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[Page 187]

Another cause of anxiety was that some supposed that the free gentlemen of property would not readily move on in the same ranks with the Convicts, for it was found necessary to call out a number of the latter, but here again the population was unanimous.

But the greatest difficulty to surmount was the great responsibility which Sir George Arthur incurred in placing fire arms in the hands of about one thousand convicts - a responsibility which must rest with himself. Most of such convicts were intimately acquainted with many parts of the bush, much more so than the military and others. No one however professed a more perfect than Sir George knowledge of the Convict population than Sir George and after due deliberation he scrupled not to avail himself of their services.

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