Kangaroo Island in 1838

KANGAROO ISLAND.

ON Sunday morning last the Inhabitants of Kingscote were on the qui vive, occasioned by the arrival in our beautiful harbour of a ship of war. It was soon ascertained to be the Pelorus, 16 guns, commanded by Captain Harding, R.N., having on board his Excellency the Governor [Hindmarsh] and several officers of the colonial government. 

According to arrangement made with W. Giles, Esq., J.P., the principal manager of the South Australian Company then at Kangaroo Island, his Excellency, accompanied by Captain Harding, George Stephen, Esq., the Advocate General, George Stevenson, Esq., Private Secretary, and several officers of the Pelorus, landed at Kingscote at ten o'clock on Monday morning under a salute from the shore and the ships in harbour. He was received by Mr. Giles and the other officers of the Company and conducted over the extensive establishment at Kingscote. We understood that, after a minute examination of the port, a landing place, and the site of a custom-house and other government buildings, were fixed upon. 

In the afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Giles entertained his Excellency, the other visitors, and the principal officers and inhabitants of Kingscote to dinner at their hospitable mansion, at Beare's Point. The Pelorus got underweigh about seven, P. M., when his Excellency and suite returned on board and the ship stood out with a fair wind as we were informed for Encounter Bay.