Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II.—THE INTERREGNUM—1792 to 1795. MAJOR GROSE AND CAPTAIN PATTERSON—A MILITARY DESPOTISM —THE NEW SOUTH WALES CORPS—DIVIDING THE SPOILS —FOUNDING A COLONIAL ARISTOCRACY—JOHN MACARTHUR, CAPTAIN AND PAYMASTER — IMPROVING THE BREED OF SHEEP AN UNSCRUPULOUS "RING" OFFICIAL HUCK- STERERS AND EPAULETTED DEALERS—A CURRENCY OF RUM —COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY—MONOPOLY AND EXTORTION— 5OO PER CENT.—DISTRIBUTION OF CONVICTS—HIGH PRICES —OUTDOING THE CONVICTS IN LICENTIOUSNESS—THE RUM HOSPITAL—SELLING A WIFE—EMANCIPATED CONVICTS IN BUSINESS—A GAOLER PUBLICAN—KILLING THE TRAFFIC— INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. URING the greater portion of the three years following Governor Phillip's departure the Government of the settlement was practically a military despotism. The Government devolved, first upon Major Francis Grose, and secondly upon Captain Patterson, senior officers of the io2nd Regiment of the New South Wales Corps, and these officers by incompetency on the one hand and wretched militaryism on the other succeeded in establishing an order of things the whole tendency of which was evil, and the results of which have extended down the whole line of the hundred years which have now passed since the foundation of the colony. A word or two here concerning the " New South Wales Corps," of which these officers were distinguished members, must be said. The corps had been raised in England in 179o-1 for service in the colonies—a service which was notconsidered at that time either dignified or honourable for any British officer of much repute to engage in ; and consequently many of those who found their way into it possessed a very low estimate of morality and honesty. They were, therefore, . quite prepared to engage in any work, however dirty, or unjust, or arbitrary, that would bring pecuni...