He spoke very
disrespectfully of men in high places, both in England and the
Colonies; and remarked that Members of Parliament were the greatest
rascals on the face of the earth. No man of sound mind would ever
use such language as that.
Some years afterwards, while I was Collector of Customs at Port
Albert, I received a letter from Melbourne to the following purport:
"Yarra Bend Asylum,
----------188--
"Strictly private and confidential
"Sir,--You are hereby ordered to take possession of and detain
every vessel arriving at Port Albert. You will immediately proceed
on board each of them, and place the broad arrow abaft the foremast
six feet above the deck. You will thus cut off all communication
with the British Empire. I may state that I am the lawful heir to
the title and estates of a Scottish dukedom, and am deprived of the
possession and enjoyment of my rightful station and wealth by the
machinations of a band of conspirators, who have found means to
detain me in this prison in order to enjoy my patrimony. You will
particularly observe that you are to hold no communication whatever
with the Governor of this colony, as he is the paid agent of the
conspirators, and will endeavour to frustrate all efforts to obtain
my rights. You will also be most careful to withhold all information
from the Duke of Dunsinane, who is a member of the junior branch of
my family, and at the head of the conspiracy.
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