altho’ the mid. planted His Majesty’s colours close to their tents, and kept them flying during the time the French ships stayed there.”

Notwithstanding their first little differences, King and Baudin parted the best of friends, and to an orphan asylum established by King in Sydney, Baudin sent a donation of L50; but King’s action in sending the Cumberland after him struck the Frenchman in a different light.  He wrote to King telling him that if he had wanted to annex Van Diemen’s Land he would have made no secret of it, that Tasman anyhow had not discovered it for the benefit of Englishmen only, and that—­

“I was well convinced that the arrival of the Cumberland had another motive than merely to bring your letter, but I did not think it was for the purpose of hoisting the British flag precisely on the spot where our tents had been pitched a long time previous to her arrival.  I frankly confess that I am displeased that such has taken place.  That childish ceremony was ridiculous, and has become more so from the manner in which the flag was placed, the head being downwards, and the attitude not very majestic.  Having occasion to go on shore that day, I saw for myself what I am telling you.  I thought at first it might have been a flag which had served to strain water and then hung out to dry; but seeing an armed man walking about, I was informed of the ceremony which had taken place that morning.  I took great care in mentioning it to your captain, but your scientists, with whom he dined, joked about it, and Mr. Petit, of whose cleverness you are aware, made a complete caricature on the event.  It is true that the flag sentry was sketched.  I tore up the caricature as soon as I saw it, and gave instructions that such was not to be repeated in future.”

Towards the latter end of 1803 King grew very tired of the petty annoyances of the officers of the New South Wales Corps, and he wrote home asking that either a commission should be appointed to inquire into the government of the colony, or that he should be permitted to go to England himself and report upon the state of affairs.  With the letter he sent home copies of lampoons which he alleged were anonymously written and circulated by officers of the regiment.  Here is a sample of one:—­

  EXTEMPORE ALLEGRO.

  “My power to make great
  O’er the laws and the state
    Commander-in-Chief I’ll assume;
  Local rank, I persist,
  Is in my own fist: 
    To doubt it who dares to presume.

  “On Monday keep shop,
  In two hours’ time stop
    To relax from such kingly fatigue,
  To pillage the store
  And rob Government more
    Than a host of good thieves—­by intrigue.

  “For infamous acts from my birth I’d an itch,
    My fate I foretold but too sure;
    Tho’ a rope I deserved, which is justly my due,
  I shall actually die in a ditch,
      And be damned.”