120 THE DISPOSAL OF X789 Prospective advantages. Oaptain Hill's oonunents. Governor not responsible. but Mrs. Macarthur, so far from opposing the plan^ was, to nse lier own words, *' a warm advocate for it/' In a letter to her mother, written from Chatham Barracks shortly before the first detachment of the Corps sailed for Sydney, she refers to her husband's exchange into the Corps destined for New South Wales, from which we have very reasonable expectation of reaping the most material advantages." The feeling that prevailed among the military officers when it was found that no provision had been made for them in the allotment of land finds expression in the letter which Captain Hill, of the New South Wales Corps, wrote to Wilberf orce, describing the iniquities practised on board the vessels of the Second Fleet. Having finished his account of the voyage. Hill gave his impressions of the colony, which were anything but favourable. Coming to the land question, he said : — "In America the officers and settlers had grants of land in proportion to their rank ; but those of the marines who are now here, and have borne every hardship, have no such thing, neither is thei^ an intention of giving each their portion. In my humble opinion nothing can be more impolitic. Industry is the first essential to the welfare of any kingdom, consequently all measures that are adopted to promote it are highly commendable ; and I am well persuaded Britain will not thank our Governor for acting, not only on a mean but on an unstable plan, to the great disquiet of every individual in the colony, and the certainty of bringing an endless burthen on the mother country."* Ostensibly, this is Hill's personal opinion, written for the information of the great philanthropist, but there can be little doubt that it also represented the views of the marine officers, who had been denied their " portion" of land. It is not easy to see why the blame should have been cast upon the Governor. The marine officers must have known what the Instructions were, even if they had
- Hifltotical Beoords, vol. i, part 2, p. 870.
