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To His Excellency Lieutenant General

Ralph Darling, Captain General & Governor

in Chief in and over His Majesty's Territory

of New South Wales & its Dependencies,

&c ... &c ... &c.

May it please Your Excellency

With the most unfeigned respect for your Excellency's person and authority, I humbly presumed to submit to Your enlightened consideration, an explanation due not only to your Excellency's exalted rank and character, but also to myself, of certain parts of my past conduct which, I fear, have been misconstrued, and have tended to shew me guilty of scandalous effontery to the public, personal disrespect towards an honorable gentleman, and a general contempt of the executive Government.

On my abrupt dismisssal from the Colonial Secretary's Office in 1826, I naturally begged of Mr McLeay to assign a cause for such unexpected and, as I believed, unmerited treatment. That gentleman intimated that my having been twice transported, rendered it improper to retain me in the Office. It has been since suggested to me, that the Memoirs of my Life erroneously said to be [underlined] (published) by myself, had (as well they might) done me serious injury. On this point, therefore, I now, although somewhat late, earnestly beseech your Excellency's attention to a short account of the origin and ultimate appearance of the work in question. In 1817, being employed as clerk of the Store at Newcastle, the Commandant (Lieutenant Thompson) having heard of my extraordinary adventures, requested I would write an account of them, to gratify his curiosity, promising as a

[on right] gentle- [gentleman]

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gentleman, that he would only shew it to a few of his brother Officers and particular friends. Under this assurance, and in compliance with a request which my then situation would have rendered it impolitic to refuse, I compiled a circumstantial and authentic history of my past life, which I delivered to Mr Thompson, but without the slightest idea of its ever appearing in [underlined] (print). I was soon afterwards removed to Sydney, at the particular request of Mr Justice Field, who had applied to Governor Macquarie for my assignment to him as clerk. On my first interview with Mr Field, he told me, to my great astonishment, that "he had obtained the manuscript of my Memoirs from Lieut't Thompson, had thought it worthy of publication, and had accordingly sent it home to his bookseller for that purpose." The following year (1819) Mr Field handed me one of the printed copies he had received from England. On perusing it, my surprize [sic] and chagrin were augmented at finding that Mr Field had taken the unwarrantable liberty of substituting for my original title-page, a most disgraceful one of [underlined] (his) composition; that he had changed the tenor of my preface; added a severe critique of his own; expunged many passages throughout the work; and altered others. These facts I made known at the time to many of my friends; but the injurious effects of such ungentlemanlike conduct in Mr Field, and of Mr Thompson's breach of confidence, had been too widely disseminated to be counteracted by any efforts of mine. Thus, Sir, I hope I have exculpated myself from the implication of having, with unblushing audacity, obtruded upon the public, a voluntary record of my own infamy - and of having prided myself on such a shameful disclosure.

The second point on which I beg to deprecate Your Excellency's displeasure, is my imprudent insertion of a letter in "The Australian" newspaper,

[on right] wherein

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wherein I sincerely regret having used disrespectful and unbecoming language, imputing injustice to the Executive, and reflecting on the Honorable Colonial Secretary, a gentleman whose estimable qualities, and public as well as private worth, I have, in common with every colonist not tinctured with the most uncharitable malevolence, always known, and gratefully appreciated. But, may it please your Excellency, that letter was written in a moment of bitter disappointment at finding myself suddenly dicharged from a situation I had filled with credit for Seven years - when I had just received from your Excellency's liberality, an augmentation of salary, and had before me the pleasing prospect of a respectable independence. And, I solemnly assure your Excellency, that I was not incited, or encouraged by any individual, to publish such letter, but adopted the expedient with the sole view of preventing the public from imputing my dismissal to misconduct in my clerical capacity.

With regard to my imprudent elopement from the colony, for which I am now awaiting your Excellency's Judgment, I humbly implore forgiveness and mercy. I would presume to urge my patient residence of ten years, holding a conditional pardon, as a proof, that some extraordinary cause could alone have induced me to so rash a step. That cause was, in fact, an unhappy matrimonial connexion I had formed, the misery arising from which became, at length, so insupportable, that I adopted what appeared to me the only means of dissolving it.

May I humbly presume to hope that your Excellency will consider my long and useful services in various public departments - the vicissitudes and misfortunes of my early life - my advanced age - and above all, my sincere contrition for the past, and firm resolution never more to transgress. The cause of my misery and consequent elopement, is now removed; my wife

[on right] having

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having herself left the colony since my departure. Nothing can ever again induce me to attempt an escape. This country has become to me, as it were, my natural home, having neither friend nor relation in my native land: and the distress I encountered on my arrival in England, having driven me to the commission of the offence for which I was again expatriated.

That your Excellency may be graciously pleased to extend clemency to me, and grant me an opportunity of regaining my station in society; and that You may live to see all Your enemies humbled, and enjoy many Years of health and happiness, is the ardent prayer of

Sir,

your Excellency's most humble

Petitioner and dutiful servant

[signed] James H. Vaux.

[on left]

Phœnix Hulk

May 18th 1831 }

[on right, in another hand]

Arrived per Minorca (1801)

........... Per Indian (1810)

And recently per Waterloo

in the name of James Young.