In the proposed republication of these papers which have appeared in the Chronicle, this will necessarily be placed as the introductory chapter. In the construction of the series which has crept on to an extent not originally contemplated, it did not occur to the writer to commence with the first occupation of Kangaroo Island, indeed to do so was not then a possibility to him, as he had no personal experience on that part of the province, and he has had subsequently to wait for reliable information from such of the actual primitive settlers as he could meet with.

He has been enabled to correct one erroneous impression early extant, that they were principally runaway convicts, the fact being that the majority of the early inhabitants were men who had left whaling and sealing vessels or surveying ships.

In the year 1835 William Thompson, a seaman, landed on Kangaroo Island from the cutter William, Captain Wright, after he had fulfilled his engagement in a sealing voyage. He then joined Wm. Waller who had been some time on the island. At the time he (Thompson) landed there were about seven male white settlers, engaged in sealing and catching wallaby, and in preparing the skins for export.

The first settler was Waller, who had assumed the title of Governor of the island, and to his rule the others yielded such obedience as was necessary in so primitive a state of society as then obtained. Several of the men had colored women living with them, some obtained from Tasmania and the others from the tribes occupying the Cape Jervis and Encounter Bay districts. One of these women, not satisfied with her promotion from slavery to one of her own race to a help to a white man, took to the salt water and swam across the straits, nine miles wide at the narrowest part, crossing the powerful currents, and passing in safety through the multitudes of sharks, for which this passage (now called Backstairs Passage) is notorious, and landed safely in her own country on the main land [disputed as not likely]. Shortly after the writer's own arrival, about four or five years after this extraordinary swim was made, this woman was pointed but to him, and she was even then a fine specimen of her race.

The inhabitants of the little settlement had cleared small patches of land from the scrub, which they cultivated or worked with strong hoes, growing vegetables and wheat, which latter was ground between two flat stones, and from the meal produced they made their unleavened bread or dampers, baked in wood ashes.

The late Captain Hart, when in the employment of Mr. Griffiths, of Launceston, was in the habit of visiting the island to trade with the islanders for their seal and wallaby skins, and to furnish them with goods in exchange. The settlers had pigs and fowls, and varied their diet with the flesh of wallaby, wild fowl, and fish.

One of the earliest islanders was a young man of the name of G. Meredith, whose father was an inhabitant of Tasmania, in a large way of business. His son had been despatched by him in a small vessel amongst the islands to catch seals. Young Meredith had the misfortune to wreck his vessel on Howe's Island, and escaped in a boat with a Dutchman, who was known afterwards as Jacob Leaman [misprint for Seaman]. They had with them, on landing on the island, a Tasmanian black woman, called Sal, who had lost half of one of her feet when young by sleeping with them too near the fire. She was owned by Meredith. He took up his residence at Western River on the coast of the island opposite the Althorpes. He had also with him two native boys whom he had procured from the mainland, and whom he was training to be of great use to him in his sealing trips. In one of his boat voyages with the black woman and the two boys he landed on the part of the coast now known as Yankalilla. Whilst they were encamped, Meredith was killed by his two black boys, of which sad occurrence the black woman afterwards gave the following account to the islanders : — "Whilst their unsuspecting master was sitting near the camp fire partaking of porridge, the boys stole behind him, and with a small hatchet split his skull open, causing instantaneous death."

It was supposed that they had been instigated to commit this act of treachery by some blackfellows, who afterwards took possession of the black woman, the boat, and all its contents, with which they made their way to Encounter Bay. In the then unsettled state of the country no steps were taken in the matter. The boat, as reported by the islanders, was for some time used by the Encounter Bay natives in sealing and fishing, and was ultimately lost by getting adrift from their careless fastenings. Sal eventually managed to escape to the island, and joined a settler (who was an American black) named Geo. Brown. He had been engaged as headsman in one of the whaling companies.

After the colonists arrived with the Government staffs, Geo. Brown left the island, and was engaged at the first occupation of Port Adelaide. He had become acquainted with an emigrant girl who was in the service of Captain Lipson, our first Harbor Master, who was, I may mention, officially and privately held in universal esteem and respect. Brown was legally married to this young woman, and they left a family who are now in respectable positions.

It was more than 12 months after Wm. Thompson became a resident on the island that the first South Australian ships arrived, dispatched from London by the Board of Commissioners and the South Australian Company. The Duke of York and the Lady Pelham had as passengers the officers and servants of the South Australian Company, as well as freights of general cargo, with full outfits for establishing a whaling station.

In the Duke of York Mr. Samuel Stephens was a passenger, with the appointment of general manager for the Company. At a meeting of the few scattered inhabitants Mr. S. Stephens called on the self-elected primitive Governor Waller to abdicate, which he did magnanimously. The manager purchased Waller's stock and crops on his small squatting farm.

I may here mention that Mr. S. Stephens married a lady passenger on the passage out, who was so long known and respected as his widow. I shall later in this history relate the fatal accident by which Mr. S. Stephens lost his life.

The first selections of land were made at Kingscote, and unfortunately so for the Company and some private individuals, who at once commenced to work and build houses, &c , which were shortly abandoned after the landing of the Surveyor-General, Colonel Light, with his staff. He arrived in the brig Rapid, on the 20th August, 1836. When after a sufficient examination of the island, as a first place of settlement, he pronounced it to be unsuitable, although it possessed in Nepean Bay a grand harbor scarcely surpassed in any known country. In a short time most of the officers, servants, goods, and plant were removed to Port Adelaide. The buildings, gardens, &c, were left to be generally occupied by the original islanders. Colonel light promised them that they should not be disturbed, but this promise he was not able to fulfil.

When the Government settlers arrived no kangaroos were to be seen on the island, but the first sealers reported that when they became residents a few remained, but were soon killed off. At this time, however, the appellation of Kangaroo Island is a misnomer.

Mr. C. W. Stuart has kindly furnished me from his notes the account of his landing at the island, which is interesting as containing the arrival of a cargo of goods which had been shipped to find a market in Swan River settlement, but which were purchased by Mr. S. Stephens, and formed the first and opportune opening of trade between the infant colony of South Australia and the much older sister-colony of New South Wales, Mr. C. W. Stuart says :—

" In September, 1833, I left London in the barque Atwick, 500 tons, Capt. Hugh McKay, bound for Hobart Town and Sydney. The latter place we reached after a fortnight's detention at Hobart Town, in a little less than five months from Gravesend. I left the ship in Sydney with little less grief than I had felt at leaving home. The captain was a fine fellow and a gentleman. There were only eight of us and the doctor cabin passengers ; among them had been the newly-appointed Sheriff of Van Diemen's Land, Mr. Sand, and his two daughters. We made a most happy party. The ship was well found in everything, and the living first-rate ; a thing not usual in those days.

" After recruiting for a few weeks at a friend's house in Sydney, to whom I had letters, I took a passage in the Lambton cutter to Port Stephens, about 180 miles to the north of Port Jackson. I had letters to Captain Caswell, R.N., a relative who had settled in Port Stephens, and to Admiral Sir E. Parry, of polar exploration celebrity, who was at that time manager of the Australian Agricultural Company, which Company held at Port Stephens a free grant of one million acres of land.

" Here I remained about two years, my attention chiefly directed to cattle, the country near the coast being well adapted for cattle and horses. While still living there at Port Stephens early in 1836 I received from London a land order for a preliminary section of land and a town acre in a new colony to be called ' South Australia.' My determination was soon made to start to Sydney and to find my way to Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, as directed, where the first ships were to rendezvous. My friends did all they could to persuade me to remain in New South Wales, hinting that the new colony must be a failure — land at £1 an acre and free labor against land at 5s. an acre, as it was in Sydney, and convict labor available.

" On arriving in Sydney I found that South Australia was scarcely known there ; and as to communication with Kangaroo Island there was none. The late Mr. Emanuel Solomon had at that time a place of business in George-street, on which was posted a notice that the schooner Truelove was to sail for Swan River on a day mentioned, and would take passengers from Sydney to that place. I went into the office and asked Mr. Solomon if the Truelove would put into Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island. He was astonished at my question, and said he did not know, and asked me my object in enquiring. On my telling him I wanted a passage there and information about the new colony, he seemed to think that I had been duped, and advised me not on any account to go to Kangaroo Island till I knew positively that some vessels had arrived there from England. He told me to see the captain of the Truelove, which vessel had been chartered, who would give more information on the subject than he could.

I saw the captain of the Truelove, Colton ; he was a nice gentlemanly man. His advice to me was much the same as Mr. Solomon's, but at the same time for a certain sum he would take me to Nepean Bay, and, wind and weather permitting, he would remain there 24 hours ; and if no ships from London had arrived, and I did not like to remain, he would take me on to Swan River and back to Sydney for the same money. It was a liberal offer, and I accepted it.

" A few days after I went on board the Truelove, with about one tos of stores and two kangaroo dogs. After a pleasant run of 14 days we were caught in a heavy S.W. gale, and, being near the land, the vessel was hove-to for the night. Next morning at daylight a brig was descried several miles ahead, evidently steering for Nepean Bay.

" We followed her, and a few hours later let go our anchor near to her in Nepean Bay. She proved to he the John Pirie, belonging to the S.A. Company, and had just returned from Hobart Town. There were then lying in Nepean Bay the ships Cygnet and Africaine and the brig Rapid. I went on shore immediately in the ship's boat, and on landing was surprised to see the to me strange appearance of the people just come from England, many of them clad in smock-frocks, with gaiters, &c. On asking where the Governor was to be seen I learnt that he had not yet arrived, but I was introduced to the manager of the South Australian Company, Mr. Samuel Stephens.

" Mr. Stephens was very courteous, and on my telling him my name, and informing him that I had land orders, he warmly welcomed me, asked me to his tent to lunch, and introduced me to Mrs. Stephens. The Truelove was the first vessel that had arrived in Nepean Bay from Sydney, and being laden with stores and provisions on a trading venture for Swan River, Mr. Stephens asked me to take him on board and to introduce him to the captain. The consequence of this introduction was that Mr. Stephens bought the cargo of the Truelove, and sent her back'to Sydney for more necessaries.

" The late Mr. Emanuel Solomon by this means was speedily informed of the prospects of the place, and soon afterwards established a branch of his business in Adelaide, and became a resident until his death. Thus I was instrumental in bringing the first vessel from Sydney to South Australia, and the means of indirectly introducing a pushing and enterprising colonist in Mr. Emanuel Solomon. "

" It was on the 13th of November, 1836, that the Truelove anchored in Nepean Bay and on that or the following day, the late Mr. Stephens introduced me to the following colonists : — The late Mr. J. Hallett, the late Captain Buff, and late Matthew Smith and his son, also to the late Mr. Beare Thomas Hudson, since deceased, and to his son Mr. W. L. Beare, also to Mr. C. S. Hare, and a number of the other first arrivals.

" Mr. Stephens kindly told me to make his tent my home till I got one myself. The stores I brought from Sydney for my own use I sold to the South Australian Company at a profit, and Mr. Stephens, pleased with the knowledge I had acquired of bush life in New South Wales, offered me an appointment for two years in the Company's service, which I accepted. Mr. Stephens was my good and kind friend until his unfortunate and untimely death."

I will in this place give the account of the fatal accident by which Mr. Samuel Stephens lost his life, as it occurred soon after the Company abandoned Kangaroo Island, and the Manager of the same had only time allowed him to make for his Company the first selection on the main land of their town and country lands, in addition to a few preliminary arrangements (which duties he had the good fortune to carry out most successfully) ; thus it may not be out of place here to give the account of him on the last day of his existence, as follows :—

I and my wife on that day were returning from the cattle station on the sources of the Finniss; on horseback, and after a long ride through the Mount Barker district we called at Hahndorf, at the coffee shop kept by old ex-Sergeant Lubasch, where we ordered coffee, ham, and eggs. Whilst this meal was preparing, our horses tied to a fence feeding on cut grass, we took a turn in the recently formed gardens in the centre of the newly-established village. As we were returning to the cottage, four men on horseback galloped up to the house of call, and three of them without ceremony rushed into the small day-room, and, in defiance of remonstrances from old Lubasch, took possession of the table and of our lunch. The fourth (Mr. S. Stephens) on this left the company, mounted his horse, and galloped off towards Adelaide. I and my wife, also displeased at the action, quickly did the same, and followed at a good pace, but not sufficient to overtake him.

In passing we called, and without dismounting took slight refreshment at Crafer's Hotel, at Mount Lofty, and then kept on. We sometimes came within the sound of the horse's feet in advance of us, but did not catch a sight of Mr. Stephens. We passed down to the plains by one of the Glen Osmond spurs the outside tiers ; whilst Mr. Stephens rode down the main Beaumont spur — the one most in use — on which about halfway down he was found in a short time quite dead.

His horse had fallen head over heels and the rider was thrown on his head, by which his neck was broken. We did not hear of the fatal accident until the next morning, when in the midst of our grief we felt thankful that we had been led to adopt a more unused and inconvenient line, by which we had been saved from the shock of finding the lifeless corpse of one for whom, we felt so much respect.