on 1 november 1851 the lyttelton times (under the editorship of james fitzgerald) reported that campbell: ""joined the canterbury scheme... in the hope of obtaining appointment of resident magistrate in the settlement; he professed himself a warm advocate of the plan of the colony, and announced his intention of purchasing land largely; he even took cabins in , which were retained for him for a considerable time; he was in constant communication with the colonists for many weeks; and [when] he was not recommended to the appointment he wished to obtain, or any other appointment... he ceased to frequent the colonists' rooms in london, gave up his cabins, bought no land, and in a short time after the sailing of the first four ships, he left england, and was lost sight of until he turned up in auckland.""