Correspondents, to whom emigration is a subject of vital
importance—inasmuch as they appear to be resolved to leave kindred and
home for “pastures new”—have written to us, with a hope that we will
continue to give, as we have done hitherto, the dark as well as the
light side of the Colonial picture. Not a few of the dangers and
privations of Australian life we have already laid before them. We now
are enabled to furnish some idea of how new localities are colonised, by
such enterprising pioneers as the author of the letters from which we
take the following extracts.
It must be remarked, that the perils he describes were self-sought, and
are by no means incidental to the career of an ordinary emigrant. His
adventures occurred beyond the limits of the colony as defined by the
British Government which, it would appear, he was in some degree
instrumental in extending.
We give the “round unvarnished tale” precisely as we received it, and as
it was communicated by the author to a relative in Cheshire:—
When we separated from our partner, Mr. W., it became necessary to look
for stations outside the limits of the colony, for the only station we
then possessed was much too small for our stock. R. and I first took the
stock up to the station on the Murray, and having heard that a fine
district of country had just been discovered on the Edward, we followed
it down and discovered our present runs, and, I must say, they are
equal—for grazing purposes, at least—to anything I have seen in the
colony. It was necessary that one of us should remain at our station on
the Murray, and R. very kindly gave me the option of either remaining or
going down the Edward. I preferred going and forming new stations on the
Edward, while he agreed to continue where he was, which indeed he
preferred. I therefore lost no time in removing the stock before the
winter rains should set in, and the waters rise to an unnatural height,
which the rivers down here invariably do at this period of the year,
overflowing their banks, in places, for miles. It was too late,—for just
as we started it commenced raining, and continued, without ceasing, for
a month. It was with the greatest difficulty we got down, as, from
continued exposure to wet, and what with driving the cattle by day and
watching them by night, we were, as you may suppose, so completely
fagged, as to be almost “_hors de service_.” But there is an end to
everything,—in this world at least,—and so there was to our journey. It
excited in me at the time, I well recollect, strange and indescribable
sensations, as I rode over the runs, exploring the different nooks and
crannies all so lonely and still, with not a sound to be heard, save now
and then the wild shriek of the native Companion (a large bird), or the
howl of the native dog, or the still more thrilling yell of the black
native, announcing to others the arrival of white men.
We were now about fifty miles from any other white habitation, about six
hundred from Sydney, and two hundred from Melbourne. The country down
here is almost a dead level,—not a single hill to be seen, unless you
choose to honour with the name a few miserable mounds of sand which rise
to an elevation of some twenty or thirty feet. The plains are very
extensive; there is one which extends from our door right across to the
Murrum-bridge, a distance of sixty-five miles, with scarcely a tree on
it.
The Murray—of which the Edward is a branch—takes its rise in the
Australian Alps, and is supplied by springs and snow from these. Some of
the highest mountains of this range retain perpetual snow on their
summits, but on the lesser ones it melts about the beginning of spring,
causing great floods in the Murray and Edward, and our runs, being
particularly low, are flooded from one to three miles on either side of
the river. It is necessary to state this, to enable you to understand
the “secrets I am about to unfold.” We had built one hut on the south
side (ycleped Barratta), but before we could get one up on the south
side (Wirrai), the floods came, and I was obliged to substitute a bark
one instead. I divided the cattle into two herds, and put a steady
stock-keeper, along with a hutkeeper, in charge of one herd on the
Wirrai station, while I, with a hutkeeper and another man (we were only
five altogether) looked after the other on this side. We were badly
supplied with arms and ammunition, and by no means prepared to fight a
strong battle should the Blacks be inclined for mischief. The natives
did not show up at the huts for two or three weeks after our arrival,
but kept reconnoitring at a distance, and we could sometimes see them
gliding stealthily among the trees not far off us. By degrees, two or
three of them came up and made friends, and then more and more, until we
had seen from forty to fifty of them, but it was remarkable that only
old men, boys, and women showed themselves, and none of the warriors.
Although I had heard that kindness was of no avail, I never could be
brought to believe it, and determined, therefore, to do all in my power
to propitiate them by trifling gifts, kind treatment, and avoiding
everything that could hurt their feelings. It was of no use; no
kindness—nothing, in fact—will teach them the law of _meum_ and _tuum_
but the white man’s gun and his superior courage. We had been down about
three months, the waters were at their highest, and our huts on both
sides of the river were surrounded by water, through which we had to
wade every morning to look after the cattle. I was obliged to put the
huts within hearing of gunshot, on account of mutual protection, for
what, after all, are two or three men alone, without a chance of
assistance, against a body of two or three hundred black warriors,
painted and armed, as I have seen them, in all the panoply of savage
warfare.
We had not seen a single Black for nearly six weeks, for, as I
afterwards learned, they had all gone over to a station on the Murray,
about fifty miles from us, where they succeeded in driving the whites
out after killing one man, and from three to four hundred head of
cattle, without the slightest check or resistance; and having brought
their work to a conclusion there, and emboldened by the success of their
expedition, they now turned their eyes towards us, and gathering both
numbers and courage, came pouring down on our devoted station. We had
heard nothing of these depredations then, and were therefore quite
unprepared for them. One day about twenty Blacks come up to the huts for
the purpose, I suppose, of reconnoitring the nakedness of the land, and
we killed for them a bullock, thinking thereby to propitiate them. In
this, however, I was most woefully mistaken, for before they had half
finished it, they went among the cattle on both sides of the river, and
by next morning there was not a single head left within forty miles,
with the exception of a few they had killed at either station. The
Wirrai stock-keeper went on the tracks of his herd, and I followed those
of mine, and by a week’s time we had recovered the greatest part of
both, but there were spears sticking in the sides of many of them, which
wanton piece of cruelty occasioned several deaths in a short time. Not
being strong enough to punish the Blacks, and unwilling to begin a
quarrel which might cause loss of life perhaps on both sides, and still
hoping that they would cease their depredations, I contented myself with
giving them to understand that, if they attempted in future to touch
either man or beast among us, they should be severely punished; they
said it was not them but some _Wild Blacks_, an excuse they always make
when they steal. In a fortnight afterwards, however, they acted the same
play over again; and again we had the same trouble in recovering the
cattle. They did not show after this except at a respectable distance,
when it would be with a flourish of spears, or a wave of their
tomahawks, accompanied with gesticulations of anything but a friendly
character. Still I did not believe that they would attempt our lives,
until I very nearly paid with mine the forfeit of my incredulity. I
should mention that the communication with the Wirrai station was, at
this time, carried on by means of bark canoes, which we paddled with
long poles; the distance by water was about three miles, and by land
straight across, a mile and a half.
One day I had gone over to Wirrai in a canoe, to see how the stockman
was getting on, and on my return was humming a tune and thinking of you,
dear William (for I was humming your old favorite “Flow on, thou shining
River”), when I fancied I heard a slight noise: I stopped and listened,
but could hear nothing; I went a little further and heard it again; I
stopped again and peered about the bank, when suddenly about twenty
Blacks sprung up from behind trees, and reeds, and long grass, only one
of whom I had ever seen before; I was about fifty yards from the nearest
of them, and just at the entrance of a creek about ten yards wide, lined
on both sides with thick reeds. When they first appeared they did not
show any weapons, and spoke in a friendly strain; “Budgery Master always
gibit bullock along im Black fellow,” asked if I wanted any fish? As I
had a good double-barrel gun on my knees I did not so much care about
them, but not exactly liking their appearance I stopped at about thirty
yards. The Blacks by this time were jabbering to more down the creek,
and I could see that the one side was lined with them. Seeing that I
would not come any nearer, they suddenly picked up their spears and
altered their tone, and began calling all sorts of names, and threatened
to break my head with their “Nella nellas” (clubs). Quick as lightning
they shipped their spears, but not quicker than I levelled my gun; the
instant they saw which (they have a great respect for powder,) they
betook themselves behind trees, and, in truth, I thought it best to
follow their example; so, keeping the gun to my shoulder the while, I
began as well as I could to paddle the canoe with one hand; perceiving
my object, they stood out to thwart it, and I knowing that if they sent
their spears, though none of them should hit me, they must inevitably
shiver the canoe to pieces, determined to get on terra firma as quickly
as possible, the water being only knee deep. In stepping out I
unfortunately got into a stump-hole, and the next moment was soused over
head and ears in water! This was decidedly unpleasant, and for the first
time a thrill of fear came over me; however, I jumped up again, and
having been very particular in loading my gun, I thought it might still
go off. By this time the Blacks had gathered in great numbers on the
other side of the creek and were pressing on in a body; seeing this I
now levelled my piece, and took as deliberate an aim as I could at the
foremost of them (a huge brute, for whose capture a hundred pounds
reward had been offered by Government for a murder committed by him on
the Murrum-bridge), but the gun hung fire and the ball dropped into the
water. Finding that there was no dependence to be placed in the gun, the
only course left me was to retreat, and to attempt this I now resolved;
taking courage at this, a number of them jumped into the water, again I
faced them, and again they took to trees—are they not rank cowards? I
was beginning to think that my only chance was to take to my legs—which
indeed would have been almost certain death—when at this crisis I was,
as you may imagine, agreeably surprised by the welcome “Halloo” of the
stockman and hutkeeper, who, having heard the report of the gun and the
yells of the savages, knew that something was up, and arrived at the
nick of time to my rescue. After giving me some dry ammunition we made a
rush after them, but could not overtake the black legs which were now
plying at a particularly nimble rate, and which they especially do when
getting out of the reach of a gun. This was the first attempt they had
made on any of our lives, and their manœuvres showed that they were
under the impression that, if they could “_do for_” the master, they
might easily finish the men. But I made it a rule that never less than
two were to go out on foot or in canoes, and with never less than twenty
rounds of ball cartridge. We did not see anything of the Blacks for a
fortnight after this, during which interval, as they afterwards told us,
they were preparing for a grand attack on the Wirrai station.
About two hours before sundown the following day the stockman went out,
as usual, to see that the cattle were safe. The Wirrai hut, I should
mention, was at this time on a kind of island about a mile and a half in
diameter, formed by the Wirrai Lagoon and a deep creek,—so that the
cattle were feeding almost within sight of the hut. All was quiet; the
cattle did not seem to betray any symptoms of fear, which they generally
will do when the Blacks are near. He had not returned more than half an
hour, when we saw the poor beasts coming rushing towards the hut—as if
for protection—as hard as they could lay legs to the ground. On going
among them, we found many with spears sticking in their bodies. We
immediately mounted horses—(I bareback, as I had left my saddle at
Barratta)—and gallopped as hard as we could in the direction the cattle
had come from for about a mile, when, not seeing anything, we stopped
and listened. There was a small, dense shrub before us, and, as we
approached it, the awful yell that greeted our ears I shall not forget
in a hurry. You can have no idea of the effect it has on one
unaccustomed to the sound, for it is like nothing earthly that I can
compare it to, but more like what one might imagine a lot of fiends
would set up while performing their jubilee over the soul of some
defunct mortal lately arrived at the “prison-house.” We gallopped
through the shrub. Before us was a space bounded by two creeks, forming
at their junction an angle on the plain beyond. Arranged in a semicircle
in this space were some two hundred warriors, painted and armed, and
drawn up in battle array. Between us and them four or five bullocks were
writhing in their death agony, while the other side of the creek, beyond
the warriors, was black with old men, women, and children looking on,
and yelling at a most fearful rate. We gallopped within gunshot, and I
then ordered the stockman to fire on them—(I had no gun myself, and had
enough to do to sit the young spirited horse I was on), but he refused,
saying that my horse would be sure to throw me, and that nothing then
could save me from certain death. By this time the Blacks were trying to
surround us, so as to hem us in between themselves and the creek, and
cut off our retreat to the hut where we had left the hutkeeper in
charge, and we soon found it necessary to put our horses into a
gallop—they following at our heels—in order to get there in time enough
to prepare for a defence. It was their intention, as they afterwards
kindly informed us, to have killed every man jack of us. We had just got
everything ready, when on they came yelling like so many fiends. We
stood out from the hut awaiting their onset. Although the odds against
us, as regarded numbers, was fearful, I was confident that if we could
only make sure of three or four of the foremost of them, it would go far
to intimidate the rest; so, as soon as they came within range of our
guns, we gave them three rounds, which, however, only wounded one of
them; still it made the others check their paces and hesitate awhile,
seeing especially that we were determined to sell our lives dearly at
this crisis; they betook themselves behind trees, protected by which
they crept nearer and nearer to us, we taking every opportunity of
firing, but with small effect. It being now nearly dark, we were obliged
to take to the hut, and defend ourselves there as best we could. When
inside, they threw a great many spears through the tarpaulin, very
fortunately with no other effect than that of one of them just grazing
my head. This kind of siege was carried on about four hours, we firing a
shot now and then when we thought we could perceive the dim outline of
one of them gliding through the dark, and they sending an occasional
spear, and giving a yell. What we most feared was their making an
attempt to set the hut on fire, for if successful in this (and the day
having been very warm, our tarpaulin would have burned like so much
paper) it would have been all up with us.
We had almost given up all hopes of life, and a sort of stubborn, dogged
desperation seized me such as I never before felt, and such as I trust I
never may again feel. We were reduced to nearly a dozen rounds of
ammunition which we resolved to save for the rush. About midnight I was
horribly startled by the stock-keeper announcing that on his side of the
hut (we each of us guarded one side) he thought he could distinguish a
fire-stick at some distance, and, on looking, we could plainly perceive
it approaching nearer and nearer, until it came within what we
considered safe gunshot, when I told the stockman, who was the best
shot, to take good aim. He fired, and the fire-stick dropped on the
ground. A good deal of yelling followed, but they did not again venture
to show fire.
Everything after an hour remained quiet; the cattle had long since been
rushed off the island, and the Blacks, we supposed, had gone to rest,
preparatory to an attack at daybreak. Towards dawn, being faint and weak
through anxiety and fasting,—for we had had nothing for twenty-four
hours,—we determined on having some tea; but before it could be got
ready we again heard the Blacks yelling most furiously. The stockman and
hutkeeper thereupon gave it as their opinion, that our only hope of
escape was in immediately quitting the hut, and attempting, if possible,
to get across to Barratta; so, instantly decamping, we crossed the
lagoon in a canoe, which we then dragged across a few hundred yards of
land to the river. This we also quickly crossed. Just as we reached the
Barratta bank, we heard a most awful hullabaloo at Wirrai, in which
noises our friends the Blacks were giving vent to their feelings of
disgust and disappointment at not finding us at home. Before they could
overtake us, we were safe at Barratta. “To be continued in our next,” as
the Editors of periodicals often say.
In a Second Letter the Narrative is resumed.
I could see plainly depicted in the faces of the two men who were in
charge of the Barratta station, a considerable degree of suspicion as to
the extent of our courage in the Wirrai affair. They were both plucky
men, but their notions underwent a great change the next day. The day we
escaped, we heard nothing more of the natives, except now and then their
distant yells; so I sent up a man on horseback to the next station for
assistance, to help us to find and recover the cattle. But the
superintendent either would not or could not give us any, although all
his servants, to a man, volunteered to go. I was obliged, therefore, to
allow my four men to proceed alone. I think I mentioned that I had
burned my foot very severely, and by this time, from the work I had had
to undergo, I was in great agony from it. But I offered the men, if any
one of them objected to it, he could remain in the hut, and I would go
in his place. They all, however, readily agreed to go, for, in truth,
remaining behind was by far the most dangerous post, inasmuch as the
Blacks, from their numbers, could easily circumvent the men, or keep
them at bay, while they attacked the hut, and I could have done little
myself, in the way of defence, with only an old lockless piece, to
discharge which it was necessary to use a fire-stick. Before they left,
the stockman took me aside, and, with much kindness, implored me
earnestly, for my own safety, to take a horse, and stop out on the
plain. He told me, at the same time, that he did not expect to come back
alive; “but,” said he, “it does not matter a straw what becomes of us,
for not one of us would be missed.” This disinterestedness struck me not
a little, as showing a high trait of fine feeling, coming as it did from
an old convict who had been transported for life, and had once been
condemned to be hanged. However, I resolved to take my chance in the
hut, and very glad I was that I did so afterwards, as I should have
looked very foolish, when my men returned, seated on a horse, and ready
to make a bolt. I had waited about an hour with my old gun and
fire-stick in hand, without hearing a sound to break the horrid
stillness which seemed at that particular time to reign paramount around
me, when a distant volley of gunshot burst upon my ear, and then a faint
volley of yells. In a short time the sounds were repeated; again and
again, but nearer and nearer, and more and more distinct, a shot or two
at a time, with horrible yells filling up the interlude until I could
distinguish my men retreating with an immense semicircle of natives
trying to encompass them and cut them off from the hut. My men retreated
to the water’s edge in capital order, and then faced round to the enemy,
for it would have been sure death to have attempted to cross in the face
of so many of the foe. After a good deal of skirmishing at this point, a
very old Black took a green bough, and standing a little out from the
rest, made a long harangue to the white men in his own language, which
of course was just so much Hebrew to them; but being anxious for a truce
they ceased firing. Another Black who could talk a little English now
came forward, and after a good deal of jabber, concluded a peace, one
condition of which was that they were to give up everything they had
taken from the Wirrai hut. Of course we well knew, or at least fully
expected, that this treaty was all hollow on their side, and like
lovers’ vows, made only to be broken; but the truth was, we were glad
enough to get a little respite even though for ever so short a time.
After restoring most of the things they had stolen, the Blacks drew off
in a body to the other side of the river.
The stockman informed me, that, when they started on their search, they
first crossed the river, and then made away over to the Collegian, where
they soon espied a few Blacks, apparently reconnoitring, who, when they
perceived the white men, made signals to other Blacks beyond them, and
who, in like manner, signalled others still further away: presently they
saw slowly approaching them a dense black body which the two men who had
not been at Wirrai the day before took to be the cattle they were in
search of, but which the more experienced stockman at once declared to
be a vast body of the Blacks. The two men at first laughed at this idea
as a good joke, but were soon confirmed as to its correctness, when they
changed their tone, and began to think it high time to return. On,
however, they came in a dense body, and when nearly within gunshot,
spread themselves out, or deployed—as our military brother would I
suppose call it—and pressing on in a large semicircle, endeavoured so to
manœuvre, as to cut off the escape of the retreating _army_ in the
direction of the hut as before related.
The truce, as we had anticipated, proved a very short one, as you will
presently see. The day following the above incidents, I sent the
stockman and another, to see after the surviving cattle which our black
friends informed us had got out of the island and gone across the
country to the Murray, which was true. The men had been gone about three
hours, when about a hundred of the warriors came up to the hut—without
their spears, but with plenty of tomahawks—pretending to be good
friends. I told the two men who were working outside, to keep a sharp
lookout, as I suspected their friendship was not of that description I
most coveted or admired; and being myself scarcely able to move, I sat
down in a corner of the hut by a table, with a gun close by me, a brace
of pistols in my belt, and another on the table. I told the Blacks to
keep outside the hut; but they, gradually edging their way in, soon
nearly filled it: and seeing that there was no chance of keeping them
out, except by proceeding to extremities, I contented myself with
watching their motions with all the coolness I could command. They began
talking very quietly at first, and I noticed the gentleman I mentioned
who could talk a little English, edging by little and little towards me,
sometimes talking to his companions and sometimes addressing me. I
pretended not to notice him particularly, though at the same
time—without looking directly at him—I could see his eyes rolling from
the direction of mine to the fire-arms like a revolving lamp. Soon the
jabbering became louder and louder (they were talking themselves into a
rage), and I thought I could hear the names of some of those who had
fallen, made use of. All the while the above-mentioned black fellow was
shuffling closer and closer to me, until i’ faith I thought it was high
time to act my part in the scene, or give up all thoughts of life. With
all the calmness I was master of, I took up a pistol from the table, and
taking my English friend by the arm, pointed it at his head, and told
him to order all his companions to quit the hut; he shook like an aspen
leaf, and turned as white as a Black well can, and ordered them to go
out, which they immediately did without a word; I then led him after
them, and bade them leave the place, and return to their camp, which
they likewise did.
I look upon that as about the narrowest escape I ever had; for the
Blacks have since told me that they were on the point of making a rush
upon us, when it was providentially stopped by the timely proceeding
mentioned. Had they done so, nothing of course could have saved us. Next
day three or four hundred of them passed the hut in dead silence; and
not one of them called. They were all fully armed and painted with red
ochre (their uniform for war), and I conjectured they were up to some
mischief, but what I could not tell.
In about a week we again had the pleasure of seeing them coming in great
numbers, and camping in an island about a mile off. From certain signs
which experience had taught us, we were well assured that they intended
making a grand attack upon our hut. I had no one living at Wirrai then;
and as there were only four of us at Barratta, viz., H., (who had just
arrived), myself and two men, (the two who had been sent after the
cattle, were still away,) and wishing to give the Blacks a severe
lesson, we sent to the next station for as many men as they could spare.
The man we sent had only just reached the station, when the Commissioner
of the district chanced also to arrive there. Now the Commissioner in
those days was a man of great authority; in fact, altogether more like a
little king, than any less lordly personage: so, instead of coming down
himself with his police to our assistance, he allowed the superintendent
to send six of his men, while he himself remained where he was “otium
cum” for in truth the old fellow—to say nothing of his love of ease, was
of old Falstaff’s opinion touching the advisable predominance of a
certain quality in the exercise of valour. The men arrived in great
silence at midnight, and the Blacks fortunately knew nothing of their
arrival; for if they had, they would have deferred their attack until a
more seasonable opportunity when we were not so well prepared for their
reception.
Daylight came, and in the distance we could see their dusky figures
crossing the lagoon to one side. They had only three canoes, so that it
was a considerable time before all were landed. They then gathered
together in a clump in dead silence, and held a council of war, thinking
themselves unobserved all the time. At sunrise they slowly approached,
and only those of us whom they expected to see showed out to them, and
without arms; they appeared to have no other arms than their tomahawks;
but every man of them was dragging a large jagged spear with their toes
through the long grass. When, by the way, one of these spears enters a
man’s body, it is impossible to get it out again, except by cutting the
flesh all round it, or pushing it right through to the other side. As
they advanced nearer, they spoke, and continued talking to us all the
time in the most friendly strains, until within about twenty yards; when
just as they (at a signal given by one of them) were stooping to pick up
their spears to make a rush, the men in the hut let drive through
loopholes right among them; and we all made a simultaneous rush, and put
them to rout in a manner that would have given the Old Duke intense
satisfaction had he been looking on. How many fell, I cannot say, as
they always try to drag their dead from the field, and all around us,
except on the water-side, was long grass and reeds; two were left dead,
and these we buried.
To detail all the skirmishes and the Parthian description of fighting
with the Blacks for the eighteen months which ensued, would only weary
you. Where, little more than three years ago, ours was the only station
in this direction, being five miles beyond any other, there are now
stations formed a hundred miles below us, and even ladies grace the
river forty miles down, one of them married to an old school-fellow of
ours, viz., Brougham, nephew of Lord Brougham. Among other diversions, I
have been employing myself in making a flower-garden, for independently
of my love of flowers, I think their contemplation, and engagement in
their cultivation, has a humanising, or, if you will, a civilising
effect on the mind, such as I can assure you we require in the Bush.