'
His appointment as Governor of South Australia, with the steps leading up
to it, he could group under the first head. His explorations had shown
that no great river, no second Murray, drained the North-West area of
Australia. This was information for geographers, and he had more, since,
to quote his own words, 'We learned as much about the region, in a
general way, as was necessary.' Next, he acted for a while as Government
Resident at King George's Sound, and he investigated the country
thereabout.
'The settlement of King George's Sound,' he said, 'was quite small, and I
discharged all the duties of the State. I don't remember that I fined
anybody; just decreeing: "Oh, you must make up your disputes yourselves."
Perth, now so grown, was at that date a mere townlet. It had few people,
ships called rarely, and practically it was shut off from the world.'
This was the brand-new Australia. Beside it, there is a glimpse of olden
England, in the manner Sir George Grey was bid to be Pro-Consul. A
special messenger pelted down to Bodiam, where, after his return to
England, he had been staying for a month, the hero of his relatives. The
messenger brought the other London, news that the guns of the Tower had
been firing, to announce the birth of the Queen's first child, the
Princess Royal.
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