master-of-the-ceremonies

Updated: May 6, 2025

Governing in those rough days was not a mere master-of-the-ceremonies appointment, and Phillip, Hunter, King, and Bligh, if they made mistakes, considering their previous training, the populations they governed and the times in which they lived, amply justify Palmerston's words that if he wanted a thing done well in a distant part of the world; when he wanted a man with a good head, a good heart, lots of pluck, and plenty of common sense he would always send for a captain of the Navy.

Louis Becke - The Beginning Of The Sea Story Of Australia: 1901