Transactions of the Colony in the Beginning of September, 1790.
The tremendous monster who had occasioned the unhappy catastrophe just
recorded was fated to be the cause of farther mischief to us.
On the 7th instant, Captain Nepean, of the New South Wales Corps, and Mr.
White, accompanied by little Nanbaree, and a party of men, went in a boat
to Manly Cove, intending to land there, and walk on to Broken Bay. On
drawing near the shore, a dead whale, in the most disgusting state of
putrefaction, was seen lying on the beach, and at least two hundred Indians
surrounding it, broiling the flesh on different fires, and feasting on
it with the most extravagant marks of greediness and rapture. As the boat
continued to approach, they were observed to fall into confusion and to
pick up their spears, on which our people lay upon their oars and Nanbaree
stepping forward, harangued them for some time, assuring them that we were
friends. Mr. White now called for Baneelon who, on hearing his name, came
forth, and entered into conversation. He was greatly emaciated, and so
far disfigured by a long beard, that our people not without difficulty
recognized their old acquaintance. His answering in broken English, and
inquiring for the governor, however, soon corrected their doubts. He seemed
quite friendly. And soon after Colbee came up, pointing to his leg, to show
that he had freed himself from the fetter which was upon him, when he had
escaped from us.
When Baneelon was told that the governor was not far off, he expressed
great joy, and declared that he would immediately go in search of him,
and if he found him not, would follow him to Sydney. "Have you brought any
hatchets with you?" cried he. Unluckily they had not any which they chose
to spare; but two or three shirts, some handkerchiefs, knives, and other
trifles, were given to them, and seemed to satisfy. Baneelon, willing
to instruct his countrymen, tried to put on a shirt, but managed it so
awkwardly, that a man of the name of M'Entire, the governor's gamekeeper,
was directed by Mr. White to assist him. This man, who was well known to
him, he positively forbade to approach, eyeing him ferociously, and with
every mark of horror and resentment. He was in consequence left to himself,
and the conversation proceeded as before. The length of his beard seemed
to annoy him much, and he expressed eager wishes to be shaved, asking
repeatedly for a razor. A pair of scissors was given to him, and he shewed
he had not forgotten how to use such an instrument, for he forthwith began
to clip his hair with it.
During this time, the women and children, to the number of more than fifty,
stood at a distance, and refused all invitations, which could be conveyed
by signs and gestures, to approach nearer. "Which of them is your old
favourite, Barangaroo, of whom you used to speak so often?"
"Oh," said he, "she is become the wife of Colbee! But I have got 'bulla
muree deein' (two large women) to compensate for her loss."
It was observed that he had received two wounds, in addition to his former
numerous ones, since he had left us; one of them from a spear, which had
passed through the fleshy part of his arm; and the other displayed itself
in a large scar above his left eye. They were both healed, and probably
were acquired in the conflict wherein he had asserted his pretensions to
the two ladies.
Nanbaree, all this while, though he continued to interrogate his
countrymen, and to interpret on both sides, shewed little desire to return
to their society, and stuck very close to his new friends. On being asked
the cause of their present meeting, Baneelon pointed to the whale, which
stunk immoderately, and Colbee made signals, that it was common among them
to cat until the stomach was so overladen as to occasion sickness.
Their demand of hatchets being re-iterated, notwithstanding our refusal,
they were asked why they had not brought with them some of their own? They
excused themselves by saying, that on an occasion of the present sort,
they always left them at home, and cut up the whale with the shell which is
affixed to the end of the throwing-stick.
Our party now thought it time to proceed on their original expedition, and
having taken leave of their sable friends, rowed to some distance, where
they landed, and set out for Broken Bay, ordering the coxswain of the boat,
in which they had come down, to go immediately and acquaint the governor
of all that had passed. When the natives saw that the boat was about to
depart, they crowded around her, and brought down, by way of present, three
or four great junks of the whale, and put them on board of her, the largest
of which, Baneelon expressly requested might be offered, in his name, to
the governor.
It happened that his excellency had this day gone to a landmark, which was
building on the South-head, near the flag-staff, to serve as a direction to
ships at sea, and the boat met him on his return to Sydney. Immediately on
receiving the intelligence, he hastened back to the South-head, and having
procured all the fire-arms which could be mustered there, consisting of
four muskets and a pistol, set out, attended by Mr. Collins and Lieutenant
Waterhouse of the navy.
When the boat reached Manly Cove, the natives were found still busily
employed around the whale. As they expressed not any consternation on
seeing us row to the beach, governor Phillip stepped out unarmed, and
attended by one seaman only, and called for Baneelon, who appeared,
but, notwithstanding his former eagerness, would not suffer the other
to approach him for several minutes. Gradually, however, he warmed
into friendship and frankness, and presently after Colbee came up. They
discoursed for some time, Baneelon expressing pleasure to see his old
acquaintance, and inquiring by name for every person whom he could
recollect at Sydney; and among others for a French cook, one of the
governor's servants, whom he had constantly made the butt of his ridicule,
by mimicking his voice, gait, and other peculiarities, all of which he
again went through with his wonted exactness and drollery. He asked also
particularly for a lady from whom he had once ventured to snatch a kiss;
and on being told that she was well, by way of proving that the token was
fresh in his remembrance, he kissed Lieutenant Waterhouse, and laughed
aloud. On his wounds being noticed, he coldly said, that he had received
them at Botany Bay, but went no farther into their history.
Hatchets still continued to be called for with redoubled eagerness,
which rather surprised us, as formerly they had always been accepted
with indifference. But Baneelon had probably demonstrated to them their
superiority over those of their own manufacturing. To appease their
importunity, the governor gave them a knife, some bread, pork, and other
articles, and promised that in two days he would return hither, and bring
with him hatchets to be distributed among them, which appeared to diffuse
general satisfaction.
Baneelon's love of wine has been mentioned; and the governor, to try
whether it still subsisted, uncorked a bottle, and poured out a glass of
it, which the other drank off with his former marks of relish and good
humour, giving for a toast, as he had been taught, "The King."
Our party now advanced from the beach but, perceiving many of the Indians
filing off to the right and left, so as in some measure to surround them,
they retreated gently to their old situation, which produced neither alarm
or offence. The others by degrees also resumed their former position. A
very fine barbed spear of uncommon size being seen by the governor, he
asked for it. But Baneelon, instead of complying with the request, took
it away, and laid it at some distance, and brought back a throwing-stick,
which he presented to his excellency.
Matters had proceeded in this friendly train for more than half an hour,
when a native, with a spear in his hand, came forward, and stopped at
the distance of between twenty and thirty yards from the place where the
governor, Mr. Collins, Lieutenant Waterhouse, and a seaman stood. His
excellency held out his hand, and called to him, advancing towards him at
the same time, Mr. Collins following close behind. He appeared to be a
man of middle age, short of stature, sturdy, and well set, seemingly a
stranger, and but little acquainted with Baneelon and Colbee. The nearer
the governor approached, the greater became the terror and agitation of the
Indian. To remove his fear, governor Phillip threw down a dirk, which
he wore at his side. The other, alarmed at the rattle of the dirk, and
probably misconstruing the action, instantly fixed his lance in his
throwing-stick*.
[*Such preparation is equal to what cocking a gun, and directing it at its
object, would be with us. To launch the spear, or to touch the trigger,
only remains.]
To retreat, his excellency now thought would be more dangerous than to
advance. He therefore cried out to the man, Weeeree, Weeree, (bad; you
are doing wrong) displaying at the same time, every token of amity and
confidence. The words had, however, hardly gone forth, when the Indian,
stepping back with one foot, aimed his lance with such force and dexterity,
that striking* the governor's right shoulder, just above the collar-bone,
the point glancing downward, came out at his back, having made a wound of
many inches long. The man was observed to keep his eye steadily fixed on
the lance until it struck its object, when he directly dashed into the
woods and was seen no more.
[*His excellency described the shock to me as similar to a violent blow,
with such energy was the weapon thrown.]
Instant confusion on both sides took place. Baneelon and Colbee disappeared
and several spears were thrown from different quarters, though without
effect. Our party retreated as fast as they could, calling to those
who were left in the boat, to hasten up with firearms. A situation more
distressing than that of the governor, during the time that this lasted,
cannot readily be conceived: the pole of the spear, not less than ten
feet in length, sticking out before him, and impeding his flight, the butt
frequently striking the ground, and lacerating the wound. In vain did Mr.
Waterhouse try to break it; and the barb, which appeared on the other side,
forbade extraction, until that could be performed. At length it was broken,
and his excellency reached the boat, by which time the seamen with the
muskets had got up, and were endeavouring to fire them, but one only would
go off, and there is no room to believe that it was attended with any
execution.
When the governor got home, the wound was examined. It had bled a good deal
in the boat, and it was doubtful whether the subclavian artery might not
be divided. On moving the spear, it was found, however, that it might be
safely extracted, which was accordingly performed.
Apprehension for the safety of the party who had gone to Broken Bay, now
took place. Lieutenant Long, with a detachment of marines, was immediately
sent to escort them back, lest any ambush might be laid by the natives to
cut them off. When Mr. Long reached Manly Cove, the sun had set; however,
he pursued his way in the dark, scrambling over rocks and thickets, as well
as he could, until two o'clock on the following morning, when he overtook
them at a place where they had halted to sleep, about half-way between the
two harbours.
At day-break they all returned, and were surprised to find tracks in the
sand of the feet of the Indians, almost the whole way from the place where
they had slept to the Cove. By this it should seem as if these last
had secretly followed them, probably with hostile intentions but, on
discovering their strength, and that they were on their guard, had
abandoned their design.
On reaching Manly Cove, three Indians were observed standing on a rock,
with whom they entered into conversation. The Indians informed them, that
the man who had wounded the governor belonged to a tribe residing at Broken
Bay, and they seemed highly to condemn what he had done. Our gentlemen
asked them for a spear, which they immediately gave. The boat's crew said
that Baneelon and Colbee had just departed, after a friendly intercourse.
Like the others, they had pretended highly to disapprove the conduct of the
man who had thrown the spear, vowing to execute vengeance upon him.
From this time, until the 14th, no communication passed between the natives
and us. On that day, the chaplain and lieutenant Dawes, having Abaroo with
them in a boat, learned from two Indians that Wileemarin was the name of
the person who had wounded the governor. These two people inquired kindly
how his excellency did, and seemed pleased to hear that he was likely to
recover. They said that they were inhabitants of Rose Hill, and expressed
great dissatisfaction at the number of white men who had settled in their
former territories. In consequence of which declaration, the detachment at
that post was reinforced on the following day.
A hazardous enterprise (but when liberty is the stake, what enterprise is
too hazardous for its attainment!) was undertaken in this month by five
convicts at Rose Hill, who, in the night, seized a small punt there, and
proceeded in her to the South Head, whence they seized and carried off a
boat, appropriated to the use of the lookout house, and put to sea in
her, doubtless with a view of reaching any port they could arrive at, and
asserting their freedom. They had all come out in the last fleet; and for
some time previous to their elopement, had been collecting fishing tackle,
and hoarding up provisions, to enable them to put their scheme into
execution*.
[*They have never since been heard of. Before they went away, they tried in
vain to procure firearms. If they were not swallowed by the sea, probably
they were cut off by the natives, on some part of the coast where their
necessities obliged them to land.]