 28 It seemed incredible to the first settlers in North Gippsland that their new Punjab, the land of the five rivers, which emptied their waters into immense lakes, should communicate with the sea by no channel suitable for ships, and an expedition was organised to endeavour to find an outlet. Macmillan had two boats at his station at Bushey Park, but he had no sails, so he engaged Davey, a sailmaker and chief navigator on the intended voyage. The two men rode together from the old port up the track over Tom's Cap, and shot two pigeons by the way, which was fortunate for when they arrived at Kilmanny Park William Pearson was absent, and his men were found to be living under a discipline so strict that his stockkeeper, Jimmy Rental, had no meat and dared not kill any without orders. So Macmillan and Davey fried the pigeons and ate one each for supper. Next morning they shot some ducks for breakfast and then proceeded on their journey. They called at Muburn Park, arrived at Bushey Park, Macmillan's own station, and Davey began making the sails the same evening. Next morning he crossed the river in a canoe, made out of a hollow log, to Boysdale, Lachlan-McAllister Station, and went to the milking yard. The management was similar to that of the Danther at Greenmount. Eleven men and women were milked in about one hundred and fifty cows, superintended by nine highlanders, who were sitting on the top rails, discoursing in Gaelic. One of them was Jock MacDonald, who was over eighteen stone in weight, too heavy for any ordinary horse to carry. The rest were Macallister, Gillies, and Thompson's. The stockmen were convicts, and they lived with the highlanders in the big building like the barracks for soldiers. Every man seemed to do just what he liked, to kill what he liked, and to eat what he liked. And it was astonishing to see so little discipline on a station owned by a gentleman who had been serviced both in the army and in the border police. The blacks were at this time very troublesome about the new stations. They began to be fond of beef, and in order to get it they drove fat cattle into the morasses and speared them. This proceeding produced strained relations between the two races, and the only effectual remedy was the gun. But many settlers had scruples about shooting black fellows except in self-defense, and it could hardly be called self-defense to shoot one or more of the natives because the beast had been speared by some person or person's unknown. John Campbell, a Glencoe, tried a dog, a savage deer hound, which he trained to chase the human game. This dog acquired great skill in seizing a black fellow by the hill, throwing him and roaring him until Campbell came up on his horse. When the dog had thus expelled the natives from Glencoe, Campbell agreed to lend him to little Coolewars for three months in order to clear Holy Plain Station. Coolewars paid ten hayfares for the loan of the dog, and Campbell himself went to give him a start in the hunt, as the animal would not own any other man as master. But the black soon learned that Campbell and his dog had left Glencoe unprotected, and the second night after his departure they boldly entered the potato patch near his hut, and bandicooted the whole of his potatoes. When the sails were made, the two boats were provisioned with tea, sugar, flour, and a keg of whiskey. The meat was carried in the shape of two live sheep to be killed when required. The party consisted of eight men, and each man was armed with a double barrel gun. Macmillan, Maclennan, Lachlan, and Davy went in one boat, and in the other boat were William Pearson, John Reeve, Captain Orr, and Sheridan, who was manager for Raymond at Stratford. Sheridan was a musical man, and took his flute with him. When everything was ready they dropped down the river to Lake Willington, and took note of the soundings during the whole of the voyage as they went along. Wherever they approached either shore they saw natives or found traces of them. Every beach was strewn with the feathers of ducks, swans, and other birds they had killed, and it was difficult to find sufficient dead wood near the water to make a fire. The blacks having used so much of it at their numerous camping places. The gins had an ingenious system of capturing the ducks. They moved along under the water, leaving nothing but their nostrils visible above the surface, and they were thus able to approach the unsuspecting birds. As opportunity offered they seized them by the legs, drew them quickly under water, and held them until they were drowned. When they had secured as many as they could hold in one hand they returned to land. One of the explorers always kept guard while the others slept, the first watch of each night being assigned to Davy, who baked the damper for the next day. One of the sheep was killed soon after the voyage commenced, and the duty of taking ashore, tethering, and guarding the other sheep at each landing place was taken in turn by Pearson and Loughnan. At the lower end of the lakes the water was found to be brackish, so they went ashore at several places to look for fresh water. They landed on a flat at Reeves River, and Davy found an old well of the natives, but it required cleaning out, so he went back to the boat for a spade. It was Loughnan's turn that day to tether the sheep on some grassy spot, and to look after it. The animal by this time had become quite a pet, and was called Jimmy. On coming near the boats Davy looked about for Jimmy, but could not see him and asked Loughnan where he was. Oh, he's all right, said Loughnan. I did not tether him, but he is over there eating the reeds. Then he's gone, replied Davy. Every man became seriously alarmed and ran down to the reeds, for Jimmy carried their whole supply of meat. They found his tracks at the edge of the water, and followed them to the foot of a high bluff, which they ascended calling as they went repeatedly for Jimmy. They looked in every direction, scanning especially the tops of the reeds to see if Jimmy was moving amongst them, but they could see no sign of the sheep that was lost. The view of land and river, mountain and sea, was very beautiful, but they were too full of sorrow for Jimmy to enjoy it. On going away they agreed to call the bluff Jimmy's point, but other voyagers came afterwards who knew nothing of Jimmy, and they named it Calemna, the beautiful. Near the shore a number of sandpipers were shot, as due for dinner in a large iron pot which was half full of mutton fat. Then the party pulled down to the entrance of the lakes at Reeds River, went ashore, and camped for the night. Next day they found an outlet to the ocean, and sounded as they went along, finding six feet of water on the bar at low tide, but the channel proved afterwards to be a shifting one. The strong current round Cape Howe, and the southerly gales, opened filled it with sand, and it was not until many years had passed and much money had been expanded that a permanent entrance was formed. In the meantime all the trade at Gippsland was carried on first through the Old Port, and then through the new Port Albert. For ten years all vessels were polluted without boil beacon, in one year one hundred and forty having been entered inwards and outwards. The party now started on the return voyage. In going up the lakes a number of blacks were observed on the Port Beach, and the boats were pulled towards the land until they grounded, and some of the men went ashore. The natives were standing behind a small sand-hummock, calling out to the visitors. One of them had lost an eye, and another looked somewhat like a white man brown with the sun and weather, but only the upper part of his body could be seen above the sand. One of the men on shore said, Look at that white fellow. That was the origin of the rumour which was soon spread through the country, that the blacks had a white woman living with them. The result being that for a long time the black fellows were hunted and harassed continually by parties of armed men. When the natives behind the sand-hummock saw that the white men had no arms, they began to approach them without their spears. Sheridan took up his flute and they ran back to the scrub, but after he had played a while they came nearer again and listened to the music. After pulling two or three miles another party of natives was seen running along the sands, and the explorers went ashore again at a point of land where seven or eight men had appeared, but no one was now visible. Davey climbed up a honeysuckle tree, and then he could see them hiding in the scrub. Several of them were seized and held by the white men, who gave them some sugar and then let them go. The boats then sailed away with the nice easterly breeze, and in MacLennan Straits hundreds of black fellows were seen up in the trees, shouting and shaking their spears, but the boats were kept away in midstream and out of reach of the weapons. That night the camp was made at Bony Point near the mouth of the river Avon. The name was given to it on account of the large quantity of human bones found there. No watch was kept as it was believed that all the blacks had been left behind in MacLennan Straits. There was still some whisky left in the keg, and before going to sleep, O'Locknan and Sheridan sang and drank alternately until the vessel was empty. At daylight they pulled up the oven and landed at Clydebank, which was at that time one of MacAllister stations, but afterwards belonged to Thompson and Cunningham. After breakfast they walked to Raymond Station at Stratford, and then to Macmillan's at Bushey Park. The cattle brought over the mountains into Gippsland soon grew fat, and the first settlers sold some of them to other men who came to search for runs, but the local demand was soon supplied. In two years and a half all the best land was occupied. An intending settler who had driven a herd of cattle seven hundred miles had some bitter complaints to make about the country in June 1843. He said, the whole length of Gippsland from the bore of the mountains in which the road comes is one hundred and ten miles, and the breadth about fifteen miles. The whole area one thousand six hundred and fifty square miles, one third of which is useless through Scrubb and Morris, which leaves only one thousand one hundred square miles, come at Abel at all, and nearly a third of this is useless. On this one thousand one hundred square miles of land there are forty-five thousand sheep, one thousand five hundred cattle, and three hundred horses. Other herds of cattle and about two thousand sheep are expected daily. The blacks are continuing their outrages, robbing huts and gardens and slaughtering cattle wholesale. Mrs. Pearson and Cunningham being the latest sufferers by the cannibals. Sheep shearing is nearly completed after paying a most exorbitant price to the shearers. Footnote, in the season of eighteen forty-four, the average price per one hundred for sheep shearing was eight shillings. The highest priced asked, eight shillings six. End of footnote. The wool is much lighter than in any other part of the colony, and the skin's much thicker than in hotter climates. And lastly, a collection has been made for the support of a minister. But the minister was not supported long, and he had to shake the dust of Gippsland off his feet. From Dan to Besheba, from the bore in the mountains to the shores of the corner inlet, wool was barren to this disappointed drover. And the squatters, in order to keep a foothold in the country, had to seek markets for their stock over the sea. The first to export cattle was James MacFarlane of Hayfield. He chartered the schooner Waterwich for one hundred pounds a month for six months and found her in everything. She arrived on March 2nd, eighteen forty-two, but could not come up to the port being too sharp in the bottom and drawing when loaded with cattle, thirteen feet six inches, so she lay down at the oyster beds. MacFarlane borrowed the square punt from the Clonmel Wreckers. A weak stockyard of tea tree was erected and the punt was moored alongside. A block was made fast to the bottom of the punt and a rope roped through it to a bullock's head and the men hauled on the rope. Sometimes a beast would not jump and had to be levied and bundled into the punt, neck and crop. Then the men got into a boat and reached over to make the rope fast from the head of the bullock to one of the eye bolts which were fixed round the punt. And even then the bullock would sometimes go overboard. It took a week to load twenty fat bullocks and twenty cows with their calves. The schooner set sail for New Zealand on April 2nd, eighteen forty-two. And at Port Nicholson the bullocks were sold for fifteen and the cows for twelve pounds each cash. The water witch returned to Port Albert on April 29th and took in another cargo of breeding cattle which had to be sold on bills. The cash at Port Nicholson being exhausted. MacFarlane next sought for a market at Hobbiton which was then supplied with beef from Twofold Bay. Forty bullocks were put on board the water witch in five days and in forty-eight hours they were offered for sale in Hobbiton. And fetched fourteen pounds ten chillings ahead. All but one a snail-horned brute which was very wild. When he landed a number of soldiers were at drill in the paddock and he charged the redcoats at once. They prepared to receive cavalry but he broke through the ranks, scattered the citizens the whole length of Liverpool Street and reached the open country. Giston the auctioneer sold the chance of him for eleven pounds. At this time nobody in Hobbiton had heard of such a place as Gippsland but the fat cattle which were far superior to those imported from Twofold Bay soon made the new territory well known and many enterprising men of various characters found their way to it from the island. MacFarlane sent over another cargo of forty bullocks thirty-seven of which averaged fourteen pounds. One was lost and two belonging to McAllister heavy weights were sold for forty pounds ten chillings. Macmillan took over the water-witch for the next trip and also chartered the schooners industry and Scotia which were the first vessels brought up to the shipping place of Port Albert on August 3rd, 1842. Each of these vessels took two cargoes to Harbiton which sold well and then McAllister chartered the brig patina which would hold sixty bullocks. The Clonmelpunt was now dispensed with. The cattle were roped, put in the water and made to swim between the vessel and the boat. A piece of small rat-line was fixed to the slings with a hand-lead made fast to it so that it would sink. The mate had the slings and a man in the boat held the other end of the line and with it he hauled the slings under the bullocks which were then made fast and the animal was hoisted up. In this way forty bullocks were shipped in three hours. Oysters were obtained in great abundance at Clonmel, Snake Island and in other parts of the inlets and the cattle vessels after receiving their loading took bags of oysters on board for sale at Hobarton. In June 1843 the Cutter Lucy took seven hundred dozen to Melbourne and in July another seven hundred dozen. In August the Mary Jane took five hundred dozen and the Cutter Domain four hundred dozen. The oyster beds were soon destroyed and when in course of a few years I was appointed Inspector of Fisheries at Port Albert I could never find a single dozen oysters to inspect although I was informed that a certain reverend poacher near the Caledonian canal could obtain a bucket full of them when so disposed. Gippsland enjoyed one year of prosperity followed by seven years of adversity. The price of stock declined so rapidly that in April 1843 the very best beasts only realised six pounds per head and soon afterwards it was estimated that there were in New South Wales fifty thousand fat bullocks which nobody would buy. Moreover the government was grievously in want of money and in addition to the fees for de-pasturing licences exacted half yearly assessments on the unsaleable flocks and herds but the law exacted payment on live cattle only so the squatters in their dire distress resolved to kill their stock and boil them the hides and the resulting tallow being of some value. The henties in the Portland district commenced boiling their sheep in January 1844 and on every station in New South Wales the paddocks still called the boiling down were devoted to the destruction of sheep and cattle and to the production of tallow. It was found that 100 average sheep would yield from 35 pounds to 42 pounds per tonne. By this device of boiling down some of the pioneers were enabled to retain their runs until the discovery of gold. The squatters were assisted in their endeavours to diminish the numbers off their livestock by their neighbours both black and white. It is absurd to blame the aborigines for killing sheep and cattle. You might as well say it is a moral for a cat to catch mice. Hunting was their living the land and every animal thereon was theirs and after we had conferred on them as usual the names of savages and cannibals they were still human beings. They were our neighbours to be treated with mercy and to seize the lands by force and to kill them was robbery and murder. The state is a mere abstraction as neither body nor soul and an abstraction cannot be sent either to heaven or hell. But each individual man will be rewarded according to his works which will follow him. Because the state erected a flag on a bluff overlooking the sea Sandy McBean was not justified in shooting every black fellow or gin he met with on his run as I know he did on the testimony of an eyewitness. This is the age of whitewash. There is scarcely a villain of note on whose character a new coat has not been laboriously daubed by somebody and then we are asked to take a new view of it. It does not matter very much now but I should prefer to whitewash the aboriginals. J.P. Faulkner wrote, The military were not long here before the Melbourne district was stained with the blood of the aborigines. Yet I can safely say that in the year in which there was neither governor, magistrate, soldier nor policeman not one black was shot or killed in the Melbourne district except amongst or by the blacks themselves. Can as much be said of any year since? I think not. In the year 1844 Mr Latrobe was required to send to the council in Sydney a return of all blacks and whites killed in the Port Phillip district since its first settlement. He said 40 whites had been killed by the blacks and 113 blacks had been reported as killed by the whites but he added the return must not be looked upon as correct with the respect to the number of aborigines killed. The reason is plain when a white man murdered a few blacks it was not likely that he would put his neck into the hangman's noose by making a formal report of his exploit to Mr Latrobe. All the surviving black fellows could say was Qwambi dead, long time, white fellow, plenty, shoot him. He related in eight words the decline and fall of his race more truly than the white man could do it in eight volumes. It is not so easy at house to justify the white men who assisted the squatters to diminish the numbers of their stock. They were principally convicts who had served their sentences or part of them in the island and had come over to Gippsland in cattle vessels. Some of them lived honestly about 100 of them disappeared when the commissioner of crown lands arrived with his black and white police and a few of the most enterprising spirits adopted the calling of cattle stealers for which business they found special facilities in the two special surveys. End of section 28. Section 29 of the Book of the Bush. This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. The Book of the Bush by George Dunderdale. Section 29 two special surveys. A notice dated March the 4th 1841 was gazetted in Sydney to the following effect. Any holder of a land receipt to the extent of not less than 5,120 acres may if he thinks fit demand a special survey of any land not here and after accepted within the district of Port Phillip whether such land receipt be obtained in the manner pointed out in the government gazette of the 21st of January last or granted by the land and immigration commissioners in London not more than one mile of frontage to any river watercourse or lake to be allowed for every four square miles of area the other boundaries to be straight lines running north and south east and west no land to be taken up within five miles of the towns of Melbourne Geelong Williamstown or Portland the right of opening roads through any part of the land be reserved for the crown but no other reservation whatever be inserted in the deeds of grant the Port Albert Company took up land on the above conditions between the Albert and Tara Rivers it was in Orr's name and is still known as Orr's special survey. A surveyor was appointed to mark and plan the boundaries he delegated the work to another surveyor next to resurvey was made then a subdivisional survey and then other surveys went on for 50 years with ever varying results it is now a well-established fact that Orr's special survey is subject to an alternate expansion and contraction of area which from time to time vitiates the labour of every surveyor and has caused much professional animosity old men with one foot in the grave in this year 1895 are still accusing each other of embezzling acres of it the devil of discord and mercury the god of thieves and camped upon it the Port Albert Company fell into its slough of despond which in the court of equity was known as chemist versus Orr and there all the members perished Mr John Reeve had a land receipt and wanted land after he had taken up the station known as Snake Ridge he looked around for a good special survey he engaged Davey and his whaleboat for a cruise in Port Albert Waters and Millen Sheridan and Loughman were of the parting they went up the narrow channel called the Caledonian Canal examined the bluffs shores and islands of shallow Inlet and at night encamped on St Margaret's Island when shelter was required Davey usually put up the mainsail of his boat for a tent but that night was so fine and warm that it was decided to avoid the trouble of bringing the sail ashore and footing it up after supper the men lay around the fire and one by one fell asleep but about midnight heavy rain began to fall the sail was bought ashore and they all crept under it to keep themselves dry as possible the next morning was fair on leaving the port it had been the intention of the party to return the same evening and the boat was pitualed for one day only there was now nothing for breakfast but a little tea and sugar and a piece of damper no flesh fish or fowl Davey was anxious to entertain his passengers to the best of his ability especially Mr Reeve who though not of delicate health was a gentleman of refined tastes and liked to have his meals prepared and served in the best style fresh water was of the first necessity and after so much rain should have been paintable but not a spoonful could anywhere be found the soil of the island was sandy and all the rain had soaked into it and disappeared the damper having been exposed to the weather was saturated with water there was in the boat a large three-legged iron pot half filled with fat a hard and compact dainty not likely to be spills or wasted and in it had been stewed many a savory meal of sandpipers parrots rats and quail this pot had been fortunately left upright and uncovered during the night and the abundant rain had filled it with fresh water Davey with the intuition of artistic genius at once saw the means of producing a repast fit for the gods he poured the water which covered the fat from the iron pot into the kettle which he placed on the fire for the purpose of making tea he cut the sodden damper into substantial slices put them in the pot and cooked them in the fat over the fire when well done they tasted like fried bread and gave entire satisfaction Mr. Reeve observing when the feast was finished that he had never in his life eaten a better breakfast a start was made for the port but the wind came dead ahead and the men had to pull the whole way across the inlet through the Caledonian canal and as far as Long Point there they went ashore for a rest and Mr. Reeve asked Davey if he could find the mouth of the Tara River Davey said he had never been there but he had no doubt he could find it as he had seen the river when he was duck shooting it was then high water and the wind still blowing strongly from the west so a reef was taken in the lug and the boat ran right into the Tara as far as the site of the present courthouse there the party landed and after looking at the country Mr. Reeve decided to take up his special survey there it was partly open forest but it contained also a considerable area of rich flats covered with luxuriant tea tree and myrtle scrub which in the course of time became mingled with imported blackberry bushes winds sweet briars and thistles any quantity of labour might be spent on it with advantage to the owner so the following advertisement appeared in the public journals two capitalists and the industrious labouring class Gibson Point Albert an accurate plan of Mr. Reeve's special survey of Tara Vale having been completed notice is hereby given that farms of various sizes are now open for sale or lease the proprietor chiefly desires the establishment of a respectable tenancy and will let these farms at a moderate rent of one bushel of wheat per acre the estate consists of 5120 acres of rich alluvial flats no part of the estate is more than two miles from the freshwater stream of Tara many families already occupy purchased allotments in the immediate vicinity of the landing place in Tara Vale there is a licensed hotel good stores and various tradesmen likewise Drarry roads from Manoroo and Port Phillip apply to F. Taylor Tara Vale or John Brown Melbourne there were several doubtful statements in this notice but as the law says buyer beware Joshua Dayton was not a capitalist but he belonged to the industrious labouring class and he offered himself and was accepted as a respectable tenant at the rental of a bushel of wheat to the acre he was a thief on principle but simple mr. Taylor of Tara Vale put his trust in him because it would be necessary to fence and improve the land in order to produce the bushel of wheat the fee simple at any rate would be safe with mr. Reeve but we live and learn learn that there are men ingenious enough to steal even the fee simple and transmit it by will to their innocent children the farm comprised a beautiful and rich bend of the Tara forming a spacious peninsula Joshua erected a fence across the isthmus leaving the rest of his land open to the trespass of cattle which were therefore liable to be driven away but he did not drive them away he impounded them within his bend and at leisure selected the fattest for slaughter thus living literally on the fat of the land he formed his boiling down establishment in a retired glade surrounded with tea tree tall and dense far from the prying eyes and busy haunts of men his hut stood on a gentle rise above the highest flood mark and in close proximity to the slip rails which were jealously guarded by his cerebus Neddy a needy immigrant of a plastic nature his mind succumbed under the strong logic of his employer Neddy had so far led an honest life and did not fall into the habits of thievery without some feelings of compunction when Joshua first drove cattle into the bend he did not tell Neddy he had stolen them oh no he said he remember a few beasts I've had running about for some time and I think I'll kill one of the two of the fattest and make teller of them beef is worth less than nothing and we must make a living somehow and I know you would like a little fresh beef Neddy for a change of day at his good for the health but Neddy was not so much of a fool as to be able to shut his eyes to the nature of the bawling down business the brands were too various and Joshua claimed them all Neddy said one night don't you think Joshua this game of yours is rather dangerous why it's nothing better than cattle stealing and I've heard folks say at one time it was a hanging matter you may be found out someday by an unlucky chance and then what will you do you mustn't call it cattle stealing Neddy that doesn't sound well said Joshua I will call it back pay for work and labor done I have good reason for it I was sent out for stealing a horse which I never did steal I only bought a troop for a couple of pounds they set me to the island and I worked seven years for a settler for nothing now I put it to you Neddy as an honest and sensible man am I to get no pay for that seven years work and how am I to get it if I don't take it myself the government will give me no pay they'll give me another seven years if they could but you see there are no pealers here no beaks and no blooming courts so I intend to make hay while the sun shines which means tallow in these times all these settlers get as much work out of government men as they can get for nothing and if you say two words to them they'll have you flogged so while I does my seven years I say it's nothing but I thinks and I makes up my mind to have it out of them when my time come and I say it's fair and honest to get your back wages the best way you can these settlers are all tarred with the same brush and make poor cows like us work from and flog us like bullocks and then they pretend they are honest men I say blowed to such honesty but what if you are caught Joshua what then well we must be careful I don't think they'll catch me in a hurry I does my business quick cuts out the brand and burns it first thing and always turns out beasts I don't want directly other men followed the example of Joshua so that between troubles with the black men troubles with the white men and the want of a market for his stock the settlers days were full of anxiety and misery and in addition the government in Sydney was threatening him with a roaming tax gatherer under the name of a commissioner of crown lands to whom was entrusted the power of increasing or diminishing assessments at his own will and pleasure the settler therefore bowed down before the lordly tax gatherer and entertained him in his hut with all available hospitality with welcome on his lips smiles on his face and hatred in his heart the fees and fines collected by the commissioners all over New South Wales had fallen off in one year to the extent of 65 percent more revenue was therefore required and wasn't not just that those who occupied crown lands should support the dignity of the crown then the blacks had to be protected or otherwise dealt with they could not pay taxes as the crown had already appropriated all they were worth visit their country but they were made amenable to British law and that celebrated case Regina versus Jackie Jackie it was solemnly declared by the judge that aborigines were subjects of the queen and that judge went to church on the Sabbath and said his prayers wearing his rows and ring and all Jackie Jackie was charged with hating and abetting long bill to murder little Tommy he said another one black fella kill him bail me shoot him the court received his statement as equivalent to a plea of not guilty witness Billy and aboriginal said i was born about 20 miles from Sydney if i don't tell stories i shall go to heaven if i do i shall go down below i don't say any prayers it is the best place to go up to heaven i learned about heaven and hell three years ago at yas plans when driving a team there can't say what's in the book can't read if i go below i should be burnt with fire Billy was sworn and said i knew Jackie Jackie and cosgrove the bullock driver i know fianz ford i know manifolds i went from fianz ford with cosgrove a drove of cattle and a drape of manifolds i knew little Tommy at port ferry he is dead i saw him dying when driving the team i fell in with a lot of blacks they asked me what black boy Tommy was told them my brother they kept following us two miles and a half jackie jackie said billy i must kill that black boy in spite of you jackie jackie said sharply boric jackie jackie who was king got on the drain and little tell me got down a black fella threw a spear at him and hit him in the side the king also threw a spear and wounded him a lot of blacks also spear him long bill came up and shot him with a ball jackie jackie said to cosgrove pretty gammon i must kill that black boy little tommy belonged to the pelt ferry tribe which had always been fighting with jackie jackie's tribe it's all gammon said jackie jackie boric me it's another black fella jackie jackie when with the drape spoke his own language which i did not understand i was not a friend of little tommy i was not afraid of the port ferry tribe i am sometimes friend with jackie jackie's tribe if i meet him at yes i can't say whether i should spear him or not they would kill him at the gulban river if he went there black fellas not let man live who commit murder are the aboriginals amenable to british law question argued by learned counsel mrs stall and barry his honor the resident judge soon the aboriginals are amenable to british law and it is a mercy to them to be under that control instead of being left to seek vengeance in the death of each other it is a mercy to them to be under the protection of british law instead of slaughtering each other jackie jackie was found guilty of aiding and abetting the principles in the murder were not prosecuted probably could not be found before leaving the court he turned to the judge and said you hang me this time he only knew two maxims of british law applicable to his race and these he had learned by experience one maxim was shoot him and the other was hang him there is abundant evidence to prove that an aboriginal legal maxim was the stranger is an enemy kill him it was for that reason jackie jackie killed little tommy who was a stranger belonging to the hostile port ferry tribe joshua and neddy carried on the bawling down business successfully for some time regularly shipping tallow to melbourne in casks until some busy body began to insinuate that their tallow was contraband then joshua took to carrying goods up the country and neddy took to drink he died at the first party given by mother murdered her celebrated hostel room there were at this time about 200 men women and children scattered about in the neighborhood of new leith afterwards called port albert the old port the new alberton and tarah rail alberton by the way was cosetted as a township before the village of st. kilda was founded there were no licenses issued for the various houses of entertainment vulgarly called sly grog shops there was no church no school no minister and no music until mother murdered and ported some it was hidden in the recesses of a barrel organ and in order to introduce the new instrument to the notice of her patrons and friends mother murdered posted on her premises a manuscript invitation to a grand ball she was anxious that everything should be carried out in the best style and that the festive time should commence at least without intoxication she therefore had one drunken man carried into the dead room another to an outside shed neddy the third had become one of her best customers and therefore she treated him kindly he was unsteady on his legs and she piled him with her own hands to the front door expecting that he would find a place for himself somewhere or another she gave him a gentle shove said good night neddy and closed the door she then cleared a space for the dancers in her largest room placed the barrel organ on a small table in one corner and made her toilet the guests began to arrive and mother murdered received them in her best gown at the front door neddy was lying across the threshold it's only neddy she said apologetically he has been taking a little nobler and it almost runs to his head he'll be all right by and by come in my dears and take your things off you'll find a looking glass in the room behind the bar the gentleman stepped over neddy politely gave their hands to the ladies and helped them over the human obstacle when everything was ready mother murdered sat down by the barrel organ took hold of the handle and addressed her guests now boys choose your girls the biggest bully a conditional pardon man of the year 1839 acted as master of ceremonies and called out the figures he also appropriated the bell of the ball as his partner the dancing began with great spirit but as the night wore on the music grew monotonous there were only six tunes in the organ and not all the skill and energy of mother murder could grind one more out of it neddy lay across the doorway and was never disturbed he did not wake in time to take any part of the festive scene being dead now and then a few of the dancers stepped over him and remarked neddy is having a good rest in the cool air they walked to and fro then returning to the ballroom they took a little refreshment and danced to the same old tunes till they were tired mother murders first ball was a grand success for all but neddy no sleep to mourn when youth and pleasure meet to chase the glowing hours with flying feet but mourn reveals unsuspected truth and wrinkled invisible in the light of tallow candles the first rays of the morning sun fell on neddy's ghastly face and the conditional pardon man said why he's dead and cold mother merton came to the door with a tumbler in her hand containing a mourning nip for neddy to kill the worm as the latin say but the worm was dead already the merry makers stood around the men looked serious and the ladies showed they said the air felt chilly so they bade one another good morning and hurried home it is hard to say why one sinner is taken and the other left joshua's time did not arrive till many years afterwards when we had acquitted him at the general sessions but that is another story end of section 29 section 30 of the book of the bush this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org recording by magdalena cook the book of the bush by george dunderdale section 30 how government came to gibbsland at this time there was no visible government in gibbsland the authorities in sydney and melbourne must have heard of the existence of the country and offered settlement but they were content for a time where the receipt of the money paid into the treasury for de-pasturing licenses and for assessments on stock in 1840 the land fund received in new south wales amounted to 316 000 pounds in 1841 it was only 90 000 pounds and in 1842 sir george gibbs in his address to the council severely reprimanded the colonists for the reckless spirit of speculation and over trading in which they had indulged during the two preceding years this general reprimand had a more particular application to mr benjamin boyd the champion boomer of those days laborers out of employment were numerous and contractors were informed by gazette notice that the service of 100 prisoners were available for purposes of public utility such as making roads dams breakwaters harbors bridges watchhouses and police buildings assignees of convicts were warned that if they wish to return them to the custody of the government they must pay the expense of their conveyance to sydney otherwise all their servants would be withdrawn and they would become ineligible as assignees of prisoners in future between the first of july 1840 and the first of november 1841 26 556 bounty immigrants had been received in sydney the bounty orders were suspended in the autumn of the latter year but in 1842 lord stanley was off the opinion that the colony could beneficially receive 10 000 more immigrants during the current year many married laborers could find no work in sydney and in november 1843 the government requested person sending wool drays to the city to take families to inland district gratis a regular stream of half-pay officers also poured into the colony and made sir george's life a burden they all wanted billets and if he made the mistake of appointing a civilian to some office captain smith with war in his eyes and fury in his heart demanded an interview at once he said i see by this morning's gazette that some fellow of the name of jones has been made a police superintendent and here am i an imperial officer used to command and discipline left out in the cold while that counterjumper steps over my head i can't understand your policy sir george what will my friends of the club in london say when they hear of it but that the service is going to the dogs so captain smith obtained his appointment as superintendent of police and with a free sergeant and six convict constables taken as it were out of bond was turned loose in the bush he had been for 20 years in the preventative service but had never captured a price more valuable than a bottle of whiskey he knew nothing whatever about horses and rode like a bear barrel but he nevertheless lectured his troopers about their horses and accurtments the sergeant was an old stock rider and he one day so far forgot the rules of discipline as to indulge in a mutinous smile and say well captain you may know something about a ship but i'll be bloated if you know anything about a horse that observation was not entered in any report but the sergeant was fined two pounds for insolence and insubordination the sum of 60 899 pounds was voted for police services in 1844 and captain smith was paid out of it all the revenue went to sydney and very little off it found its way to melbourne so that mr latrobe's government was sometimes deprived of the necessaries of life alberton was cassette as a place for holding courts of petty sessions and mr's john reeve and john king were appointed justices of the peace for the new district then michael shannon met james reading on the port albert road robbed him of two orders for money and a certificate of freedom and made his way to melbourne there he was arrested and remanded by the bench to the new court at alberton but there was no court there no lock-up and no police and mr latrobe with tears in his eyes said he had no cash whatever to spend on michael shannon the public journals denounced gibbsland and said it was full of irregularities therefore on september 13th 1843 charles j tires was appointed commissioner of crown lands for the district he endeavored to make his way overland to the scene of his future labors but the mountains were discharging the accumulated waters of the winter and spring rainfall every watercourse was full and the marshes were impassable the commissioner waited and then made a fresh start with six men and four baggage horses midway between dan denong and the bunyup he passed the hut of big mat a new settler from melbourne and obtained from him some information about the best route to follow it began to rain heavily and it was difficult to ford the swollen creeks before arriving at the big hill at shady creek there was nothing for the horses to eat and beyond it the ground became treacherous and full of crab holes at the mow the backwater was found to be fully a quarter of a mile wide encumbered with dead logs and scrub and no safe place for crossing the creek could be found during the night the famishing horses tore open with their teeth the packages containing the provisions and before morning all that was left off the flour tea and sugar was trodden into the muddy soil and hopelessly lost not an ounce of food could be collected there was no game to be seen every bird and beast seemed to have fled from the desolate ranges mr tires had been for many years a naval instructor on board a man of war understood navigation and surveying and it is to be presumed knew the distance he had travelled and the course to be followed in returning to port philip but there were valleys filled with impenetrable scrub creeks often too deep to ford and boundless morasses so that the journey was made crooked with continual deviations if a black boy like macmillan's friday had accompanied the expedition his native instinct would at such a time have been worth all the signs in the world the seven men breakfastless turned their backs to gibbsland the horses were already weak and nearly useless so they and all the tents and camp equipage were abandoned each man carried nothing but his gun and ammunition all day long they plotted warily through the bush waiting the streams climbing over the logs and pushing their way through the scrub only two or three small birds were shot which did not give when roasted a mouthful to each man at night a large fire was made and the hungry travelers lay around it next morning they renewed their journey mr tires keeping the men from struggling as much as he could and cheering them with the hope of soon arriving at some station no game was shot all that day no man had a morsel of food the guns and ammunition seemed heavy and useless and one by one they were dropped it rained at intervals the clothing became soaked and heavy and some of the men threw away their coats a large fire was again made at night but no one could sleep shivering with cold and hunger next morning one man refused to go any further saying he might as well die where he was he was a convict accustomed to the life in the bush and mr tires was surprised that he should be the first man to give way to despair and partly by force and partly by persuasion he was induced to proceed about midday smoke was seen in the distance and the hope of soon obtaining food put new life into the wayfarers but they soon made a long straggling line of march the strongest in the front the weakest in the rear the smoke issued from the chimney off the hut occupied by big matt he was away looking after his cattle but his wife norah was inside busy with her household duties while the baby was asleep in the corner there was a small garden planted with vegetables in front of the hut and norah happening to look out of the window during the afternoon saw a strange man pulling off the pee pods and devouring them the strange man was mr tires some other men were also coming near they are bush rangers she said running to the door and bolting it and they'll rob the hut and maybe they'll murder me and the baby the last thought made her fierce she seized an old tower musket which was always kept loaded ready for use and watched the men through the window they came into the garden one after another and at once began snatching the peas and eating them there was something fearfully wild and strange in the demeanor of the men but norah observed that they appeared to have no firearms and very little clothing they never spoke and seemed to take no notice of anything but the peas the lord preserve us said norah i wish matt would come her prayer was heard for matt came riding up to the garden fence with two cattle dogs which began barking at the strangers matt said hello you coves is it robbing my garden yeah mr tires looked towards matt and spoke but his voice was weak his mouth full of peace and matt could not tell what he was saying he dismounted hung the bridle onto a post and came into the garden he looked at the men and soon guessed what was the matter with them he had often seen their complaint in island poor craithers he said it's hungry you are and hungers a killing disorder stop eating the paste to wants or they'll kill you and come into the house and we'll give you something better the men muttered but kept snatching off the peas norah had unbolted the door and was standing with the musket in her hand take away the gun norah and put the big billy on the fire and we'll give him something warm the craithers are starving i suppose they'll run away prisoners and small blame to him for that same but we can't let him die of hunger the strangers had become quite idiotic and would not leave the peas until matt lost all patience bundle them one by one by main force into his hut and shut the door he had taken the pledge from father matthew before he left island and had kept it faithfully but it was not straight laced he had a gallon of rum in the hut to be used in case of snake bite and in other emergencies and he now gave each man a little rum and water and a small piece of damper rum was accursed to the convicts immigrants and natives its average price was then about four shillings three per gallon the daily ration of a soldier consisted of one pound of bread one pound of fresh meat and one seventh of a quart of rum but on this day to mr tires and his men the liquor was a perfect blessing he was sitting on the floor with his back to the slabs you don't know me matt no you is it sure i never clapped eyes on you before that i know of are you runaway government men tell the truth now for i am not the man to turn informer again misfortune creatures like yourselves my name is tires i pass this way you remember not very long ago what mr tires the commissioner sure i didn't know you from adam so you never went to gibbsland at all our horses got at the provisions and spoiled them so we had to come back and we have had nothing to eat for three days there is one man somewhere behind yet i am afraid he will lie down and die do you think you could find him for the love of mercy i'll try anyway norah dear take care of the poor fellows while i go and look for the other man and mind only give him a little food and drink at a time or they'll kill their weak stomachs with greediness and see you all do just as norah tells you while i'm away for you are no better than children matt galloped away to look for the last man while his wife watched over the welfare of her guests she said the lord savers and be betuners and harm but when i see you in the garden i thought you were bush rangers and i took up the old gun to shoot you matt soon found the last man put him on his horse and brought him to the hut next morning he yoked his bullocks put all his guests into the drae and started for dandenong on december 23rd 1843 mr tires and his men arrived in melbourne and he reported to mr latrobe the failure of his second attempt to reach gibbsland while the commissioner and his men were vainly endeavoring to reach the new country seven other men were suffering famine and extreme hardships to get away from it they had arrived at old port by sea having been engaged to strip bark by mr p w walsh usually known in melbourne as patty walsh he had been chief constable in launceston many years before batman or forkner landed in port philip parties of wailers were sent each year to strip wattle bark at western port griffith sinko had found the business profitable and patty walsh came to the conclusion that there was money to be made out of the bark in gibbsland he therefore engaged seven men and shipped them by schooner riding to a storekeeper at the old port to receive the bark shipped to melbourne and supplied the strippers with the requisite stores the seven men landed at the old port and talked to the pioneers they listened to their dismal accounts of starvation on rose flathead and mutton birds eggs of the ferocity of the blacks of the murder of mccallister of the misfortunes of glengarry the nine pounder gun still stood at the corner of the company store pointed towards the scrub a silent warning to the new men of the dangers in store for them they took their guns and went about the bush looking for wattle trees but they could not find in any place a sufficient quantity to make the business profitable there was no regular employment to be had but fortunately the schooner scotia chartered by john king went to shore in a gale and four of the barkers all irishmen obtained a few days work in taking out her mud ballast but no permanent livelihood could be expected from shipwrecks and the seven strippers resolved if possible to return to melbourne they wanted to see patty walsh once more but they had no money and the storekeeper refused to pay their fare by sea after much negotiation they obtained a week's rations and gave all the tools they had brought with them to captain davie in payment for his trouble in landing them at one tree hill they were informed that broad rib and hobson had made western port in four days on foot and of course they could do the same four of the men were named crow sparrow fox and McNamara and of the other three men two were englishmen smith and brown the third a native of london named spiller installed himself in the office of captain on account of his superior knowledge he guaranteed to leave the party in a straight line to western port he said he could box the compass he had not won about him but that made no difference he would lay out their course every morning they had to travel westward the sun rose in the east everybody knew as much as that so all he had to do was turn his back to the rising sun and march straight onto the western port which was situated in the west the men agreed that spiller's theory was a very good one they could not think of any objection to it each man carried his blanket and rations his gun and ammunition every morning spiller pointed out the course to be taken and led the way from time to time with the look of extreme wisdom he took observations of the position of the sun and studied the direction of his own shadow on the ground for five days the men followed him with great confidence and then they found that their rations were all consumed and there was no sign of western port or any settlement they began to grumble and to mistrust their captain they said he must have been leading them astray otherwise they would have seen some sign of the country being inhabited and they formed a plan to putting spiller's knowledge of inland navigation to the test a start was made next morning the cockney as usual taking the lead one man followed him but kept losing ground purposely merely keeping the leader in sight the others did the same before the last man had lost sight of the camp he could see spiller in the distance walking towards it he then uttered along ku'i which was answered by every man of the party they thought some valuable discovery had been made one by one they followed the call and were soon assembled at the still burning embers they had lately left a nice navigator you are ain't your spiller do you know where you are now asked brown well i must say there seems to be some mistake said spiller i came along when i heard the ku'i and found myself here it is most unaccountable here is where we camped last night sure enough it is most surprising yes it is surprising said smith you know the compass don't you you conceded little beggar you can box it and make it a b-life for western port can't you here you've been circusing us around the country nobody knows where until we have not a morsel of food left but i am to be starved to death through you you miserable little hound i am not going to leave you alive what do you say mates let us kill him and eat him i'll do the job myself if nobody else likes it i say nothing could be fairer sparrow one of the irish men spoke he was a spare man six feet high had a long thin face a prominent nose sloping shoulders mild blue eyes and a most gentle voice i knew him after he returned to gibbsland and settled there he was averse to quarrelling and fighting and to enable him to lead a peaceable life he carried a short riding whip with a hammer handle and kept the lash twisted around his hand he was a conscientious man too and had a strong moral objection to the proposal of killing an eating spiller but he did not want to offend the company and he made his refusal as mild as possible it's a thinker wouldn't like to quarrel about with no man he said and the lord knows i'm as hungry as any of you and if we die through this misleading little chap i couldn't say but he would be guilty of murdering us and we might be justified in making use of what little there is of him but for my part i couldn't take my share of the meat not today at any rate because you may just remember it's friday and it's against the law of the church to eat meat these days so i'd propose that we wait till tomorrow and if we grow very weak with the hunger we can make use of the dog to stay our stomachs a little while longer and something better may turn up in the meantime is it to cook my dog watch you mean ask crow here watch went to his master and lay down at his feet looking up in his face and patting the ground with his tail i tell you what it is sparrow you are not going to eat my dog what has the poor fellow done to you i'd like to know you may cook spiller if you like today or tomorrow it's all the same to me and i grant he well deserves it but if you meddle with watch you'll have to deal with me it's no use going on this way mates said brown we might as well be moving while we have the strength enough to do so come along the men began to rise to their feet McNamara suddenly snatched spiller's gun and fired off both barrels he then said now hand over your shot and powder spiller half scare to death handed them over now said McNamara you are my prisoner i am going to take care of you until you are wanted and if i see you so much as wink the wrong way i'll blow your brains out if you have any here's your empty gun now march all the men followed the country was full of scrub and they walked through it in indian file not a bird or beast was killed that day or the next a consultation was held at night and it was agreed to kill watch in the morning if nothing else turned up crow by this time being too hungry to say another word in favour of his dog but at daylight an eagle hawk was watching them from a tree and brown shot it it was soon put in the ashes and when cooked was divided among the seven on the eighth day McNamara said i could smell the ocean his name means sons of the sea and he was born and reared on the shore of the Atlantic sand hummocks were soon seen and the roar of the breakers beyond could be heard two red bills were shot and eaten and spiller and watch were kept for future use on the ninth day they shot a native bear which afforded a sumptuous repast and gave them strength to travel two days longer when they came to night a tribe of blacks made a huge fire within a short distance howling their war songs and brandishing their weapons it was impossible to sleep or to pass a peaceful night with such neighbors so they crawled nearer to the savages and fired a volley at them then there was silence which lasted all night next morning they found a number of spears and other weapons which the blacks had left on the ground these they threw into the fire and then resumed their miserable journey on this day cattle tracks were visible and at last completely worn out they arrived at Chisholm station eleven days after leaving One Tree Hill they still carried their guns and had no trouble in obtaining food during the rest of their journey to Melbourne at the same time that Mr Tyes reported his failure to reach Gippsland the seven men reported to Walt their return from it the particulars of these interviews may be imagined but they were never printed Mr John Faulkner with unusual brevity remarking that Gippsland appears to be sinking into obscurity sometime afterwards it was stated that a warrant had been issued for Mr P Walsh formerly one of our leading merchants on a charge of fraud committed in 1843 warrant returned non-est inventors but whether he has left the colony or is merely rusticating does not appear being an uncertificated bankrupt it would be a rather dangerous experiment punishable by law with transportation for 15 years but Mr Tyes could not afford to allow Gippsland to sink into obscurity his official life and salary depended on his finding it a detachment of border and native police had arrived from Sydney by the Shamrock and some of them were intended as a reinforcement for Gippsland to strengthen the hands of the commissioner in putting down irregularities that at present exist there Dr Holmes was sending a mob of cattle over the mountains and Mr Tyes ordered his troopers to travel with them arranging to meet them at the head of the Glengarry River he avoided this time all the obstacles he had formally encountered by making a sea voyage and he landed at Port Albert on the 13th day of January 1844 end of section 30 section 31 of the book of the bush this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Mike Harris the book of the bush by George Dundardale section 31 Gippsland under the law as soon as it was known at the old port that a commissioner of crown lands arrived Davey the pilot hoisted a flag on his signal staff and welcomed the representative of law and order with one discharge from the nine boundary he wanted to be patriotic has became a freeborn Britain but he was very sorry afterwards he said he had made a mistake the proper course would have been to hoist the flag at half-mast and to fire minute guns in token of the grief of the pioneers for the death of freedom Mr. Tyres rode away with a guide found his troopers at the head of the Glen galley and returned with them over Tom's cap he camped on the tarot near the present brewery bridge and his black men at night caught a number of black fish which were found to be most excellent next day the commissioner entered on his official duties and began to put down irregularities he rode to the old port and halted his men in front of the companies of store all the inhabitants soon gathered round him he said to the storekeeper my name is tires i am the commissioner of crown lands i want to see your license for this store this store belongs to the port albert company replied john campbell we have no license and never knew one was required in such a place as this you are then in illegal occupational crown lands and unless you pay me 20 pounds for a license i'm sorry to say it will be my duty to destroy your store said mr. tires now there were two other stores and a similar demand was made at each of them for the 20 pounds license fee which was paid after some demure and the licenses were signed and handed to the storekeepers davies hut was the next visited who owns this building asked mr. tires i do said davie i put it up myself have you a license no i am not never was asked for one since i come here and i don't see why i should be asked for one now well i ask you now you are in illegal occupation of crown lands and you must pay me 20 pounds or i shall have to destroy your hut i haven't got 20 pounds davie said never had so much money in my life and i wouldn't pay it to you if i had it i'd like to know what right the government or anybody else has to ask me for 20 pounds for putting up a hut in the sand bank i've been here with my family pretty now under three years sometimes nearly starve to death living a good deal of the time on birds and possums and roast flathead and what right and the name of common sense is the government to send you here to make me pay 20 pounds what has the government done for me or anybody else in gibson they've already taken every penny they could get out of the settlers and as far as i know i've not spent one falling on the side of the mountains they did not even know there was such a country till mcbillen found it it belonged to the blacks there was nobody else here when we came if we pay anybody it should be the blackfellas besides if i had stock and money enough to take up a run i could have had the pick at gibson 20 square miles for 10 pounds and because i'm a poor man you want me to pay 20 pounds for occupying a few yards of sand now where is the sense of that i'd like to know if you're an honest englishman you ought to be ashamed of yourself for coming here with your troopers and carbines and pistols on such a business sticking up a poor man for 20 pounds in the name of government why no bush rangers do worse than that you are insolent my man if you don't pay the money at once i'll give you just 10 minutes to clear out and then i shall order my men to burn down your hut you will find that you can't defy the government with impunity find a way if you like and much good may i do you point into his whaleboat on the beach there's the ship i came here in from melbourne and that's the ship i'll go back in and you dare and hinder me mr reeve was present watching the proceedings and listening he had influential friends in sydney had a station at snake ridge a special survey on the tarot and he felt that it would be advisable to pour oil on the troubled waters he said i must beg of you mr tires to excuse davie he is our pilot and there is no man in gibbsland better qualified for that post no one whose services have been so useful to the settlers both here and at the lakes we've already requested the government to appoint him pilot at the port we are expecting a reply shortly and it will be only reasonable that he should be allowed a site for his hut you seem as to leave i must do my duty said mr tires and treat all alike i cannot allow one man to remain in illegal occupation while i expel the others the settlers cannot afford to lose their pilot and i will give you my check for the 20 pounds said mr reeve 12 months after where the check was sent back from sydney and mr reeve made a present of it to davie at this time the public journals used very strong language in their comments on the action of governors and government officials and complaint was made in the house of commons that the colonial press was accustomed to use a coarseness of extubation and harshness of expression toward all who were placed in authority but gentlemen were still civil to one another except on rare occasions and then their language was as strong as that of the journals for example i author huffington surgeon residing at the station of mr w bowman on the ovens river do hereby publicly proclaim george faithful settler on the king river to be a malicious liar and a coward ovens river march 6 1844 you will find a copy of the above posted at every public house between the ovens and melbourne and at the corner of every street in the town well this defiance could not escape the notice of the lawyers and they soon got the matter into their own hands huffington brought an action of trespass on the case for libel against faithful damages 2 000 pounds was all about branding a female calf at duffing it was the vulgar term and to call a settler a duffer was more offensive than if you called him a murderer mr stewel opened the pleadings brushing up the fur of the two tiger cats thus here you have mr faithful the son of his father the pink of superintendents the champion of crown lands commissioners the fighting man of the planes of gulburn the fastidious bow brummel of the ovens river and so on arthur and george were soon sorry they had not taken a shot at each other in a paddock the calf was a very valuable animal to the learned council on january 30th 1844 davie became himself an officer of the government he had denounced so fiercely being appointed pilot at port albert by sir george gifts who graciously allowed him to continue the receipt of the fee already charged biz three pounds for each vessel inwards and outwards they were eight other huts on the sandbank but it's not one of the occupants was able to pay 20 pounds their names are not worth mentioning after making a formal demand for the money and giving the trespassers 10 minutes to take their goods away mr tires ordered his men to set the buildings on fire and in the short time they were reduced to ashes the commissioner then rode back to his camp with the 80 pounds and wrote a report to the government of the successful inauguration of law and order within his jurisdiction and of the energetic manner in which he had commenced it to put down the irregularities prevalent in giebslin the next duty undertaken by the commissioner was to settle disputes about the boundaries of runs and he commenced with those of captain mcallister who complained of encroachments to survey each run with precision would take up much time in labor so a new mode of settlement was adopted by the regulations in force no single station was to consist of more than 20 square miles of area unless the commissioner certified that more was required for stock possessed by the applicant this regulation virtually led everything to the goodwill and pleasure of the commissioner who first decided what number of square miles he would allot to a settler then mounted his horse to whose pace as he was accustomed and taking his compass with him he was able to calculate distances by the rate of speed of his horse almost as accurately as if he had measured them with a chain these distances he committed to paper and he gave to every squatter whose run he thus surveyed a description of his boundaries together with a tracing from a chart of the district which he began to make he allotted to captain mcallister all the country which he claimed and a dispute between Mr. William Pearson and Mr. John King was decided in favor of the latter it was reported in sydney that mr tires was rather difficult of access but it was believed he had given satisfaction to all and everyone with whom he had come in contact except those expelled from the old port and a few squatters who did not get as much land as they wanted there were also about a hundred escaped prisoners in the country but these never complained that the commissioner was difficult of access the blacks were still troublesome and i heard mr tires relate the measures taken by himself and his native police to suppress their irregularities he was informed that some cattle had been speared and he rode away with his force to investigate the complaint he inspected the cattle killed or wounded and then directed his black troopers to search for tracks and this they did willingly and well traces of natives were soon discovered and their probable hiding place in the scrub was pointed out to mr tires he therefore dismounted and directed two of his black troopers armed with carbines to accompany him he held a pistol in each hand and walked cautiously into the scrub the two black troopers discharged their carbines the commissioner had seen nothing to shoot at but his blacks soon showed him two of the natives a few yards in front both mortally wounded mr tires sent a report of the affair to the government and that was the end of it this manner of dealing with the native difficulty was adopted in the early days and is still used under the name of punitive expeditions that judge who prayed to heaven in his wig and robes of office said that the aborigines were subjects of the queen and that it was a mercy to them to be under her protection the mercy accorded to them was less than jettberg justice they were shot first and not even tried afterwards the settlers expelled from the sandbank at the old port required some spot on which they could put up their huts without giving offense to the superior powers the port albert company excised a township from their special survey and called it victoria mr robert turnbull bought 160 acres the present port albert at one pound per acre and offered sites for huts to the homeland to the rate of one pound per annum on the condition that they carried on no business the stores were removed from the old port to the new one and the first settlement of gypsilend was soon again overgrown with scrubs and ferns mr reeve offered farms to the industrious at the rental of one bushel of week to the acre for some time the township of taravel was a favorite place of residence because the swamps which surrounded port albert were impassable for drays during the winter months the roads to manoroo and melbourne mentioned in mr reeves advertisement were as yet in the clouds captain more came from sydney and the revenue cutter prince george to look for smugglers but he didn't find any he was afterwards appointed collector for gypsilend and he came down again from sydney with a boat's crew of six prisoners of free coxson and a portable house in which he stayed for the receipt of customs for a time the commissioner resided at taravel and then he went to the lakes and surveyed a township at flooding creek now called sail his black troopers were in some cases useful in others they were troublesome they indulged in irregularities there was no doubt that they drank rum procured in some inexplicable manner they could not be confined in barracks or remain continually under the eye of their chief and it was not always possible to discover in what manner they spent their leisure hours but occasionally some evidence of their exploits came to light and mr tires became aware that his black police considered themselves as living among hostile tribes in respect of whom they had a double duty to perform this to track cattle spirers at the order of their chief and on their own account to shoot as many of their enemies as they could conveniently approach there were now ladies as well as gentlemen in gypsilend and one day the commissioner sailed away in his boat with a select party after enjoying the scenery in the summer breezes for a few hours he cast his eyes along the shore in search of some romantic spot on which to land dead wood and dry sticks were extremely scarce as the blacks used all they could find at their numerous camps he was at length so fortunate as to observe brown pile of decayed branches and he said I think we'd better land over there that dead wood will make a good fire and the boat was steered toward it but when it near the land the air was filled with a stench so horrible that mr tires at once put the boat about and went away in another direction next day he visited the spot with his police and he found that the dead wood covered a large pile of corpses of the natives shot by his own black troopers and he directed them to make it a holocaust the white man brought with them three blessings for the natives rum bullets and blankets the blankets were a free gift by the government and proved to the eyes of all men that our rule was kind and charitable the country was rightfully ours that was decided by the supreme court we were not obliged to pay anything for it but out of the pure benignity we gave the lubra's old gowns and the black men old coats and trousers the government added an annual blanket and thus we had good reason to feel virtuous we also appointed a protector of the aborigines mr ga robinson at a salary of five hundred pounds per annum he took up his residence on the then sweet banks of the europe and made excursions in various directions compiling a dictionary he started on a tour in the month of april 1844 making alberton his first halting place and intending to reach twofold bay by the way of omio but he found the country very difficult to travel yet to swim his horse over many rivers and finally he returned to melbourne by way of gas having added no less than eight thousand words to his vocabulary of the native languages but the public journals spoke of his labors and his dictionary with contempt and derision they said shaw a few mounted police well armed would affect more good among the aborigines in one month than the whole preaching mob of protectors in ten years when a race of men is exterminated somebody ought to bear the blame and the easiest way is to lay the fault at the door of the dead they never replied when every black fellow in south kippsland except old darrowman was dead mr tires explained his experience with the government blankets they were no longer required as darrowman could obtain plenty of old clothes from charitable white men it had been the commissioner's duty to give one blanket annually to each live native and thus that garment became to him the queen's livery and an emblem of civilization it raised the savage in the scale of humanity and encouraged him to take the first step in the march of progress his second step was into the grave the result of the gift of blankets was that the natives who received them ceased to clothe themselves with the skins of the kangaroo the bear or the opossum the rugs which they had been used to make for themselves would keep out the rain and in them they could pass the wettest night a day and their mia mia's were warm and dry but the blankets we kindly gave them by way of saving our souls were manufactured for the colonial market and would no more resist the rain than an old clothes basket the consequence was that when the weather was cold and wet the black fella and his blanket were also cold and wet and he began to shiver inflammation attacked his lungs and rheumatism his limbs and he soon went to that land where neither blankets nor rugs are required mr. tires was of opinion that more blacks were killed by the blankets than by rum and bullets government in gippsland was advancing there were two justices of the peace the commissioner black and white police a collector of customs a pilot and last of all a parson parson bean who quarreled with his flock on the question of education the sheep refused to feed the shepherd he had to shake the dust off his feet and the salvation of souls was as usual postponed to a more convenient season at length mr. latrobe himself undertook to pay a visit to gippsland he was a splendid horseman had long limbs like a king edward long shanks and was in the habit of making dashing excursions with a couple of troopers to take cursory views of the country he set out in the month of may 1844 and was introduced to the settlers in the following letter by a brother squatter gentlemen look out the jacquely your oppressor has started on a tour for what purpose to see the isolated and miserable domiciles you occupy and the hard fare on which you subsist no but to see if the oppressor can further apply the screw with success and impunity you have located yourselves upon lands at the risk of life and property paying to the government and license and assessment fees for protection which you have never received and your quiescence under such a system of robbery has stimulated your oppressor to live me on you a still greater amount of taxation not to advance your interests but to replenish his exhausted treasury should you strain your impoverished ex-checker to entertain your in a family sense worthy superintendent depend upon it he will recommend a more severe application of the screw give him therefore your ordinary fare soul-junk and damper or scabby mutton with a pot of jack the painter's tea in a black pot stirred with a greasy knife Mr. Latrobe and Sir George bore all the weight of public abuse and it was heavy now it has divided among many ministers each of whom carries his share with much patience while our governor's days in the sunny south are days of pleasantness and all his paths are peace no gentleman could accept hospitality like that suggested by a brother's quarter and Mr. Latrobe sought refuge at the Port Albert Hotel Glen Gary's imported house Mrs. Tyres, Raymond, Macmillan, McAllister and Reeve were pitching quites at the rear of the building under the lee of the Tyres scrub Davey the pilot was standing near on duty looking for shipping with one eye and at the game with the other the gentleman paused to watch the approaching horseman Mr. Latrobe had the royal gift of remembering faces once seen and he soon recognized all those present even the pilot whom he'd seen when he first arrived in Melbourne he shook hands with everyone and inquired of Davey how he was getting on with piloting he said now gentlemen go on with your game I like quites myself and I should be sorry to interrupt you then he went into the hotel and stayed there until morning he no doubt obtained some information from Mr. Tyres and his friends but he went no further into the country next morning he started with his two troopers on his return to Melbourne and the other gentlemen mounted their horses to accompany him but the worthy superintendent wrote so fast that he left everyone behind and was soon out of sight so his intended escort Mr. Latrobe's view of Gippsland was very cursory before Gippsland was brought under the law Rabbit Island was colonized by two whalers named Paige and Yankee Jim and Paige's wife and baby they built a bark hot fence in a garden with a rabbit-proof fence and planted it with potatoes their base of supplies for groceries was at the old port they were monarchs of all they surveyed from the center all round to the sea they paid no rent and no taxes sometimes they fished or went to the seal islands and brought back seal skins in the time of the potato harvest and when that of the mutton birds drew near there were signs of trouble coming from the mainland fires were visible on the shore at night and smoke by day and Paige suspected that the natives were preparing to invade the island at length canoes appeared bobbing up and down on the waves but a shot from the rifle sent them back to shore for three days and nights no fire or smoke was seen and the two whalers ceased to keep watch but early next morning voices were heard from the beach below the hut the blacks were trying to launch the boat Paige and Jim shouted at them and went down the cliff then the blacks ran away up the rocks and were quickly out of sight presently Mrs. Paige came running out of the hut half-dressed and carrying her baby she said she heard the blacks jabbering in the garden in a short time the hut was in a blaze and was soon burned to the ground the two men then launched their boat and went to the port Davey shipped a crew of six men and started in his whale boat for the island but the wind was blowing hard from the west and they did not arrive at the island until next day the blacks had then all disappeared and as the men wanted something to eat Davey told them to dig up some potatoes while he went and shot six rabbits when he returned with his game the men said they could not find any potatoes he said that's all nonsense and went himself to the garden but he could not find one potato the black fellows had shipped the whole crop in their canoes so that there was nothing but rabbit for breakfast in this manner the reign of the Paige dynasty came to an abrupt termination the baby heir apparent grew up to man's estate as a private citizen and became a fisherman at Williamstown end of section 31 Gibson under the law recording by Mike Harris section 32 of the book of the bush this is a LibriVox recording or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Magdalena Cook the book of the bush by George Dundadale section 32 until the golden dawn after Mr Latrobe's short visit to Port Albert Gibsland was for many years ruled by Mr Tyres with an authority almost royal Davey after his first rebellious outburst at the burning of the huts and his subsequent appointment as pilot retired to the Newport Albert and avoided as much as possible the horns of the commissioner on the saltwater he was almost as powerful and imperious as was his rival by land he ruled over all ships and shipwrecks and allowed no man to say him nay. Long Mason the first overseer of Woodside Station took over a cargo of fat cattle to Hiberton for his brother after receiving the cash for the cattle he proceeded to enjoy himself after the fashion of the day the shepherd knocked down his check at the nearest grocery and then returned to his sheep full of misery Long Mason had nearly 300 pounds and he acted the part of the prodigal brother his soon made troops of friends dear brethren and sisters on whom he lavished his coin he hired a band of wandering minstrels to play his favorite music and invited the beauty and chivalry of the convict capital to join him in his revels when his money was expended he was put on board a schooner bound for Port Albert on which Davey's of Yarram and his family were passengers for two days he lay in his monk's sick and suffering as the vessel approached the shore his misery was intense he demanded a drink but no one would give him any he began to search his pockets for coin but off the 300 pounds only one solitary sixpence was left with this he tried to bribe the cabin boy to find him one last taste of rum but the boy said all the grog is locked up and the captain would welt me if I gave you a single drop Sir Long Mason landed at the port with his sixpence was dismissed by his brother from Woodside Station and became a wandering swagman the next overseer for Woodside voyage to Port Albert in the brig Isabella in the month of June 1844 this vessel had been employed in taking prisoners to Macquarie Harbour and Port Arthur until the government built a bark called the Lady Franklin then Captain Taylor brought the brig for the cattle trade on this voyage he was anxious to cross the bar for shelter from a southeast gale and he did not wait for the pilot although the vessel was deeply laden there was not water enough for her on the old bar she struck on it and the heavy easterly sea threw her on the west bank it was some time before the pilot and his two men could get aboard as they had to fight their way through the breakers to Leewood there was too much sea for the boat to remain in safety near the ship and Davey asked the captain to lend you my hand to steer the boat back to Sunday Island the second mate went in her but she was capsized directly the ship's boat was hanging on the weather davits and it was no use letting her down to win wood on account of the heavy sea Davey ran out to the end of the jiboon with the lead line he could see the second mate hanging on the keel off the capsized boat and his two men in the water the EBC kept washing them out and the heavy sea threw them back again and whenever they could get their heads above water they shouted for help Davey threw the lead towards them from the end of the jiboon but they were too far away for the line to reach them at length the ship's boat was launched to Leewood four men and their mate got into her but by this time the two boat men were drowned while the ship's boat was running through the breakers past the pilot boat the first mate grabbed the second mate by the collar held on to him until they were in smooth water and then hauled him in it was too dangerous for the seaman to face the breakers again so the pilot sang out to them to go to Snake Island about two o'clock in the afternoon the vessel lay pretty quiet on the ebb tide a fire was lighted in the gully and all hands had something to eat there was not much water in the cabin but as darkness set in and the flood tide made the seas began to come aboard there was a heavy general cargo in the hold six steerage passengers four men and two women one of whom had a baby and one cabin passenger who was going to manage Woodside Station in place of Long Mason dismissed the sea began to roll over the ballwalks and the brig was fast filling with water for some time the pumps were kept going but the water gained on them and all hands had to take to the rigging the two women and the baby were first helped up to the fore top then the pilot counting the men found one missing captain he said what has become of the new manager oh he's lying on his bunk half drunk then replied Davey he'll be drowned he descended into the cabin and found the man asleep with the water already on a level with his birth why the blazes don't you get up and come out of this rat hole he said don't you see you're going to be drowned the manager looked up and smiled please don't be so unkind my dear man he replied let me sleep a little longer and then I'll go on deck Davey standing with the water up to his belt grew mad come out of that you confounded fool he said he dragged him out of his bunk into the water and hold him up the companion later and with the help of the men took him up the rigging and lashed him there out of the reach of the breakers all the rest of the men went aloft and remained there during the night the clothing was soaked with water and the weather was frosty and bitterly cold just before daylight when the tide had ebbed and the sea had gone down the two women and the baby were brought below from the foretop and all hands descended to the deck they wanted to make a fire but everything was wet and they had to cut up some of the standing rigging which had been out of reach of the surf before they could find anything that would burn with that a fire was made in the gully and the women and baby were put inside at sunrise it was found that the sea had washed up a ridge of sand near the ship and not wishing to pass another tide on board all the crew and passengers went over the side and waded through the shallow water until they came to a dry sandpit they were eleven in number including the women and baby and they waited until the boat came over from snake island and took them to the port a little of the cargo was taken out of the Isabella but in a few days she went to pieces captain Taylor went to Hobarton and brought from their insurers the schooner sylvanas which had belonged to him and having been wrecked was then lying ashore on the coast he succeeded in floating her off without much damage and he ran her in the cattle trade for some time he then sold her to boys and hall of Hobarton and went to sydney bought the schooner alert and sailed her in the same trade until the discovery of gold all the white seamen went off to the diggings and he hired four canarkas to man his craft on this last trip to port albert the pilot was on board waiting for the tide the pilot boat had been sent back to sunday island the ship's boat was in the water and was supposed to have been made faster stern by the crew at break of day the pilot came on deck and taking a look around he saw that the long boat had got away and was drifting towards rabbit island he wrought down the companion to captain Taylor your long boats got a drift and is off to rabbit island in another minute captain Taylor was on deck he gazed at his distant long boat and swore terribly then he took a rope and went for his four canarkas but they did not wait for him they all plunged into the sea and deserted the captain and pilot stood on deck watching them as they swam away hand over hand leaving foaming wakes behind like vessels in full sail they were making straight for the longboat and davie said they will go away in her and leave us here in the lurch but the captain said i think not he was right the canarkas brought back the boat within hail of the schooner and after being assured by the captain that he would not ropes end them they climbed aboard on returning to hobarton captain taylor was seized with the gold fever he laid up the alert went with his four men to bendigo and was a lucky digger then he went to new zealand bought a farm and plowed the waves no more in january 1851 some boys were sent to port albert and lay down in the channel the account for the work was duly sent to the chief harbour master at williams town but he took no notice off it nor made any reply to several letters requesting payment there was something wrong at headquarters and davie resolved to see for himself what it was moreover he had not seen melbourne for 10 years and he yearned for a change so without asking leave of anyone he left port albert and its shipping to the sweet little sheriff that sits up aloft and takes care of the life of poor jack and went in his boat to janaki landing mrs benison lent him a pony and told him to steer for two bald hills on the hodled rangers he could not see the hills for the fog and kept too much to port but at last he found a track he camped out that night and next morning had breakfast at hobson station he stayed one night at kilkunda and another at lyles station near the bay he then followed a track which septimus martin had cut through the tea tree and his pony became lame by treading on the sharp stumps so that he had to push it or drag it along until he arrived at dandenong where he left to add an inn kept by a man named hooks he hired a horse from hooks at five shillings a day the only house between dandenong and melbourne was one called south yara pound kept by mrs atkinson it was near corefield on the melbourne side of no good damper swamp some black fellows had been poisoned there by a settler who wanted to get rid of them he gave them a damper with arsenic in it and when dying they said no good damper davie landed in melbourne on june 17th 1851 put his horse in kerkspissar and stayed at the queen's head in queen street where sir william clark's office is now the landlady was mrs callson a widow next morning he was at the wharf before daylight and went down in the yara in the first steamer for william's town he found that captain bumberry the chief harbour master had gone away in the boy boat a small schooner called the apollo so he hired a whale boat and overtook the schooner off the red bluff when he went on board he spoke to ruffles master off the schooner and said is the harbour master aboard i want to see him yes but don't speak so loud or you'll wake him up replied ruffles he's asleep down below davie roared out i want to wake him up i have come 200 miles on purpose to do it i want to get a settlement about those boys at port albert i'm tired of writing about them this woke up bumberry who sang out what's the matter ruffles what's all that noise about it's the pilot from port albert he wants to see you sir about the boys tell him to come down below davie went bumberry was a one-armed naval lieutenant the head of the harbour department and drew the salary he had subordinate officers a clerk at williams town did his clerical work and old ruffles navigated the apollo for him through the roaring waters of port philip bay while he lay in his bunk meditating on something he said oh is that you pilot well about those boys eh that's all right all you have to do is go to my office in williams town tell my clerk to fill in a form for you take it to the treasury and you will get your money davie went back to the office at williams town had the form made out by the clerk and took it to melbourne in the steamer the last trip she made that day by this time the treasury was closed it was situated in williams street where the vast law courts are now and davie was at the door when it was open next morning the first claimant for money a clerk took his paper looked over it smiled and said it was of no use whatever without bumberry signature davie started for williams town again in the second boat found that bumberry had gone away again in the apollo followed him in a whale boat overtook him off st kilter obtained his signature and returned to the treasury captain lonstale was there but he said it was too late to pay money that day and also that the form should be signed by someone at the public works office then davie's patience was gone and he spoke the loud language of the sea the frail building shook as with the earthquake mr latrobe was in a back room writing one of those gubernatorial dispatches which is so painful to read he had to suspend the pangs of composition and he came into the front room to see what was the matter davie told him what was the matter in very unofficial words mr latrobe listened patiently and then directed captain lonstale to keep the treasury open until the account was paid he also said the schooner adgenoria had been wrecked on the day that davie left port albert and requested him to return to judy as soon as possible lest other vessels might be wrecked for want of a pilot the sweet little sheriff that sits up aloft could not be depended on to pilot vessels over the bar davie took his paper to the public works office in queen street here he found another officer bursting with dignity who said there is already one signature too many on this account can't you scratch it out then said davie we don't keep hens to scratch in this office replied the dignified one who took a ruler and having drawn a line through the superfluous name signed his own when davie went again to the treasury with his account captain lonstale said he had not cash on hand to pay it and deducted 20 pounds which he sent to port albert afterwards when the government had recovered its solvency his honor the superintendent might have assumed the classical motto custard some porpoise haughty davie put the money in his pocket went to the queen's head and as it was already dark he hired a man for ten shillings to show him the road through the wet wilderness of corefield and round no good damper swamp he was half past eleven when he arrived at hooks hotel and as his pony was still too lame to travel he bought the horse he had hired and set out with the sale mailman at the moe he found angus macmillan william montgomery and their stockman afraid to cross the creek on account of the flood and they had eaten all their provisions before dark a black gin came over in a canoe from the accommodation hut on the other side of the creek having heard the travellers cooing they told her they wanted something to eat but it was too dangerous for her to cross the water again that night a good fire was kept burning but it was a wretched time it rained heavily a gala wind was blowing and trees kept falling down in all directions scott the hut keeper sent the gin over in the canoe next morning with the big damper tea sugar and meat which made a very welcome breakfast for the hungry travellers they stayed there two days and two nights and as the flood was still rising they resolved to try to cross the creek at all risks preferring to face the danger of death by drowning rather than to die slowly of starvation each man took off his clothes all but his flannel shirt and drawers strapped them to the pommel of his saddle through the steric irons over the saddle and stopped them with a string under the horses belly to keep them from getting foul in the trees and scrub in some places the horses had to climb over logs under water sometimes they had to swim but in the end they all arrived safely at the hut they were very cold and ravenously hungry and while their clothes were drying before a blazing fire they drank hot tea and ate up every scrap of food so that scott was obliged to accompany them to the next station for rations he left the gin behind having no anxiety about her while he was away she could feed sumptuously on grubs crabs and opossums in march 1852 when everybody was ceased with gold fever davie took it in the natural way he again left port albert without a pilot and went to melbourne to re-sign his office but mr latrobe promised to give him a salary of 500 pounds a year and a boat's crew of five men and a coxswain the men were to have 12 and six a day and the coxswain 15 shelling's by this time the gold fever had penetrated to the remotest parts of gipseland and from every squatting station and every lonely hut on the plains and mountains men gathered in troops they were leaving plenty of gold behind them at well heller and other places the first party davie met had a drae and bullocks they were slowly cutting a road through the scrub and their team was the first that had made its way over the mountains from gipseland to melbourne their captain was a lady of unbounded bravery and great strength a model pioneers with a talent for governing the opposite sex footnote mrs bundtine died 1896 end of footnote when at home on her station she did the work of a man and a woman too she was the one in a thousand so seldom found she not only did the cooking and housework but she also wrote after the stock drove a team killed fat beasts chopwood stripped bark and fenced she did not hanker after woman's rights nor rail against the male sex she was not cultured nor scientific nor artistic nor aesthetic she despised all the allergies all great men respected her and if the little ones were insolent she boxed their ears and twisted their necks she conquered all the black fellows around her land with her own right arm at first she had been kind to them but they soon became troublesome wanted too much flour sugar and beef and refused to go away when she ordered them to do so without another word she took down her stock whip went to the stable and saddled her horse then she rounded up the black fellows like a mob of cattle and started them if they try to break away or to hide themselves among the scrub or behind tussocks she cut pieces out of their hides with her whip then she headed them for the 90 mile beach and landed them in the pacific without the loss of a man in that way she settled the native difficulty the kneels with the bullock team the buccalys and moors with horse teams followed the track of the leading lady the station owners stayed at home and watched their fat stock which soon became valuable and was no longer boiled on December 31st 1851 there was in Tasmania 20,069 convicts six months afterwards more than 10,000 had left the island and in three years 45,884 persons principally men had left for the diggings it was evident that Sir William Denison would soon have nobody to govern but old women and children a circumstance derogatory to his dignity so he wrote to England for more convicts and immigrants and hypothetically exclaimed to whom but convicts could colonists look to cultivate their lands to tend their flocks to reap their harvests in the month of May 1853 Sir William wrote that the discovery of gold had turned him topsy-turvy altogether and he rejoiced that no gold had been discovered in his island then the legislator perversely offered a reward of 5,000 pounds to any man who would discover a goldfield in Tasmania but as a high-toned historian observes for many years they were so fortunate as not to find it the convict stole boats at Launceston and landed at various places about corner inlet somewhere arrested by the police and sent back to Tasmania many called it Yanaki station for free rations Mr. Benison applied for police protection and old Joe armed with a carbine was sent from Alberton as a garrison soon afterwards a cutter of about 15 tons burden arrived at corner inlet manned by four convicts who took the mainsail ashore and used it as a tent they then allowed the cutter to drift on the rocks under Mount Singapore and she went to pieces directly while trying to find a road to Melbourne they came to Yanaki station and they found nobody at the house except Joe Mrs. Benison and an old hand it was now Joe's duty to overall and arrest the men but they although unarmed overrode and arrested Joe he became exceedingly civil and after mrs. Benison had supplied them with provisions he showed them the road to Melbourne they were arrested a few days afterwards at Dandenong and sent back to the island prison end of section 32