome Governor of (Western Australia or) Swan Eiver ; and then to make a more accurate survey at Lake Alexandrina than had heen possible for Sturt, The gallant Barker, who was reputed to be well acquainted with the aborigine}:^, and kindly disposed towards them, fell a sacrifiee to the hatred inspired b^^ less humane visitors. Being the only one of the company who could swim, he crossed the channel, which connects the lake with the sea, alone, taking hiB compass on his head. His companions saw him no more. Sturt bewailed the loss of one so true and just, so intelligent and dauntless, so kind and indefatigable, and thouglvt it probable that the ** cruelties practised by sealers had insti- gated the natives to take vengeance on the innocent as well as on the guilty." Lt. Keot, the second in command, pre- vailed upon a sealer at Kangaroo Island to go with him and a native woman to inquii-e concerning Barker's fate. She was told that he had been speared and thrown into the sea. Numerous attempts to form settlements during the governments of Brisbane and Darling evinced the desire of English Ministers to exclude foreign nations and furnish fresh outlets for British enterprise. There is documentary evidence to show that to the promptness of Lord Liverpoors Administration it was due that only the flag of England was permitted to float over Australian soil. The traditions of Pitt, who first erected it there, still prevailed in Lord Liver- pooFs Cabinet, which comprised the great Peel and the brilliant Canning. What Governor King implored the Addington Ministry to do in order to extinguish French pretensions in 1802, while Lord Liverpool (then Lord Hawkesbury) was Foreign Secretary, the same nobleman while Prime Minister sanctioned in 1826, when those pre- tensions were believed to be recrudescent.* Early in 182(5 Lord Batliurst wrote to Governor Darling. EstablishmentB at Western Port and Shark Bay were con- templated. Tliese, with the post at Melville Island, were to secure tlio whole territory from the intruding French^ who were sending out discovery ships. Darling pointed out that as the western boundary of his government was the
 * See aboTre, p. rus tmd nf>ti