188 PHILLIP 1787-92 appointed to the Sinus; and one of the Grovemor's first official acts, after the proclamation of the colony, was to KiDffsent to send him to Norfolk Island with a commission appointin&r Norfolk _ . _ _ , . T . . , 1. , Island. him commandant — ^thns placmg him m the direct path to promotion. The service was an important one, because it involved the establishment of a branch colony to which the elder one would have to look for assistance in the trying times that lay before it. One of the immediate objects in view was the dressing of the fl&>x-plant, the Home Govern- Flax- ment having been led to believe that the Royal Navy would soon be supplied with better sail-cloth and cordage from Norfolk Island flax than from any other material then known. That expectation was never realised, although flax-dressing afterwards formed one of the principal indus- tries on the island for some years. The plant grew there as luxuriantly as it did in New Zealand ; but the art of manufacturing it was unknown until April, 1793, when two Two Maoris natives of New Zealand were seized and carried away from seized to -i • i . teach it their homes for the purpose of being employed as teachers. They were restored to their own country in the following February, when, according to Collins (p. 346), they had completed the purpose for which they were taken, by giving such instructions in the process of preparing the flax-plant that, even with very bad materials, a few hands could manufacture thirty yards of good canvas in a week. They had not been kidnapped by King's orders ; but, never- theless, in order to satisfy himself that good faith was kept with them, he resolved to see them home; and having Keeping appointed a deputy to carry on the government during his absence from the island, he sailed with them to New Zea- land — ^an act of humanity which, however, involved him in an unpleasant correspondence with Major Grose, then administering the government of New South Wales. King's tenure of office under Phillip's commission lasted until March, 1790, when he was recalled for the purpose of being sent to England with despatches, " in order to give Digitized by Google
