OUTRAGES BY THE NEW SOUTH WALES ABORIGINES.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 89, 18 November 1843, Page 356

OUTRAGES BY THE NEW SOUTH WALES ABORIGINES.

We perceive, from various Australian papers, that the blacks in New South Wales are daily becoming more daring, and that their outrages are now carried on in an open and systematic manner. What with " bad times " and the troubles inflicted on them by their sable neighbours, the country settlers of New South Wales are in no enviable situation. Our first extract is from the Maitland Mercury of September 9 : —

The Blacks on the Barwin. — Intelligence has been received in town during the week of a serious affray between the squatters and the blacks on the Barwin River, which has been attended with a most melancholy loss of life. Our information on the subject is as yet very imperfect; but, as far as we can ascertain, the following are the particulars of the affair. A party of whites, twenty-three in number, were out after a tribe of wild blacks, who had been committing depredations at several stations on the Barwin. They were camped for the night, and had lighted afire; and two of the party remaining up on guard, the remainder retired to rest, thinking themselves quite secure from any attack, as it is very unusual for the aborigines to carry on their aggressions in the night. The party were, however, surprised by the blacks, who commenced the attack by throwing in a shower of spears and clubs, and kept up the fight for a considerable time in a similar manner, carefully avoiding close quarters, until they were eventually beaten off. It had not been ascertained whether any of the aborigines were killed. Of the whites, one, a stockman, had his brains dashed out; another, Mr. Hallen, superintendent to Mr. Lawson, M.C., was speared in the back, and died from the effects of the wound in five days after; while three others were wounded, one dangerously in the thigh, though' it was hoped his wound would not prove fatal, and the other two Blightly. Considerable anxiety is felt in Maitland, in the absence of authentic intelligence, as many of the party are connected with several families in the town and neighbourhood.

We have reason to fear that the above melancholy event is only one of a series of fatal encounters that have occurred between the squatters and the aborigines, on the rivers in the north-west, during the last six months. We are not in a position at present to be more explicit, but we have strong grounds for believing that during that period at least fifty human lives have been sacrificed. The whites appear to have grown weary of submitting, without resistance, to the outrages of their savage neighbours, and to have at length determined to afford themselves and their property that protection which the Government are either unable or unwilling to extend to them. As must ever be the case where private vengeance is aUoweti to take the place of public justice, scenes 4f bloodshed have occurred which it ii sickening to contemplate, and which we trust, for the sake of our common humanity, will shortly be repressed. We feel bound, however, to state our belief that the whites have acted throughout with a degree of forbearance which, under the circumstances of extreme provocation, could hardly have been expected.

The following is from the Moreton Bay correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald :—

October 5. — Yon are aware, from my previous communication*, that for some time past the blacks have been committing most eenou* de-

predations upon both life" and property throughout the district, hut the last few weeks' have shown us that a regular systematic plan of plundering operations has been organized amongst them, which, from the talent displayed in the execution, would lead one to suppose some pale faces were at work amongst them. The most daring affair was about a fortnight since, when three loaded drays were stopped in a part of the road near the foot of the mountain range, by finding several strong barricades or fences placed across the road, and whilst the men in charge of the teams were attempting to remove the obstructions, they were attacked by upwards of one hundred black fellows, and compelled to beat a retreat, leaving the drays and their contents to their fate. Upon obtaining a reinforcement and repairing to the spot, the whole of the lading of the teams was found scattered about, and a quantity of flour, tea, sugar, tobacco, wine, sheep-shears, wool-bags, &c, taken away into the scrub. Five days previous to this occurrence the blacks attacked a station of Mr. M'Connell, killed a man, and drove off a flock of sheep, but being hotly pursued by an armed force, they were compelled to abandon their prize, after killing sixteen fat wethers, which were also capturedf anfi brought back to the station. The squatters^ind others in the vicinity of these outrages at length, finding matters were getting to 6uch an alarming height, deemed it advisable to call a meeting of their brother squatters, and at the same time send to Brisbane for such assistance as the Government could afford. Dr. Simpson and Mr. Rallstone, the two commissioners of crown lands, were, with their usual promptitude, immediately at the scene of outrage, and were speedily joined by Lieutenant Johnstone, with ten rank and file of her Majesty's 99th Regiment ; these, with the mounted police force and a strong body of settlers and their servants armed, were immediately led out to scour the scrub, which in that part of the country is very dense; and I am happy to say so well were matters arranged that their hitherto inaccessible stronghold, the Rosewood Scrub, was penetrated, their camp stormed, and nearly the whole of the lost property recovered. An immense number of tomahawks, wad dies, spears, and other offensive weapons were also taken, and, as a matter of course, brought away. Some of the ringleaders (amongst the rest the notorious Jackey Jackey, Peter, and other aborigines, whs, were concerned in the murder of Mr. Moore's child, at Limestone) have, I believe, fallen victims to the vengeance of the white man. To prevent a recurrence of such robberies in future, it has been deemed advisable to station half-a-dozen soldiers at the Rocky Waterhole, at the foot of the Main Range, to escort such drays as may arrive at that part of the road, over the mountains every Monday. I am inclined to think the lesson now taught them will banish them from that particular part of the country for some time to come ; at the same time it behoves all squatters and others throughout the entire district to be on their guard, as, although beaten in this particular instance, they are too numerous to be for ever intimidated.

October 7. — The steamer having remained until 'this day, admits of me communicating to you another attack made by the blacks upon Mr. M'Dougall's sheep station, only a few miles from Limestone. It appears they assembled in the neighbourhood to the amount of some scores, and then went in a body to the head station, and ordered the occupants of the huts to be off, as it was their ground; they then commenced plundering the huts, carrying off about 15cw(l of flour, and stores and valuables of every description, and what they could not take away they destroyed. The white people were compelled to witness the destruction of their, property, their numbers being too small to.jffve any reasonable hope that they could sucqged in beating them off, if they attempted to resist their proceedings. That the various tribes of aboriginals throughout the district are assembling at all quarters for a great pullen puUen (fight) is well known, but whether the white population are the party to be attacked a short time will show; but, as I said before, the settlers must have an eye upon their movements, as it plainly appears there is no dependence to be placed upon their good faith, for they will one week visit a station on the most friendly terms, and the next drive off a flock of sheep, and, if possible, murder their shepherds.

While some workmen were employed in Bong Quarry, near Stevenson, Ayrshire, they, on breaking up a piece of rock, found an antediluvian toad embedded in the mass. On being released from its prison-house it lay motionless for several minutes, but eventually became animated, and at present is quite lively. It is very large, and somewhat different in appearance from the common toad.