208 PHILLIP ANB DAWES. I'^l ordering Mm home to be tried by Court-martial, Phillip sent him a written message informing him that his conduct would be "forgotten'^ if he acknowledged the impropriety of it ^' in such a manner as may leave no reason to suppose that anything similar will happen in future.^' The exercise of a little diplomacy might have removed the misunder- standing ; but none was shown by either party, and a month Dawes af terwaids Lieutenant Dawes left the colony in the Grorgon to Enfifiand. with the Commandant and the greater part of the marine detachment. sj8^J«nw The incident in itself is not of much consequence, but it incident, jg important as showing the difficulties with which Phillip had to contend, and the manner in which he dealt with SSiS?y *li6ii^- His relations with the officers of marines were un- pleasant all through, and if he had acted less judiciously than he did a misfortune worse than that which occurred in Bligh's time would probably have happened. In his deal- ings with Major Boss he kept his feelings under restraint, and sank his pride of office. He acted in the same manner with regard to Lieutenant Dawes. If he had taken a severe or a limited view of his duty, and paid no regard to sur- rounding circumstances, he would have put that officer under arrest when he committed his first act of insubordina- tion. It is not unlikely that he had these facts in his mind when he told Grenville, in the despatch which covered the correspondence with Dawes, that he had " often found that the peculiar situation this colony has been in made it neces- sary to pass over improprieties which could not otherwise have passed unnoticed.^**
- Historical Records, toI. i, part 2, p. 548.
