the adventurous Hack. Amongst them there was one, however, whose failure,
read by the light of modern knowledge, was probably a geographical
success. This was Francis Barallier, ensign in the New South Wales corps,
who was encouraged by Governor King to indulge his ardent longing for
discovery. By birth a Frenchman, Barallier had received his ensigncy by
commission on the 13th of February, 1801, having done duty as an ensign
since July, 1800, by virtue of a government general order issued by
Governor Hunter. In August, 1801, he had been appointed by Governor King
military engineer, in place of Captain Abbott resigned. In February,
1802, he was succeeded by Lieutenant George Bellasis, an artillery
officer. Besides his expeditions to the Blue Mountains, he did much
surveying with Lieutenant James Grant in the Lady Nelson. In 1804, he
went to England and saw service in several regiments, distinguishing
himself greatly in military engineering, amongst his works being the
erection of the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square, the designer of which
was Mr. Railton. Barallier died in 1853.

Peron, the French naturalist, tells us that when in Sydney in October,
1802, he persuaded Governor King to fit out a party to attempt the
passage of the mountains, and that a young Frenchman, aide-de-camp to the
Governor, was intrusted with the leadership. He returned, however,
without having been able to penetrate further than his English
predecessors.

On the following month, however, Barallier set out from Parramatta, on
his famous embassy to the King of the Mountains. This fictitious embassy
arose from the fact that Colonel Paterson having refused Barallier the
required leave, King claimed him as his aide-de-camp, and sent him on
this embassy. Barallier started with four soldiers, five convicts, and a
waggon-load of provisions drawn by two bullocks. He crossed the Nepean