Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/353

 OP KING* 297 King explained to Dundas at some length in Us de- ^^M spatches of tlie 19th November, 1793, and lOth March, Kinp 1794, the reasons which induced him to leave Norfolk Smidaa, Island and escort the New Zealand natives, in person, to their homes.* They were received by a number of friends with great demonstrations of joy, and some pleasant intercourse took place between the New Zealand natives and the people on board the Britannia.f After making a thoroughly good Jjjj^'^^"^ impression on the natives, and promising to visit them natives, again, King returned to Norfolk Island, where he arrived after an absence of ten days. He had the satisfaction of finding that during his absence everything had been conducted with the greatest propriety. The closing passage of his letter of the 19th November, 1793, addressed to Dundas, shows that Eing was somewhat doubtful whether the Secretary of State would altogether approve of the trip to New Zealand. " Should any part of f^ g^?® my conduct not be approved of in the proceedings which I ***«°ce. have had the honour to state," he wrote, " I hope my zeal for wishing to forward his Majesty^ s service and to convey useful information will offer some excuse in my favour.^J Although he was severely censured by Grose for this and ^^^ for other steps which he took at about the same time, yet ^*°^- his voyage to New Zealand and back, taken without the Thames. , • • Since my return from that country I am more confirmed in its apparent utility." Ketuming to the subject at the close of the letter, he irrole : — *' If N.Z. should be seriously thought on, would it not be advisable for some person to examine the country before any people are sent there ? I should bare no objection to performing that seryice, which might be com- pleted in two months on sailing from hence." In another letter to Nepean, written about the same time, King says : — '* If it should be thought necessary to settle K.Z., and I should happen to be the person fixed on, I hope my family, which is now growing numerous, will be considered." — ^Historical Hecords, vol. ii, pp. 79, 96. • lb., pp. 87, 164. t King took with him on this trip the Bev. Jas. Bain, assistant chaplain, Mr. Thomas Jamieson, surgeon, Mr. W. N. Chapman, storekeeper, two non- commissioned officers of the Kew South Wales Corps, and twelve privates. X Historical Beoords, vol. ii, p. 92. ..