zeal of His Majesty's officers, soldiers, and the greater part
of the inhabitants;" but he begged that "the officers now
going home with Governor Hunter may be ordered to rejoin
as soon as possible," as it might be necessary still more to
divide the seditious by forming a new settlement at Port
Stephens, or elsewhere, and the scant number of officers
would need to be enlarged. Hunter shrank from some of
the vigorous measures advocated by King. While Governor, he urged upon the latter that the "best mode of
preventing insurrection is by vigilance." He augured ill
from the imprisonment of the suspected. It might "rouse
the ignorant to violence." He consented to the enrolment
of the Volunteer Association, but even after he had embarked
upon the Buffalo he expressed his doubts[1] of the infernal
plots with which those people have been charged."
Captain Macarthur, disgusted as he was with the new order established by King, loyally supported him even while proffering his property to the government so that he might shake the dust of the colony from his feet. He was still in trust at Parramatta, and wrote to King (28th Sept. 1800) at 2 a.m. that he had his company under arms, had arrested some prisoners, "and I have yet some hopes that an attempt will be made before morning to rescue them; if there should, I am confident that I shall be able to give you a very good account of them in the morning." Later in the day he wrote:—"I am sorry that the Irishmen could not be prevailed upon to show themselves either last night or this morning, but notwithstanding this disappointment, I have hopes that there will be sufficient evidence obtained to convict a number of them." In this rebellion the Rev. Mr. "Marsden was to be cut off at the first;" but he energetically aided King in his measures. Father Harold,[2] imprisoned by order of a committee appointed by Hunter
- ↑ MS. letter of Hunter to King, 4th Oct. 1800.
- ↑ In a MS. petition from Harold, to be allowed to have recourse to the ministry of a priest," in 1805, there are the words "imagin." "Priviledge, "paralel." He tenders his service without emolument: That your benevolent views may be extended to the Catholicks of this island, who join all the other inhabitants in sentiments of highest esteem and tenderest affection for your Excellency." King failed to appreciate an affection which broke out so often in rebellion, and he endorsed the petition thus: Petition of James Harold. No answer. Seditious"—and it was found in recent years with other papers similarly indorsed.
