Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/403

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to neutralize one anotlier, but not to take the place of truth. As the character of a hero is dear to mankind, all that could he certainly traced has been narrated liere to I f»how that of Basa, as much as possible, by his own words land deeds*^ Wlien King sent Robbins in 1805, in the Intrgrity, to Pexplain to Don Lewis de Guzman, the untow*ard and illegal captures by Campbell, the master of the Harrinffton, tlie envoy and the sender must have had a keen sense of the dan«^rer of the mission. Both of them had recently I learned the treacherous seizure of Flinders at the Mauritius; flioth of them were persuaded that Bass had met an untimely, perhaps a treacherous end, but neither of them shrank from dnt3^^ I A characteristic occurrence in 1801 shows the nature of the cases brought before the Civil Courts in matters of I trade; and that King bore no grudges against those who had been troublesome to him in former years. Sergeant Wiittle boiigiit, in 1801, one hundred and forty -three packs of cards from one TurnbulL Considering them inferior to the sample, he returned them. Turobull sued liim for the price. The rate of profit iixed under King's orders was 100 per cent, on the goods in the importing ship, but the naval officer certified that the cards were not entered in the manifest. Nevertheless, TiirnbuU obtained ,a verdict. King reversed the decision, and dkected ** the An unpleasant oircumstanc© occutred with regard to Bass's afftiirs. |Afti?t* he had been gone more than three years, an emancipated convict, a Itrader in Sydney, sued the a^ent for Baas and his partner Bishop, averring Ithat Bftsa bad taken away by mistake a trinik containing goods. The lugent denied the fact, and alleged that before Basa sailed in 1803 all p*'€Ount8 were carefuUy closed by liass. Bishop had Ijccome inasoie, and [the agent had become Iiir guardian. The Civil Court, composed of Atkins 'and two others, imfortunately gave credence to the trader. The agent appealed. King's sympathies were with the absent man, against whom, after a lapse of three yoara without any demand made," such a claim Nvas preferred. """ Robhins was to obtain tidings of Baa.s, if possible. King wrote (July r lNO<>): *'I am much concerned to inform your Lordship that the Integrittf lis not yet returned, and I am more than apprehensiv^e for that yesaerii f safety, but for the hope that ahe may Iiave been detained on some pretext by the Gov^ernnient of Chili ; although I think no consideration ought tu have operated on the Spanish Admiral, who governs that province, to detain her under the just and honourable principles in which ahe was put within his power. '^ 8ee note pp. Ml-H.