Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/478

 364 AN EMPIRE m THE SOUTH, 1789 Another empire. Island women. The Home Secretary awake. by the Government.* Some indication of the genenJ feeling on the subject may be found in a letter addressed by a person named Baleigh to Nepean^ dated from Edin- burgh, May 23, 1789, which the writer began by sayings '' It is much to the credit of those in office that an empire has been founded in the South, which time will render much superior to that which their predecessors have lost in the West." Mr. Raleigh — ^apparently a country gentleman — had read Phillip's description of the country with some attention, and the object of his communication was to furnish the Government with his ideas as to the best means of cropping the land, rearing stock, and protecting the settlement against ^' the ferocious incursions of the natives." In one respect, at least, his advice was sound : — '' Strict orders should be given not to attempt carrying any women to Botany Bay from the islands in the South Seas ; it wonld inevitably be attended with the most pernicious conse- quences."t The result of the Ministerial deliberations on the ques- tions arising out of Phillip's first despatches may be seen in an official letter from Sydney to the Treasury, dated 29th April, in which he signified his Majesty's pleasure that a ship-of-war should be got ready to convey stores and provisions to the colony. The letter mentions that a ship called the Lady Juliana had already been taken up Captain Tench's Narrative in this fashion: — ''Whether the emoire of North America were founded by men who retreated from the face of Justioe in Europe under the mask of conscience and liberty, or were transported thither by the hand of Justice in succeeding ages, certain it is " &c. The criminal character of tiie first American settlers was thus accepted as a fact beyond dispute, and the legend of the Pilgrim Fathers treated as a pleasing myth. t His geographical knowledge of the country was not very exact, judging from his remark that — ** Dampier mentions several heaths in New Holland ; if they can be discovered, they 11 afford good present feeding for sheep." The passage in Dampier referred to will be found in his description of Shark s Bay : — '* The Grass grows in great Tufts, as big as a Bushel, here and there a Tuft : Being intermix'd with much Heath, much of the kind we have growing on our Commons in England." Raleigh's remark is worth noting, because it shows the impression left on the public mind by Dampi»*s description of the country. Digitized by Google
 * The Gentleman's Magazine for April, 1789 (p. 340), began its review of