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CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
At the Cape, the proceedings which took place were well known at the time, and it appears unue- cessary now to recapitulate them at any length The Circular of the 7th of August, 1848, was sent to this colony in common with others. Before an answer could be recived, accounts arrived from Bermuda of a very inoffensive party of convicts, consisting chiefly of men who had committed their first fault by stealing food in Ireland at the time of the famine, and it was supposed that whatever view might be adopted at the Cape on convicts generally, there could be no objection to receive a body of such men as these, and that they would afford a very favour- able opportunity of trying how far ticket-of-leave holders could be introduced into the colony with advantage. The "Neptune," therefore, was sent from England in December 1848, to Bermuda, in order to embark these convicts and convey them to the Cape. On the 14th of March, 1849, however, an answer was received to the circular despatch, stating that the inhabitants were averse to the intro- duction of convicts upon any terms. Some of Her Majesty's Ministers announced in the House of Commons, almost immediately afterwards (on the 27th of March), that if the feeling of the colonists against transportation to it in every form, was universal and not to be modified, the measure would not be persevered in; and the same announcement was repeated in a despatch to the Governor dated the 18th of April, 1849.
The general question being disposed of, it was hardly expected that the whole future character of the colony would be supposed to depend on with- standing the reception of a small party of 300 men, selected as the most harmless convicts who could be met with, for the purpose of their being dispersed over a territory of vast extent, and in the midst of a large population. Such a violent resistance, however, was made to admitting this single ship-load of men, accompanied by attempts to starve the inilitary and to paralyze the Civil Government, and by a refusal to let ordinary supplies of food and other necessaries be sent off to the suffering con- victs on board of this vessel; that inasmuch as
Sir H. Smith, December 19, 1848. December 22, 1848; January 1849;
Parl. Paper on Cape. April 4.
1849. pages 19 to 29.
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there was no real subject of dispute, since it had never been meant to introduce convicts regularly without the full concurrence of the inhabitants, it was thought better to send on this particular party : and on the 8th of November, 1848, it was intimated that the Neptune" should proceed to Vau There the convicts, having
If it should ever be wished to look further Diemen's Land.
into this, the views which had actuated the throughout behaved with entire submission and good Government at home will be found fully ex-
plained in a despatch from Lord Grey dated order, received conditional pardons; and so the November 30, 1846. All the despatches are matter closed, contained in a Parl. Paper, April 4, 1849,
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
This is the old colony of Swan River, founded in 1829. In 1850, after the lapse of thirty years, it still contained less than 6000 European inhabitants, As this back- including men, women, and children. wardness, unexampled in an Australian colony, led
to the application for convicts, it may not be irre- levant briefly to glance at its causes.
Nature, it must be confessed, was less favourable
to the Swan River than to the other settlements in New Holland. The climate indeed is one of the most perfect in the globe, more favourable perhaps than any other which could he named to humani health and enjoyment. But the long western coast line of Australia is almost iron-bound; it is beaten upon by frequent and heavy gales of wind from the Indian Ocean; and the absence under such circum- stances of a good harbour is one of the most capital defects under which a colony can suffer. In an old and wealthy country the character of the har- bours is of much less importance, as every one must be aware who has bestowed any reflection on the prosperity of our chief British ports. Where there is sufficient wealth and population to tri- umph over natural obstacles, the resources of the country inland form the determining causes of the resort of commerce. Thus in England such a noble haven as Milford, and the fine 'natural harbours of Devonshire and Cornwall, are deserted for the villain- oug estuaries of the Thames, the Severn, and the Mersey. But in a recent and poor settlement it is für otherwise. There are no funds to maintain numerous lights, beacons, and pilots, nor to con-
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