the Glatton. Whittle threatened to cut off the ears of the
officer who had struck his son. The officer complained to
Colnett, who complained to King. The military and naval
authorities could not agree as to an inquiry. A soldier
could not be tried on board for words said on parade, and
the insulted officer was not satisfied to let the sergeant be
dealt with by his commanding officer. These things were
reported to England as an insult to the dignity of the
commander of the Glatton, but his indignation and reports
were due to a very different matter, which deserves mention,
as an instance of the duties in performing which a Governor
made enemies on land and sea.
Before Captain Colnett left England he interested himself to obtain remission of sentence for a female convict placed on board the Glatton. He was informed that it was too late to do anything in England, but that the Governor would be written to, "to remit part or all of the sentence of this female convict on whose behalf you have interested yourself, when she has remained at New South Wales twelve months. . . . If you like you may show him this letter." In effect the Governor received a letter from a subordinate at Whitehall, hoping that he would do what he could, "consistently with your duty, without being biased or swayed by any personal motive." After the Glatton[1] had been some weeks in Sydney, Colnett wrote to King. He had been
"sensible ever since my arrival of your politeness and inclination to comply with any request of mine." . . . "I am sure you will pardon me by petitioning you to grant her (M.S.) emancipation and permission to return in the Glatton. I am not so ignorant of the favour I solicit as not to remember it with the warmest friendship; if necessary to be kept a secret, you may rely I will not divulge it till we quit the Cove."
King told him verbally that he could not grant a free pardon to a convict who had never landed; and that Governor Hunter had been rebuked for granting a conditional pardon on the arrival of a convict. Colnett urged that he had promised "that she should return in the
- ↑ Captain Colnett had requested that "100 men and a number of women convicts" might remain on board the Glatton while in Sydney. They remained until three days before her departure."—Despatch, King to Lord Hobart, 16th May 1803.
