Old colonists well remember the difficulties encountered by parties on their way down our great system of water communication from New South Wales with sheep and cattle to stock our newly-established colony. The account given in even a condensed form will necessarily occupy several numbers, and present a succession of thrilling pictures of sufferings endured by pioneers, and, sad to relate, the necessary slaughter of blacks, banded together in large numbers, in their attacks on travelling Europeans with stock.

As an introduction to this subject I will take advantage of Captain Sturt's description of his first contact with natives on the Murray, as given in the interesting account he published of his boat trip of over one thousand miles down that river and back. He came down the Murrumbidgee with his brave band, and immediately after entering the Murray they found that the natives were much more numerous than they had found them on the Murrumbidgee, and it was with great difficulty that they were enabled to pursue their way without coming into collision with the sons of the forest.

Captain Sturt's admirable tact, coolness, and presence of mind, and the manifest intervention of a higher power, alone saved the party from actual conflict but they were at one time upon the very point of an affray, which must have resulted in the destruction of the whole party. I will now give the circumstances in Captain Sturt's own words : —

" As we sailed down the stream we observed a vast number of natives under the trees, and on a nearer approach we not only heard their war song, but remarked they were painted and armed as they generally are prior to their engaging in a deadly conflict. Notwithstanding their outward signs of hostility, and fancying friendly natives who had been met with higher up were with them, I continued to steer directly for the bank on which they were collected. I found, however, when it was almost too late to turn into the succeeding reach to the left, that an attempt to land would only be attended with loss of life. The natives seemed determined to resist it.

" We approached so near that they held their spears quivering in their grasp ready to hurl. They were painted in various ways. Some who had marked their ribs, thighs, and faces with a white pigment in stripes looked like skeletons; others were daubed with red and yellow ochre, and their bodies shone with the grease with which they had besmeared themselves. A dead silence prevailed among the front ranks, but those in the background, as well as the women, who carried supplies of spears, and who appeared to have had a bucket of whitewash capsized over their heads, were extremely clamorous.

" As I did not wish a conflict with the people, I lowered my sail, and putting the helm to starboard, we passed quickly down the stream in mid channel. Disappointed in their anticipations, the natives ran along the bank of the river endeavoring to secure an aim at us ; but unable to throw with certainty in consequence of the onward motion of the boat, they flung themselves into the most extravagant attitudes, and worked themselves into a frenzy by loud and vehement shouting. It was with considerable apprehension that I observed the river to be shoaling fast, more especially as a huge sandbank, a little below us, and on the same side on which the natives had gathered, projected nearly a third of the way across the channel.

"To this sand bank they ran with tumultuous uproar, and covered it over in a dense mass. Some of the chiefs advanced into the water to be nearer their victims, and turned from time to time to direct their followers. With every pacific disposition, and an extreme reluctance to take away life, I foresaw that it would be impossible any longer to avoid an engagement ; yet, with such fearful numbers against us, I was doubtful of the result. The spectacle we had witnessed had been one of the most appalling kind, and sufficient to shake the firmness of most men; but at that trying moment my little band preserved then usual coolness, and if any thing could be gleaned from their countenances, it was that they had determined on an obstinate resistance.

" I now explained to my men that their only chance of escape depended or would depend upon their firmness. I desired that after the first volley had been fired, McLeay and three of the men would attend to the defence of the boats, with bayonets only, while I, Hopkinson, and Harris, would keep up the fire as being more used to it. I ordered, however, that no shot was to be fired, until after I had discharged both my barrels. I then delivered their arms to the men, which had as yet been kept in the place appropriated for them, and at the same time some rounds of loose cartridges. The men assured me they would follow my instructions, and thus prepared, having already lowered the sail, we drifted onwards with the current.

" As we neared the sand-bank, I stood up and made signs to the natives to desist, but without success. I took up my gun, therefore, and cocking it, had already brought it down to a level. A few seconds more would have closed the life of the nearest of the savages. The distance was too trifling for me to doubt the fatal effects of the discharge, for I was determined to take deadly aim, in the hope that the fall of one man might save the lives of many. But at the moment when my hand was on the trigger and my eye was along the barrels my purpose was checked by McLeay, who called to me that another party of blacks had made their appearance upon the left or opposite bank of the river.

" Turning I observed four men at the top of their speed. The foremost of them, as soon as he got ahead of the boat, threw himself from a considerable height into the water. He struggled across the channel to the sand-bank, and in an incredibly short space of time, stood in front of the savage against whom my aim had been directed. Seizing him by the throat he pushed him backwards, and forcing all who were in the water on to the bank, he trod its margin with a vehemence and agitation that were exceedingly striking. At one moment pointing to the boat, at another shaking his clenched hand in the faces of the most forward ; and stamping with passion on the sand, his voice, which was at first distinct and clear was lost after a time in hoarse murmurs.

" Two of the four natives remained on the left bank of the river, the third followed his leader, who proved to be the remarkable savage I had previously noticed before we arrived at the scene of the action. The reader will imagine my feelings on this occasion ; it is impossible to describe them. We were so wholly lost in interest in the scene that was passing, that the boat was allowed to drift at pleasure. For my own part I was overwhelmed with astonishment, and in truth stunned and confused, so singular, so unexpected, so providential had been our escape."

Captain Sturt continued his course down the river, and although he met with many more blacks than he did on the Murrumbidgee, they gave no more indications of hostility.

I now proceed to detail some of the experiences of parties coming down the river with stock, commencing with the attack on Messrs. Field & Inman, as the most serious though not the first. This was the first encounter however, of the natives of that particular locality with white men, and their assaults for a time assumed the proportions of regular combats.

On Wednesday evening, April 21, 1841, information was received in Adelaide that an overland party conducting a large flock of sheep, under the charge of Mr. H. Inman, previously Superintendent of Police in Adelaide, and Mr. Field (that gentleman being part owner) had been attacked by natives to the east of the great elbow of the River Murray, and that one or more of the persons employed had been wounded, the whole of the whites dispersed, and the sheep taken by the natives.

It was stated that on the sheep entering the Rufus country a numerous body of blacks made their appearance, and in a most impudent manner commenced disturbing the sheep, and at-tempting to drive them away. The men of the party, ten in number, were armed, but on the natives presenting a hostile appearance they all fled, leaving the two leaders of the party alone to defend their property.

Mr. Inman had previously been wounded when they were in the Murrumbidgee country, and in that disabled state was unable to assist Mr. Field, who had to abandon the sheep and make the best of his way to the nearest station, that of Mr. Dutton, at Mount Dispersion, and from thence forward information to Adelaide.

Immediately on the arrival of this untoward news in town much excitement was created, and a meeting of settlers was held when it was resolved that a party of ten volunteers should offer their services to the owners of the sheep to go out and attempt to rescue what might remain of them. Fuller particulars arrived as follows :—

At the Darling, and after leaving it, the blacks became troublesome to the party, who were ten in number. On one occasion Mr. Inman seeing a few blacks ahead of the sheep and approaching, rode forward and had a friendly parley with them. On turning to ride back to join his company three spears were thrown, one taking effect in his shoulder, one in his arm, and the other fetching him out of his saddle. This was a jagged spear, and entering his back near the backbone, went in a slanting direction through his body, the point appearing below his ribs on the same side. One of the sharp jags had hitched into his back-bone, and was so fast that the spear could not be withdrawn, and it became necessary to cut the head from the shaft with a saw close to his body.

A sling was stretched across the dray from the side rails, on which he was laid, not one of the company expecting him to survive for any length of time after such a wound, and it was out of the question to delay the journey onwards. After enduring the jolts of the dray in passing over a rough country for two weeks in a recumbent position, he seemed more easy, and on the morning of the day when the successful attack was made on the party, the jag became detached from his spine, the head was extracted, and the wound dressed as his comrades were best able to do it.

Vast numbers of the blacks had been about them for some days, and were evidently increasing. They were now in the Rufus country. I now quote from Mr. Inman's report, which appeared in the Register of 1st May.

" On the morning of April 16th ult, when about 40 miles on the other side of Lake Bonney, having encamped on the bank of an exceedingly brackish creek, we had pushed on about three miles to breakfast, during which meal the natives presented themselves, in number appearing to be about 30 or 40. They had, since we left the Darling, speared several of our sheep. By what occurred afterwards we found that considerable numbers were in the scrub close behind those who first presented themselves, although unseen by us. They were armed, and evidently meant mischief from their endeavors to conceal their weapons from us in the long grass.

" They essayed to make friends with us, but we did not like their movements, and warned them off with our hands. Not the slightest violence was offered by us. The natives seeing they were not allowed to enter our camp on pretence of friendship, soon exhibited their determination to gain their object by force, when treachery could not be employed. After breakfast, and before we made a start, the blacks resumed their spears, and making signs with their hands that they would meet us again on the road or track, immediately made off at a quick pace with an apparent intent to cut us off. Our suspicions being thus aroused, the men were ordered to examine their firearms and renew the priming, when the party moved on.

" We had not proceeded above three miles when we saw the natives ahead of us in the scrub in great numbers. Mr. Field, from the time I was speared on the Murrumbidgee, had altogether conducted the party. The spear-head having been removed, although I was very weak, I mounted my horse. Mr. Field with two horsemen advanced in front of the party, and although very weak I found them, and kept them company. None of the party were aware of the numbers they had to encounter. On our approach to the position occupied by the blacks, they shouted and struck their waddies, and from their movements we soon found out their object was to oppose our passage.

" On this Mr. Field ordered the driver of the dray to stop and wait for the sheep. On their coming up the shepherds rounded the sheep, to support the men at the dray. One of the horsemen of the name of George Crow, and the best aimed man on the party, was now found to have absented himself, and did not make his appearance at all during the fight. This weakened the party considerably, as I could not be accounted as a combatant; the spear-head which I had carried in my body for nearly seven weeks was upwards of seven inches in length, so I could be of no use to Mr. Field.

" The natives, in number about three or four hundred, commenced the attack by issuing boldly from the cover, and waddies flew in all directions. A slow but ineffectual fire from two or three pieces was returned by the men at the dray, the remainder of the fire-arms being so inferior that they would not go off.

" We were now surrounded. Two shepherds were speared at the dray; one an old soldier, when defending himself by clubbing his gun, was carried off, and several spears were run through him. He had the presence of mind to cross his arms over his chest, and was left by them for dead. They first stripped him of almost all his clothing. He however managed to travel, during seven days living on roots and on part of a carcase of a wild dog, which he found in a deserted native camp. After this man was carried away, the remainder of the party, after struggling for some time against overwhelming numbers, and finding their firearms all but useless, retreated through the scrub, Mr. Field behind them, who had done his utmost to save the property, and at length was compelled to abandon all to the natives, who took full possession. He then conducted the retreating men through the scrub until he hit the Murray at some distance from the scene of action, and proceeded onwards alone to procure assistance from the nearest out-stations.''

Mr. Inman continues—

" On leaving the place of strife I proceeded alone and shortly picked up the other horseman, and after a week's privation and bodily suffering managed to reach the station of Mr. Hallack, where I was hospitably received ; the shepherds also managed to get as far as the Narcoota Springs, where they were met by Messrs. Hawker and Bagot who had come out in search of the party and to bring them food. After being refreshed they were conveyed into the station. The shepherd who was carried off and speared had managed to reach the Springs before the shepherds left. He had seven wounds in the body."

Thus all escaped with their lives, and the wounded afterwards recovered. Mr. Inman continues —

" I beg leave to say that on no occasion during the journey had any act of violence been committed by my men; on the contrary, they universally treated them with kindness, but still with that caution which was necessary for the safety of the party."

The Government dispatched a sergeant of mounted police with several privates, instructed to rescue the sheep and to act against the natives, but only within the province of South Australia, to aid a volunteer relief party, ten in number, which was speedily organised, and started from Adelaide on May 5, commanded by Lieut. Field, whose brother had been in joint charge with Mr. Inman of the lost sheep. I am indebted for much of what follows to Mr. J, Hawker, one of the party, who kindly placed his diary at my service : —

" By forced marches and after a hurried preparation we reached the supposed boundary of the colony in seven days, carrying only tea, sugar, and flour, camping at night under bushes, our only meat a few wallaby which we succeeded in shooting. The police in obedience to orders remained here, and we (the volunteers) proceeded onwards unsupported.

" On the evening of the 12th we camped on the creek where the attack had been made on Messrs. Field and Inman. We first found Mr. Field's trunk empty on the track. The natives had chosen a most favorable spot on which to make the onslaught. It was on a little flat, through the centre of which a gully ran, and was surrounded by a thick scrub. It was when the dray was crossing the gully that the rush was made. The providential release of the spear-head from Mr. Inman's back enabled him to mount his horse, and to this he owed his life.

" From the hasty departure of the rescuing party we were badly provided with arms. Most of them were rifled, and we had only one powder-flask to three men. Many of the balls fitted very tight, so that speedy or convenient loading was out of the question. The barrels also had become rusty after the damp nights to which they had been exposed. At the first discharge two of the pieces became useless, one hammer breaking, and in another a ball stuck fast when half home.

" The natives when met were in their war paint, with white bars on their bodies and limbs, giving them the appearance of skeletons. It was found that the horses would not steadily face them, the blacks also yelling in the most hideous manner."

I now follow with extracts from Lieutenant Field's official report, which was published in the papers : —

" We first found sheep tracks, and on following them down observed natives running through the trees. We soon came to a large body of them concealed in the scrub, waiting our approach, we then formed in line, and rode towards them; they at the same time boldly approached us to within 40 yards, when one of their chiefs gave the signal to attack by sticking a spear in the ground, and with a wave of his hand, they then gave vent to a loud war cry, and commenced a discharge of spears.

" The first man who threw a spear I shot through the head, and gave the order to fire, hoping when they saw two or three fall they would retreat, but they still advanced in the form of a crescent, in number at least two hundred, while many more were seen through the scrub behind. At this time Mr. Hawker called out to me that they were encircling us, and seeing they were advancing both wings, while the centre were attacking us, a large lagoon lying in our rear, I ordered the party to follow me and outflank them on the right.

" While effecting this movement Mr. Hawker's horse fell across a tree, and he was dismounted, at the same time Mr. Jacob's horse received a second spear, and was soon unable to carry him further. He dismounted and we were all engaged in covering his retreat."

[One of the party informed me that before they lost sight of Mr. Jacob's abandoned horse he was like a porcupine from the number of spears sticking in his carcase.]

" We succeeded in reaching a rising ground, where we formed line, while Mr. Jacobs mounted behind Mr. Bagot. The affray had now lasted more than half an hour, a very few shots were fired without effect, and the last man shot was one of their chiefs. I must here remark that had not the gentlemen displayed much steadiness and coolness Mr. Jacob mast have fallen, as it was by frequently coming to the present but reserving our fire that we kept the headmost men back, as on those occasions they doubled themselves up into the smallest possible compass, holding shields before their heads.

" In covering Mr. Jacob I was struck with a spear in the fore part of the head, but as it passed through a thick tarpaulin hat the wound was but slight; but the mare I rode was severely speared in the shoulder. When I was struck the natives gave a loud yell, as they did on every occasion when they appeared to gain an advantage.

" Having retreated a mile we had to halt to sew up the wound in the mare's shoulder, or she must have soon dropped from loss of blood. Then, choosing the clearest line to retreat upon, we continued our retreat, and found our cart and the police the following day. I feel convinced that the remainder of the sheep were not far distant, and the natives had assembled to defend them and resist their recovery. I further remark that a very strong party would be required to subdue them without loss of life in the attacking force, as their activity and courage, combined with their numbers, and the necessity to attach them in a country unfavorable for horse movements, render them a much more formidable enemy than the colonists have generally any idea of."

It has been related to me by Mr. J. Hawker that the first black who fell and was supposed to be killed was some time after these affrays employed by him when in that part of the colony. He says—"The ball struck him obliquely just above his left eye, carrying part of the frontal bone and the eye away, and also injuring the beauty of his nose considerably." (To be continued.)

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_River_massacre