229 PHILLIP RESIGNS. On the 11th October, 1792, Phillip wrote to Dnndas, inti- 17M mating that it had become necessary for him to give up the Pump charge of the GoTemment, at least for a time, but as he permisaion did not feel sure, from the nature of a communication he England. had just received, whether he had permission to return to England or not, he had determined to wait the arrival of the next ships.* He had been for some time anxious to return to England. In April, 1790, he applied for a year's leave of absence, to enable him to attend to private afEairs ; and on the 25th March, 1791, he renewed the request on the ground of ill-health. He had suffered greatly from His h«atii hard work, privation, and exposure,t and the change was highly necessary. In November, 1791, finding himself no better, he requested permission to resign the government, so that he might return to England in hopes of finding that relief which this country did not afford. It is to be noticed that, in the letter written nearly a year later, Phillip did not speak of resignation, but only pointed out that it had become necessary to give up his charge, at least for a time." He could not tell then whether he would ever be able to go back to the work which failing health obliged unoerteinty him to relinquish, but when he sailed from Port Jackson in retom. December, 1792, he left the colony never to return. At Sydney his departure seems to have been regarded as final. His intention to return to England, which was made known about the end of October, excited, Collins says, no small
- Historical BecoTds, rol. i, part 2, p. 666.
t Vol. i, p. 805.
