Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/286

 180 PHILLIP 1787-92 as an efficient officer in Lieutenant King of tlie Sinus, whose services at Norfolk Island proved of no little value to him. On the other hand, he was painfully hampered by the want of cordiality shown by Major Eoss ; while his difficulties were often aggravated by the fact that the head of the Miiitwy and judicial department was by no means qualified for the post troubles. in which he found himself installed. With these exceptions, Phillip seems to have had little reason to find fault with his officers. Had fortune so far favoured him as to secure a zealous co-operation on the part of the military, and a wise as well as a humane administration of justice, many obstacles would have been removed from his path, while his work would have been made comparatively easy. captais First on the list stands Captain Hunter of the Sirins, HuRTBR. ^tose Historical Journal forms a valuable contribution to the history of the colony. The work affords good evidence of an intelligent if not of a highly cultivated mind, and it shows in a very conspicuous manner the great interest he felt in the foundation of the colony. HecoUecting that naval officers in his day were not usually men of much educational Hiabook. attainments. Hunter's book deserves to be regarded as a highly creditable performance. The strictly nautical details to which he could hardly avoid giving a prominent place in its pages, show him to have been an accomplished as well as a careful seaman, although he was unfortunate enough to lose the Sirius at the very time when her services were of vital importance to the starving population of Sydney Cove.* pointed to the command of the Venerable, seventy-four guns. When cruising with that vessel in Torbay, one of the seamen accidentuly fislKng overboard, Captain Hunter humanely ordered her to put about to pick mm up. In executing this manoeuvre, the vessel missed stays, ran ashore, and was wrecked. Captain Hunter was in consequence brought to a Couit-inartml for the loss of the vessel, but was honourably acquitted. In the course of the trial, it is reported that, when asked what had induced him to put the ship about in such circumstances, he replied (for he was a good man ratliar than a worldly wise one) that * he considered the life of a British seaman of more value than any ship in his Majesty's navy.* He was afterwards pro- moted to the rank of Kear- Admiral." — Lang, New South Wales, 4th ed.y vol. i, p. 65. Digitized by Google
 * " Shortly after his arrival in BngUmd (in 1801), Captain Hunter was ap-