Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/244

 206 PHILLIP 1790 white man they miglit happen to meet unarmed. Several of the convicts having been killed and others seriously wounded, Phillip determined to make an example of the Soldiers sent offenders, and sent out a large party of soldiers, with nfttivea instructions to pursue the tribe and bring in six prisoners, or, if that should be found impracticable, to put a similar number to death.* An order to this effect was issued on the 13th December, 1790, and it fell to Lieutenant Dawes, in the ordinary course of duty, to go out with the party, which included two captains and two subalterns. Entertaining a strong objection to the plan proposed by Phillip for chastising the natives, he wrote a letter to Captain Campbell, who com- manded the detachment (Major Boss was acting as Lieu- Dawes tenant-Governor at Norfolk Island), refusing the duty. He to take part was remonstrated with both by Campbell and Phillip, but to no purpose. Apparently he had religious or conscientious scruples, which were temporarily allayed by the Chaplain, for ^"*, „ it is stated that ^^ late in the evening Lieutenant Dawes in- eventually ° consejits. formed Captain Campbell that the Rev. Mr. Johnson thought he might obey the order, and that he was ready to go out with the party, which he did."t But the matter did not end here; he spent several days with the detachment in the vain pursuit of the savages, who disappeared as soon as the soldiers came in sight. After his return to Sydney he repented that he had been prevailed upon to go out on such a service, and " informed the Governor that ' he was sorry he had been persuaded to comply with the order,^ intimating at the same insubordi- time that he would not obey a similar one in future." This language, emphasised by a manner which showed to the Governor a determination to disobey orders in the future, was clearly insubordinate. If Phillip had been less forbearing it would have been more strongly resented. Lieutenant Dawes does not seem, however, to have regretted the part he t One of Lieutenant Dawes's intimate friends described him as '' a most amiable man .... trulj religious, without anj appearance of formal sanctity." — Historical Beoords, voL ii, p. 711.
 * The expedition failed in its object. — ^Vol. i, p. 128.