Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/310

 200 PHILLIP 1791 a delicacy, and emu was said to taste like beef. Thus the month in port went pleasantly by ; and when at last, on the King's 26th October, " Captain King and his Lady, with Captain "**' and Mrs. Paterson, and several other military officers destined for Norfolk Island " had gone on board the Atlantic, they were " accompanied to the end of the Cove by the Governor, Judge-Advocate, Captain Parker, and many others, who were anxious to be in their company as long as possible." Major Rosjp. When Phillip determined to send King to England and to put Major Ross in his place at Norfolk Island, he accom- plished two objects of some personal interest to himself; he removed one man from a position which enabled him to prove obstructive, if not mischievous, and he did a con- siderable service to the other. The line of conduct adopted by the Major had rendered it difficult, if not impossible, to look for any cordial co-operation from him ; and the only stminod mcaus by which the strained relations that had grown up between them could be improved was by sending him to another field of exertion. The necessity for distributing the population at head-quarters, in consequence of the scarcity of provisions, afforded Phillip an opportunity for doing so. Ross was accordingly sent to Norfolk Island in the Sirius, with two companies of marines and some two hundred con- victs, early in March, 1790. The ship had no sooner reached the island than she was wrecked on the reefs, but without any loss of life. This event gave rise to a singular display of authority on the part of Major Ross : — Martial law. The instant the ship stnick, Lieatenant-Govemor Ross ordered the drums to assemble all the marines and convicts : martial law was then proclaimed, and the people were told that if anyone killed any animal or fowl, or committed any robbery whatever, they would be instantly made a severe example of.* In other words, they would be tried by a Court-martial and executed. This proceeding appears to have been the result Digitized by Google
 * King*8 Journal, in Hunter, p. 383.