eleven o'clock
Then the Governor was told of Dolly 's letter , but he was not the man to take fright at the approach of the enemy , although he had no defence force as it is now understood in New South Wales , nor had he a gold-laced staff of officers with elaborate `` defence schemes '' against possible raids of Japanese or Russians by way of Exmouth Gulf or Port Darwin . In that year Governer King 's force did not take long to be marshalled . The drums beat to arms , and the New South Wales Corps and the Loyal Association immediately formed into line on the shores of the Cove . At eleven o'clock a trooper arrived at Government House with intelligence that one of the vessels appeared under British colours , and the other was flying a Union Jack triumphant over a Dutch Jack . Following this message there soon came another , bringing the certain intelligence that one of the ships was an English whaler bringing into port her Batavian prize . So on receipt of this news , and just as the word to march was about to be given , the officer in command ordered his force to return to barracks . At two in the afternoon , with the whole of the settlement agog with excitement , the two vessels sailed slowly up the harbour before a light northeast breeze , and came to anchor in Sydney Cove , close to the _ Investigator , _ on board of which ship the Governor and a number of naval officers awaited their arrival .