a complete account of the settlement-第20章

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nt　to　the　hospital；　and　kill　her　there；　a　threat　which　the　governor　assured　him　if　he　offered　to　carry　into　execution　he　should　be　immediately　shot。　　Even　this　menace　he　treated　with　disdain。

To　place　the　refugees　in　security；　a　sentinel　was　ordered　to　take　post　at　the　door　of　the　house；　in　which　they　were　lodged。　　Nevertheless　they　attempted　to　get　away　in　the　night；　either　from　fear　that　we　were　not　able　to　protect　them；　or　some　appprehension　of　being　restrained　from　future　liberty。　　When　questioned　where　they　proposed　to　find　shelter；　they　said　they　would　go　to　the　Cameragal　tribe；　with　whom　they　should　be　safe。　On　the　following　morning；　Imeerawanyee*　joined　them；　and　expressed　strong　fears　of　Baneelon's　resentment。　　Soon　after　a　party　of　natives；　known　to　consist　of　Baneelon's　chosen　friends；　with　a　man　of　the　name　of　Bigon；　at　their　head；　boldly　entered　the　hospital　garden；　and　tried　to　carry　off　all　three　by　force。　They　were　driven　back　and　threatened；　to　which　their　leader　only　replied　by　contemptuous　insolence。

＇*This　good…tempered　lively　lad；　was　become　a　great　favourite　with　us；　and　almost　constantly　lived　at　the　governor's　house。　　He　had　clothes　made　up　for　him；　and　to　amuse　his　mind；　he　was　taught　to　wait　at　table。　One　day　a　lady；　Mrs。　McArthur；　wife　of　an　officer　of　the　garrison；　dined　there；　as　did　Nanbaree。　　This　latter；　anxious　that　his　countryman　should　appear　to　advantage　in　his　new　office；　gave　him　many　instructions；　strictly　charging　him；　among　other　things；　to　take　away　the　lady's　plate；　whenever　she　should　cross　her　knife　and　fork；　and　to　give　her　a　clean　one。　　This　Imeerawanyee　executed；　not　only　to　Mrs。　McArthur；　but　to　several　of　the　other　guests。　At　last　Nanbaree　crossed　his　knife　and　fork　with　great　gravity；　casting　a　glance　at　the　other；　who　looked　for　a　moment　with　cool　indifference　at　what　he　had　done；　and　then　turned　his　head　another　way。　　Stung　at　this　supercilious　treatment；　he　called　in　rage；　to　know　why　he　was　not　attended　to；　as　well　as　the　rest　of　the　company。　　But　Imeerawanyee　only　laughed；　nor　could　all　the　anger　and　reproaches　of　the　other　prevail　upon　him　to　do　that　for　one　of　his　countrymen；　which　he　cheerfully　continued　to　perform　to　every　other　person。＇

Baneelon　finding　he　could　not　succeed；　withdrew　himself　for　two　days。　At　length　he　made　his　appearance；　attended　only　by　his　wife。　　Unmindful　of　what　had　so　recently　happened；　he　marched　singly　up　to　the　governor's　house；　and　on　being　refused　admittance；　though　unarmed；　attempted　to　force　the　sentinel。　　The　soldier　spared　him；　but　the　guard　was　instantly　sent　for；　and　drawn　up　in　front　of　the　house；　not　that　their　co…operation　was　necessary；　but　that　their　appearance　might　terrify。　　His　ardour　now　cooled；　and　he　seemed　willing；　by　submission；　to　atone　for　his　misconduct。　　His　intrepid　disregard　of　personal　risk；　nay　of　life；　could　not　however；　but　gain　admiration；　though　it　led　us　to　predict；　that　this　Baneelon；　whom　imagination　had　fondly　pictured；　like　a　second　Omai；　the　gaze　of　a　court　and　the　scrutiny　of　the　curious；　would　perish　untimely；　the　victim　of　his　own　temerity。

To　encourage　his　present　disposition　of　mind；　and　to　try　if　feelings　of　compassion　towards　an　enemy；　could　be　exerted　by　an　Indian　warrior；　the　governor　ordered　him　to　be　taken　to　the　hospital；　that　he　might　see　the　victim　of　his　ferocity。　　He　complied　in　sullen　silence。　　When　about　to　enter　the　room　in　which　she　lay；　he　appeared　to　have　a　momentary　struggle　with　himself；　which　ended　his　resentment。　　He　spoke　to　her　with　kindness；　and　professed　sorrow　for　what　he　had　done；　and　promised　her　future　protection。　Barangaroo；　who　had　accompanied　him；　now　took　the　alarm：　　and　as　in　shunning　one　extreme　we　are　ever　likely　to　rush　into　another；　she　thought　him　perhaps　too　courteous　and　tender。　　Accordingly　she　began　to　revile　them　both　with　great　bitterness；　threw　stones　at　the　girl　and　attempted　to　beat　her　with　a　club。

Here　terminated　this　curious　history；　which　I　leave　to　the　reader's　speculation。　　Whether　human　sacrifices　of　prisoners　be　common　among　them　is　a　point　which　all　our　future　inquiry　never　completely　determined。　It　is　certain　that　no　second　instance　of　this　sort　was　ever　witnessed　by　us。




CHAPTER　XII。



Transactions　of　the　Colony　in　Part　of　December；　1790。


On　the　9th　of　the　month；　a　sergeant　of　marines；　with　three　convicts；　among　whom　was　McEntire；　the　governor's　gamekeeper　（the　person　of　whom　Baneelon　had；　on　former　occasions；　shown　so　much　dread　and　hatred）　went　out　on　a　shooting　party。　　Having　passed　the　north　arm　of　Botany　Bay；　they　proceeded　to　a　hut　formed　of　boughs；　which　had　been　lately　erected　on　this　peninsula；　for　the　accommodation　of　sportsmen　who　wished　to　continue　by　night　in　the　woods；　for；　as　the　kangaroos　in　the　day…time；　chiefly　keep　in　the　cover；　it　is　customary　on　these　parties　to　sleep　until　near　sunset；　and　watch　for　the　game　during　the　night；　and　in　the　early　part　of　the　morning。　Accordingly；　having　lighted　a　fire；　they　lay　down；　without　distrust　or　suspicion。

About　one　o'clock；　the　sergeant　was　awakened　by　a　rustling　noise　in　the　bushes　near　him；　and　supposing　it　to　proceed　from　a　kangaroo；　called　to　his　comrades；　who　instantly　jumped　up。　　On　looking　about　more　narrowly；　they　saw　two　natives　with　spears　in　their　hands；　creeping　towards　them；　and　three　others　a　little　farther　behind。　　As　this　naturally　created　alarm；　McEntire　said；　〃don't　be　afraid；　I　know　them；〃　and　immediately　laying　down　his　gun；　stepped　forward；　and　spoke　to　them　in　their　own　language。　　The　Indians；　finding　they　were　discovered；　kept　slowly　retreating；　and　McEntire　accompanied　them　about　a　hundred　yards；　talking　familiarly　all　the　while。

One　of　them　now　jumped　on　a　fallen　tree　and；　without　giving　the　least　warning　of　his　intention；　launched　his　spear　at　McEntire　and　lodged　it　in　his　left　side。　　The　person　who　committed　this　wanton　act　was　described　as　a　young　man　with　a　speck　or　blemish　on　his　left　eye　　That　he　had　been　lately　among　us　was　evident　from　his　being　newly　shaved。

The　wounded　man　immediately　drew　back　and；　joining　his　party；　cried；　〃I　am　a　dead　man〃。　　While　one　broke　off　the　end　of　the　spear；　the　other　two　set　out　with　their　guns　in　pursuit　of　the　natives；　but　their　swiftness　of　foot　soon　convinced　our　people　of　the　impossibility　of　reaching　them。　　It　was　now　determined　to　attempt　to　carry　McEntire　home；　as　his　death　was　apprehended　to　be　near；　and　he　expressed　a　longing　desire　not　to　be　left　to　expire　in　the　woods。　　Being　an　uncommonly　robust　muscular　man；　notwithstanding　a　great　effusion　of　blood；　he　was　able；　with　the　assistance　of　his　comrades；　to　creep　slowly　along；　and　reached　Sydney　about　two　o'clock　the　next　morning。　On　the　wound　being　examined　by　the　surgeons；　it　was　pronounced　mortal。　The　poor　wretch　now　began　to　utter　the　most　dreadful　exclamations；　and　to　accuse　himself　of　the　commission　of　crimes　of　the　deepest　dye；　accompanied　with　such　expressions　of　his　despair　of　God's　mercy；　as　are　too　terrible　to　repeat。

In　the　course　of　the　day；　Colbee；　and　several　more　natives　came　in；　and　were　taken　to　the　bed　where　the　wounded　man　lay。　　Their　behaviour　indicated　that　they　had　already　heard　of　the　accident；　as　they　repeated　twice　or　thrice　the　name　of　the　murderer　Pimelwi；　saying　that　he　lived　at　Botany　Bay。　To　gain　knowledge　of　their　treatment　of　similar　wounds；　one　of　the　surgeons　made　signs　of　extracting　the　spear；　but　this　they　violently　opposed；　and　said；　if　it　were　done；　death　would　instantly　follow。

On　the　12th；　the　extraction　of　the　spear　was；　however；　judged　practicable；　and　was　accordingly　performed。　　That　part　of　it　which　had　penetrated　the　body　measured　seven　inches　and　a　half　long；　having　on　it　a　wooden　barb；　and　several　smaller　ones　of　stone；　fastened　on　with　yellow　gum；　most　of　which；　owing　to　the　force　necessary　in　extraction；　were　torn　off　and　lodged　in　the　patient。　　The　spear　had　passed　between　two　ribs；　and　had　wounded　the　left　lobe　of　the　lungs。　　He　lingered*　until　the　20th　of　January；　and　then　expired。　　On　opening　the　corpse；　it　was　found　that　the　left　lung　had　perished　from　suppuration；　its　remains　adhering　to　the　ribs。　　Some　pieces　of　stone；　which　had　dropped　from　the　spear　were　seen；　b