How much longer can Fisher stay on as Resident Commissioner? His latest display of incompetence must surely give those nincompoops in London pause to consider whether he is the best man to represent them here in the Colony.
Seven months ago Fisher decided that what was needed here in the Colony was a supply of horses. (Editor's Note: See entry for Sunday, 17th September, 1837) And so he hired himself a ship, the Lord Hobart, from the Company and sent it off to Timor on a shopping expedition to Timor with Cornelius Birdseye, in his role as Overseer of the Company's Flocks and Herds, on board to see to the selection.
Once there, Corney finds himself 120 Timor ponies and loads them on board. (In fact, they had shipped 119 and Corney lost count)
Then back they sail to Adelaide, arriving yesterday with their ponies on board.
And so do we now have 119 ponies running free across the Adelaide Plains? No we do not.
Because under the tender care of Mr Birdseye 112 of the horses died on board ship, leaving a mere seven ponies to survive the voyage. And of those seven, at least three of them seem good for nothing but dog's meat and would be best put out of their misery as a kindness.
So, seven months of travel and we are four ponies to the good. At the beginning of the month, Mr Hawdon arrived from Sydney with 20 horses for sale and Sturt is expected to arrive with more horses for sale any day now, which makes Fisher's four seem small beer indeed.
But how much did Mr Fisher's nags cost him?
Well now, Gilles has shown me the account Fisher has presented to him and it appears that McLaren advanced Fisher £600 for the purchase of the ponies. Fisher hired the ship from the Company at a rate of 21/- per ton per month. The Lord Hobart being a ship of about 190 tons and the voyage lasting for somewhat more than seven months we arrive at a figure of £1506-16-6d. Then we have money for Corney Birdseye and his men as well as sundry expences, meaning that these five ponies have cost just over £2600.
Gilles tells me that each pony has set us back roughly £520!
Gilles also tells me that he has positively no inclination to pay any money at all for Mr Fisher's shipping adventure and so I do not doubt that a legal action will soon be underway as Mr Fisher sues Gilles for the money.
Having thrown two and a half thousand pounds overboard in the pursuit of enough horseflesh to pull a small coach, Mr Fisher now endears himself to the Colony by objecting to the formation of a Police Force on the grounds of expence!
The recent adventures of the Marines, what with court appearances, the leaving prisoners behind in the wilderness, as well as the accumulated ill feeling of the populace towards these drunken wild boys, who seem to have caused as much disruption as they have prevented, have meant that the Colony is almost unanimous in their desire for a proper police force. "Almost unanimous" because Fisher alone has objections!
We have found twenty brawny lads who are keen to take part - ten mounted police and ten foot - uniforms have been found, Mr Hawdon's horses reserved, tenders called for a police station and not one, but two letters from Lord Glenelg authorising both the formation of the Police Force and the related expenditure and all seems set fair.
Except that, like the fly in the ointment, Mr Fisher has decided it is not to be! It is too expensive!
£2600 for a few ponies without so much as a turned hair! £800 for the Port Canal. But the security of the Province? Oh, no no no no no! We cannot afford such a thing.
What he really means is that we cannot be spending money on an idea of mine because doing so might make me appear to be active in the protection of the colony.
Well, of course we can and we will. Indeed, we have and our proud new Police Force is up and running! Mr Inman has agreed to act as Commander, taking the rank of Inspector.
Of course the Marines were less than pleased until I told them that they needed to show the new men the tricks of the trade and as soon as they were told that they were the old hands, they were perfectly happy and have been out showing the ropes to the new men and giving the benefits of their knowledge, such as it is.
And speaking of "showing the ropes", Magee's execution date has been set for next Wednesday and, as I predicted, the whole place is at sixes and sevens getting ready for it. We have, it seems, found a suitable tree with a good stout, horizontal branch and a good length of thick rope has been acquired. But do we have a hangman?
Hangman have we not.
The not inconsiderable sum of £5 was offered, but with no takers and hence the money was raised to £10. But, as yet, we have had no applicants for the job.
And, whilst I understand that acting as executioner and taking a man's life is no trifling matter, still... £10 is £10!
No comments:
Post a Comment