Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/308

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Palmer, but was unable to do so, and was sent to Van I>iemen*s Land, where Sir H. B. Hajes was his companion. At Hobarfc, Margaret attempted to deceive Governor CoUinB, '* I am Governor King's prosecutor, and that he knows well : he sends me about in this manner that I may he drowned or lose my life, but I am a bit of good stufiF.'* ColHns treated Margarot with contempt, and sent the parti- culars to King. Some imputations against King were referred by him to the Judge- Advocate and the magistrates, who deemed it

  • ' derogatory to tw high office yoor Excellency holds to enter into any

juatifioatioii whatever on allegations coming from a man of Maurice Margarot'a infamous conduct and principles : at the same time we think he has forfeited every pretension to the »inalle8t indulgence. We h&g leave to refer your Excellency to our opiniona formeily given on Maurice Margaret's conduct, Maurice Margarot's behaviour of this day when before the Bench being so highly insolent and contemptuouB, they beg leave to recommend to his Excellency that he should be put to hard labour/' The last recommendation was not enforced. lung wrote to Colhns that, as Margarot* s '* body cannot bear the punish* ment he has so often merited," he had sent him to New- castle ** to ruminate on his infamous conduct." King's letter (3rd Feb* 1806) to the commandant at Newcaslle enjoined him to keep a watchful eye and prevent Margarot from having any eorresi>ondence with the soldiers, ** Should he continue peaceable, you will of course let him remain 6o;" if his conduct should deserve punishment ** you will cause it to be inflicted as far as twenty-five lashes, and work him at public labour the same as the other convicts/' Margarot eventually became free by servitude; retm*ned to England; was fprohf pudorj summoned as a witness before a committee of the House of Commons; falsely imputed his '"persecution" in the colony to his refusal to Ffiign a combination bond about buying and selling; was a pbegging-Ietter writer hi 1813;^ and, according to the 23rd ""^From Hamilton Rowan he asked *' the temporary asaiatance of £400. As a chrysalis warmed by the heat of a y;emal sun receives therefrom anima- tion, BO that aasisianee will atford nuw Ufej and without producing a butter- fly, will nevertheless give me wings/' Though Rowan had long abandoned the violent opinions (which he had shared with mombera of the British Convention whom he had seen iu Edinburgh in 1793) he sent Margarot £J0O, Margarot replied: '*That sum will enable me, if not to soar, at least to make my way in a more humble manner, sftintwhat like an ostrich." J