a complete account of the settlement-第21章

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s　remains　adhering　to　the　ribs。　　Some　pieces　of　stone；　which　had　dropped　from　the　spear　were　seen；　but　no　barb　of　wood。

＇*From　the　aversion　uniformly　shown　by　all　the　natives　to　this　unhappy　man；　he　had　long　been　suspected　by　us　of　having　in　his　excursions；　shot　and　injured　them。　　To　gain　information　on　this　head　from　him；　the　moment　of　contrition　was　seized。　　On　being　questioned　with　great　seriousness；　he；　however；　declared　that　he　had　never　fired　but　once　on　a　native；　and　then　had　not　killed；　but　severely　wounded　him　and　this　in　his　own　defence。　　Notwithstanding　this　death…bed　confession；　most　people　doubted　the　truth　of　the　relation；　from　his　general　character　and　other　circumstances。＇

The　governor　was　at　Rose…hill　when　this　accident　happened。　　On　the　day　after　he　returned　to　Sydney；　the　following　order　was　issued：


Several　tribes　of　the　natives　still　continuing　to　throw　spears　at　any　man　they　meet　unarmed；　by　which　several　have　been　killed；　or　dangerously　wounded；　the　governor；　in　order　to　deter　the　natives　from　such　practices　in　future；　has　ordered　out　a　party　to　search　for　the　man　who　wounded　the　convict　McEntire；　in　so　dangerous　a　manner　on　Friday　last；　though　no　offence　was　offered　on　his　part；　in　order　to　make　a　signal　example　of　that　tribe。　　At　the　same　time；　the　governor　strictly　forbids；　under　penalty　of　the　severest　punishment；　any　soldier　or　other　person；　not　expressly　ordered　out　for　that　purpose；　ever　to　fire　on　any　native　except　in　his　own　defence；　or　to　molest　him　in　any　shape；　or　to　bring　away　any　spears；　or　other　articles　which　they　may　find　belonging　to　those　people。　　The　natives　will　be　made　severe　examples　of　whenever　any　man　is　wounded　by　them；　but　this　will　be　done　in　a　manner　which　may　satisfy　them　that　it　is　a　punishment　inflicted　on　them　for　their　own　bad　conduct；　and　of　which　they　cannot　be　made　sensible　if　they　are　not　treated　with　kindness　while　they　continue　peaceable　and　quiet。

A　party；　consisting　of　two　captains；　two　subalterns；　and　forty　privates；　with　a　proper　number　of　non…commissioned　officers　from　the　garrison；　with　three　days　provisions；　etc。　are　to　be　ready　to　march　to…morrow　morning　at　day…light；　in　order　to　bring　in　six　of　those　natives　who　reside　near　the　head　of　Botany　Bay；　or；　if　that　should　be　found　impracticable；　to　put　that　number　to　death。


Just　previous　to　this　order　being　issued；　the　author　of　this　publication　received　a　direction　to　attend　the　governor　at　head　quarters　immediately。　I　went；　and　his　excellency　informed　me　that　he　had　pitched　upon　me　to　execute　the　foregoing　command。　　He　added　that　the　two　subalterns　who　were　to　be　drawn　from　the　marine　corps；　should　be　chosen　by　myself；　that　the　sergeant　and　the　two　convicts　who　were　with　McEntire；　should　attend　as　guides；　that　we　were　to　proceed　to　the　peninsula　at　the　head　of　Botany　Bay；　and　thence；　or　from　any　part　of　the　north　arm　of　the　bay；　we　were；　if　practicable；　to　bring　away　two　natives　as　prisoners；　and　to　put　to　death　ten；　that　we　were　to　destroy　all　weapons　of　war　but　nothing　else；　that　no　hut　was　to　be　burned；　that　all　women　and　children　were　to　remain　uninjured；　not　being　comprehended　within　the　scope　of　the　order；　that　our　operations　were　to　be　directed　either　by　surprise　or　open　force；　that　after　we　had　made　any　prisoners；　all　communication；　even　with　those　natives　with　whom　we　were　in　habits　of　intercourse；　was　to　be　avoided；　and　none　of　them　suffered　to　approach　us。　That　we　were　to　cut　off　and　bring　in　the　heads　of　the　slain；　for　which　purpose　hatchets　and　bags　would　be　furnished。　　And　finally；　that　no　signal　of　amity　or　invitation　should　be　used　in　order　to　allure　them　to　us；　or　if　made　on　their　part；　to　be　answered　by　us：　　for　that　such　conduct　would　be　not　only　present　treachery；　but　give　them　reason　to　distrust　every　future　mark　of　peace　and　friendship　on　our　part。

His　excellency　was　now　pleased　to　enter　into　the　reasons　which　had　induced　him　to　adopt　measures　of　such　severity。　　He　said　that　since　our　arrival　in　the　country；　no　less　than　seventeen　of　our　people　had　either　been　killed　or　wounded　by　the　natives；　that　he　looked　upon　the　tribe　known　by　the　name　of　Bideegal；　living　on　the　beforementioned　peninsula；　and　chiefly　on　the　north　arm　of　Botany　Bay；　to　be　the　principal　aggressors；　　that　against　this　tribe　he　was　determined　to　strike　a　decisive　blow；　in　order；　at　once　to　convince　them　of　our　superiority　and　to　infuse　an　universal　terror；　which　might　operate　to　prevent　farther　mischief。　　That　his　observations　on　the　natives　had　led　him　to　conclude　that　although　they　did　not　fear　death　individually；　yet　that　the　relative　weight　and　importance　of　the　different　tribes　appeared　to　be　the　highest　object　of　their　estimation；　as　each　tribe　deemed　its　strength　and　security　to　consist　wholly　in　its　powers；　aggregately　considered。　That　his　motive　for　having　so　long　delayed　to　use　violent　measures　had　arisen　from　believing；　that　in　every　former　instance　of　hostility；　they　had　acted　either　from　having　received　injury；　or　from　misapprehension。

〃To　the　latter　of　these　causes；〃　added　he；　〃I　attribute　my　own　wound；　but　in　this　business　of　McEntire；　I　am　fully　persuaded　that　they　were　unprovoked；　and　the　barbarity　of　their　conduct　admits　of　no　extenuation；　for　I　have　separately　examined　the　sergeant；　of　whose　veracity　I　have　the　highest　opinion；　and　the　two　convicts；　and　their　story　is　short；　simple；　and　alike。　　I　have　in　vain　tried　to　stimulate　Baneelon；　Colbee；　and　the　other　natives　who　live　among　us；　to　bring　in　the　aggressor。　Yesterday；　indeed；　they　promised　me　to　do　it；　and　actually　went　away　as　if　bent　on　such　a　design；　but　Baneelon；　instead　of　directing　his　steps　to　Botany　Bay；　crossed　the　harbour　in　his　canoe；　in　order　to　draw　the　foreteeth　of　some　of　the　young　men；　and　Colbee；　in　the　room　of　fulfilling　his　engagement；　is　loitering　about　the　lookout　house。　　Nay；　so　far　from　wishing　even　to　describe　faithfully　the　person　of　the　man　who　has　thrown　the　spear；　they　pretended　that　he　has　a　distorted　foot；　which　is　a　palpable　falsehood。　So　that　we　have　our　efforts　only　to　depend　upon；　and　I　am　resolved　to　execute　the　prisoners　who　may　be　brought　in；　in　the　most　public　and　exemplary　manner；　in　the　presence　of　as　many　of　their　countrymen　as　can　be　collected；　after　having　explained　the　cause　of　such　a　punishment；　and　my　fixed　determination　to　repeat　it；　whenever　any　future　breach　of　good　conduct　on　their　side　shall　render　it　necessary。〃

Here　the　governor　stopped；　and　addressing　himself　to　me；　said　if　I　could　propose　any　alteration　of　the　orders　under　which　I　was　to　act；　he　would　patiently　listen　to　me。　　Encouraged　by　this　condescension；　I　begged　leave　to　offer　for　consideration　whether；　instead　of　destroying　ten　persons；　the　capture　of　six　would　not　better　answer　all　the　purposes　for　which　the　expedition　was　to　be　undertaken；　as　out　of　this　number；　a　part　might　be　set　aside　for　retaliation；　and　the　rest；　at　a　proper　time；　liberated；　after　having　seen　the　fate　of　their　comrades　and　being　made　sensible　of　the　cause　of　their　own　detention。

This　scheme；　his　Excellency　was　pleased　instantly　to　adopt；　adding；　〃if　six　cannot　be　taken；　let　this　number　be　shot。　　Should　you；　however；　find　it　practicable　to　take　so　many；　I　will　hang　two　and　send　the　rest　to　Norfolk　Island　for　a　certain　period；　which　will　cause　their　countrymen　to　believe　that　we　have　dispatched　them　secretly。〃　　The　order　was　accordingly　altered　to　its　present　form；　and　I　took　my　leave　to　prepare；　after　being　again　cautioned　not　to　deceive　by　holding　signals　of　amity。

At　four　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　14th　we　marched　　The　detachment　consisted；　besides　myself；　of　Captain　Hill　of　the　New　South　Wales　Corps；　Lieutenants　Poulder　and　Dawes；　of　the　marines；　Mr。　Worgan　and　Mr。　Lowes；　surgeons；　three　sergeants；　three　corporals；　and　forty　private　soldiers；　provided　with　three　days　provisions；　ropes　to　bind　our　prisoners　with；　and　hatchets　and　bags　to　cut　off　and　contain　the　heads　of　the　slain。　By　nine　o'clock　this　terrific　procession　reached　the　peninsula　at　the　head　of　Botany　Bay；　but　after　having　walked　in　various　directions　until　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　without　seeing　a　native；　we　halted　for　the　night。

At　daylight　on　the　following　mor