The colony was passing through bad times, but it is clear that the trustees had not been able to find a successor who could approach Cape in personality and knowledge. Cape in the meantime had opened a private school at Paddington, which was carried on until 1856 when he retired.
The colony was experiencing hardship, and the trustees were unable to locate someone with Cape's personality and knowledge to take over.  Cape opened a private school in Paddington that operated until his retirement in 1856.