Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/121

 TftB NEW SOUTH WAIiES COSFS. W on 22iid Deoember^ 1778, lie served in varions divisions of ^^^ tlte Murines until 22nd October, 1789, when lie embarked for New South Wales as senior captain of the New Sonth Wales Corps. He returned to England in the Britannia on He to ^^iT^^yl^w*^ sick leave, sailing from Sydney on 8th September, 1798. Although he did not return to the colony, he continued on the establi^ment of the New South Wales Corps until 1st September, 1795; when he joined the 93rd Foot as lieu- teoftst-colonel. He was subsequently raised to the rank of brigadier-general on the staff of Great Britain, and in March, 1807, was appointed to the command at Cape Breton. Of Captain William Hill less is known. Up to June, 1789, when he joined the New South Wales Corps as captain, next in rank to Nicholas Nepean, he held the post of a half- pay lieutenant in the 86th Foot. It is evident, however, from an account* sent by him to William Wflberf orce, that he had the confidence of the great philanthropist, and was a man of character and abihty.t Captain William Paterson had, prior to accepting a Com- cagain mission in the Corps, established a reputation as an African traveller. He published an account of his travels in the year 1789.$ The first record of his services in the Army f Captain Hill was killed bj eayages at Tate Island, when on his way to England, in Julj, 1793. Ck>llins says of him that he was ** a gentleman of liberal education, qualified to adorn the circles of life in which his rank in eoeiety placed him." t A Narrative of Four Journeys into the Country of the Hottentot and Caffraria, in the years 1777-8-9. Illustrated with a map and seventeen copper-plates. By Lieut. William Paterson. London, 1789. The volume WHS dedicated to Sir Joseph Banks, and contains abundant evidence of Paterson's botanical knowledge and of his powers of observation. In the Appendix a paragraph occurs from which it is evident that during the period which intervened between the date of his travels in Africa and his sailing for Hew South Wales, he had seen active service with the British troops in the southern provinces of India. According to Collins, Paterson was the only naturalist in the country. He says : — ** About this time pMarch, 1795], the spirit of inquiry being on foot, Mr. Cummings, an officer of the Corps, made an excursion to the southward of Botany Bay, and brought back with him Bome of the head-bones of a marine animal« which, on inspection. Captain Paterson, the only naturalist in the country, pronounced to hare belonged to the animal described by M. de Buffon, and named by him the Manatee." — Collins, ToL i, p. 409. VOL. II. — G
 * Historical KecorcU, toI. i, part 2, p. 366.