THE NEW SOUTH WALES CORPS. 107 about one-sixth of the detacliinent ; and on the 26th March, ^"^ a month after his amval, the total strength of the Corps at ^^^^ Sydney, Parramatta, and Norfolk Island was returned at di*. three hundred and forty, rank and file. When Grose arrived at Sydney, in February, 1792, ihe Corps consisted of six companies, one of which, however, remained in England.* Its strength was shortly afterwards ^'^^ ^ increased by the formation of one extra or auxiliary company, enlisted by Phillip from the marines who elected to remain in the colony as soldiers.t The command of this company was given to Captain-Lieutenant Johnston, the only officer of the marines (with the exception of Collins) who did not return to England at the expiration of the three years' term of service. The question havins: arisen as to whether Johnston's seniority Johnston T i» • 1 • -o-L m • *^ command was to date from his appomtment to this company, rhillip th^ai communicated with the War Office, and was informed in a company, letter from Sir George Yonge, dated 4th July, 1793, that, " as Captain Johnston only obtained that rank in the marines on the 25th September, 1792, his Commission as captain of a company in the New South Wales Corps cannot be dated earlier than that day." The auxiliary company was placed on the establishment on the 25th of June, 1793, and thus became part and parcel of the New South Wales Corps. This brought the strength of the Corps up to about five hundred officers and men, but as the convict population increased, further augmentations became necessary. For a time the Government adopted the expedient of taking men Mode of ^ * " augmenting from regiments on service in England and sending them as the oorpo. guards of transports to Sydney, where they were added to the New South Wales Corps. But this plan was not approved of at the War Office, and in February, 1794, the Secretary
- The company which remained in England was sent oat at yarious periods
as guards on donvict ships, and merged as they arrived into the six companies located in the colony. In this way, although the Corps nominally consisted of seven companies, only six were actually on service in the colony up to the year 1796. t Authority for this was given in Grenville*s despatch, 24th December, 1789.— Historical Becords, toI. i, part 2, p. 286. •■'"•..TsM^' ( u--f ':;
