186 PHILLIP 1787-92 in his thirtieth year when they stood under the British flag, drinking the health of King George and prosperity The first to the colony of New South Wales. A portrait of the young lieutenant, with a sketch of his previous career in the navy, was published in Phillip's Voyage — ^where he is des- cribed as ^^ an officer much esteemed by Phillip as of great merit in his profession ; and highly spoken of in his letters as a man whose perseverance in any service might be fully depended on." So it proved. King's face in the portrait is clearly cut and intelligent, with an expression that enables us to understand Phillip's feeling towards him. The two we^nd8° ^^'^ ^^^ formed a friendship on board the Europe which lasted throughout their lives. How strong and how endur- ing the tie that bound them may be seen in a letter written from Bath by King, with a trembling hand, seven days before his death in September, 1808, to his son, **^dear Phillip," so named after his old comrade : — As this letter may probably reach you before you sail, I just A last letter, writo to Say that I came here on Tuesday with Mr. Lethbridge, on his return to London, merely to see Admiral Phillip, whom I found much better than I possibly could expect from the reports I had heard, although he is quite a cripple, having lost the entire use of his right side ; but his intellects are very good, and his spirits are what they always were.* A last ^ This is the last glimpse we have of Phillip, after his re- turn to England. He lingered on till 1814. The meeting between the two old ex-Governors at Bath, both in the last stage of weakness and decay, furnishes a touching proof of the affection which had so long existed between them. Although King had entered the navy when he was only twelve years old, he managed to learn the French language sufficiently for conversational purposes ; an accomplislunent
- In a previous letter mtten from Tooting, in Surrey, in July, 1S08,
King wrote to his son : — ** I was with Admiral Phillip a week ; he is very much altered, having lost the entire use of his whole right side, arm, and leg ; his intellect and spirits are as good as ever. He may linger on 8om<^ years under his present infirmity, but, from his age, a great reprieve cannot be expected." Digitized by Google
