In closing this series of articles, it may be remarked that should such papers be continued they must have as a title, " Later Experiences." In this concluding chapter it will be necessary to summarise some of the subjects already commenced.

The first will be a very painful task. viz., to give a return which was made by Sheriff Wm. Boothby, Esq., to the Parliament, of the conviction and execution of the native murderers of detached white settlers in the South-East Lake country, and in the out-districts of Port Lincoln.

COPY OF REPORT.

First, the murder of Geo. MacGrath, on the 3rd of June, 1844, at MacGrath's Flat, South-East, by Werd Maldera, alias Peter. Hung in front of Her Majesty's Gaol, Adelaide, 29th March, 1845.

Murder of Captain John Beevor, in Port Lincoln District May 3, 1849, by three natives, Neulatta, Pulluruninga, Kee-gulta. Hung at Port Lincoln November 9, 1849.

Murder of Peter Brown, near Franklin Harbor, June 1, 1855, by three natives, Wadmiltie, Pamgulta, Ilyelta. Hung at Franklin Harbor, January 14, 1855.

Murder of John Jones, near Franklin Harbor. Hung at Franklin Harbor, May 13, 1860.

Murder of Thomas G. Bergeest, at Fowler's Bay, by two natives, Nelgerrie, alias Peter Telcherrie alias Harry. Hung at Fowler's Bay, January 19, 1861.

Murder of Margaret A. Impey, in Port Lincoln District, by two natives, Karrabidne, Mangeltie. Hung at Port Lincoln, May 2, 1861.

Murder of William Walker, near Venus Bay, by Mangultie, hung at Venus Bay, Sept. 8, 1863.

The natives who had committed the crimes of murder in the previous melancholy list in the Port Lincoln country were first caught, after infinite trouble, then with witnesses brought to Adelaide, and after being tried and found guilty, after sentence were conveyed by the Sheriff and a sufficiently strong party respectively to the district in which the crime had been com-mitted, and there hung at the several dates given.

The above revolting history has been given to close the experiences of the difficulties encountered by the first settlers in the Lake and Port Lincoln districts from attacks of the natives. It is a subject painful to reflect upon ; but all such experiences in every part of Australia have proved that in situations where a state of safety for the lives and properties of white intruders has been attained, without exception it has been where in the first instance of occupation a large and concentrated body of whites has settled down ; or in other cases where the blacks, having taken advantage of a few individuals venturing to occupy lonely places, have killed them, safety for succeeding parties has not been secured until a dread has been created in the minds of the offending tribe by speedy and severe punishment on the offenders and accomplices, and on those who shelter them. It is a fact which cannot be denied that there has been no safety for the lives and properties of the whites until such a dread has been established.

The now lost or defunct Adelaide or Cowandilla tribe has been held up as a pattern tribe, because the members of it committed so few aggressions of a serious nature against the settlers, on their arrival ; but then, it must be remembered, in proof of the preceding statement, that the first settlers landed in overwhelming numbers and poured out of large ships, producing a great awe of the powers of the strange race arriving.

Then to do justice to these aboriginal wanderers, it must be urged that it was the duty of the Government from the beginning of our intrusion to have made a sufficient aboriginal reserve of land in every tribal district, and to have respected their established native laws by negotiating with each successive tribe for consent to a white settlement to be formed in, or for a party of whites to cross over their country. It was well known from the first that by the laws of their several tribes no stranger was allowed to enter the country of another tribe except by consent, or he was liable to be killed.

Then it was assumed by the authorities that by reading of the Queen's proclamation all the native tribes in the province by that simple observance became subjects of Her Majesty, and from that time they were presumed to understand the laws they were required to obey.

On reflecting on the long list of executions, it will not be unjust to say that through the weak measures adopted, and the mistaken instructions issued by Capt. Grey at the beginning of the outbreak, he left a legacy of difficulties which culminated in additional massacres of the whites and the necessary executions of the murderers. It is not advisable to enlarge further upon this unsatisfactory subject, or to repeat here statements as to the insufficiency of the arrangements made under orders from home applying to the aboriginal protectorate, as this subject has already been dealt with in a previous part of this work ; but it is well to repeat Major O'Halloran's opinion of the special incompetency of the Missionary Protector who was appointed to act in the Port Lincoln part of the province, in as much as he was helpless and afraid to mix with the people whom he was sent to protect, and on him such grave responsibility was loaded. It is also a fact, not for the whites to be proud of, that advantage was taken by the intending settlers of the normal weak organisation of the natives, who, from the very nature of the climate and country in the original scarcity of water and food, especially in the absence of natural and edible fruits and roots, could only exist in small scattered families or tribes and maintain life, chiefly depending on such food as snakes, reptiles, and insects. These tribes, although weak and degraded, were only held in check by the large numbers of the whites arriving. With such a low class of aboriginals scattered about a vast extent of country, there was no necessity forced upon the Government here or governing powers at home to treat with such a race as would be required with a superior and less-divided people.

There is one fact patent that the natives favorably placed as to superior food and abundance of water were found to be specimens of humanity finer in bodily development, and possessed of superior brain power than other less favored tribes, and were also more dangerous to cope with. Under the above circumstances it was incumbent on the rulers and founders of the colony to have acted as the real protectors of such people when embracing them among its subjects, and not to have rested satisfied with the appointment of a few nominal aboriginal protectors to dole out a scanty supply of necessaries, and to employ themselves in persuading the supplanted helpless natives to refrain from attacks on those who were taking their land from them and destroying or driving away their game without adequate compensation.

The researches by our professors into the relics of bygone ages have not brought to light any traces of an ancient and more exalted race of human beings former inhabitants of this land, when nature was so bountiful and competent to support advanced and more numerous inhabitants in competence and plenty; although such scientific gentlemen have found preserved remains or proofs of former gigantic vegetation, and of comparatively large classes of animals which have lived in distant ages.

For those of the white race who have to succeed the present inhabitants at some future distant period the consideration is a very serious one — whether this country is progressing towards greater dryness and aridity, and is going downwards, or if the return has commenced to its previous luxuriant state. This subject, the writer is informed, has been lately treated on by one of our professors. It is considered safe to say (by one who viewed the old giants of the forest which forty years ago were erect or prone) that the future changes either way are likely to be very slow, and will not affect any but a very distant generation unless the upward change has commenced, and improvement in rainfall can be increased by artificial agencies, such as abundance of water lodges constructed in the numerous gullies in the ranges, dams in the water courses as they cross the plains, and by tapping artesian springs in a country giving ample encouragement for such works by its general conformation.

The Divine command is " to increase and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it." It is not presumptuous in those who believe in the Bible to believe that in obeying such a command, which must especially apply to such an unimproved country as this was, favorable results will follow and blessings attend the works carried on in obedience to it and in reliance on its implied promise.

To reflect on the millions of tons of water which annually flow to waste naturally gives rise to regret that by some systems of reserves a large portion of such a valuable element is not utilised in irrigation in the dry season, and that no such system has commenced. A large horticulturist has stated that he is prepared to pay to the Corporation, of Adelaide £1 an acre for a supply of the waste water of the city, and many of his neighbors are said to be willing to do the same. These properties are situated to the west of the city.

On October 25, 1845, Captain Grey vacated his office as Governor of this colony. Before the expiration of the usual period of gubernatorial exchanges he was hastily ordered by the imperial authorities to assume the office of Governor of New Zealand, in consequence of the serious outbreak of the Maoris in that dependency. These tribes, as they proved in this contest, were of a higher type than any aboriginal inhabitants Europeans have attempted to subdue in any part of the world during the last three centuries, and were not to be overpowered or treated as the miserable Australian natives might be; nor were they to be deprived of their land without compensation with impunity. And here again comes in the questions of food and climate as agents in raising or depressing races of men, or even of animals.

As to Captain Grey and the task which had been assigned to him, he found it a most onerous and responsible one, as a war had been drifted into between the British and the Maoris — one of the little wars from which it is said England is never free. In this instance the Governor, who was an educated soldier, found these natives worthy to cross weapons with the veterans whom he had to send against them, and were found hard to be beaten in their wild country and behind their stockades.

At the time Captain Grey left this seat of Government he had witnessed the commencement of renewed and sound prosperity brought about by the indomitable perseverance of the settlers. When called on the earth had given forth her increase in food for flocks yielding wool for export, and for the sustenance of increasing herds of cattle ; also from her bowels had commenced to come yields of silver lead and copper ores for export. Thus the colony commenced her career as an exporting community, and has continued in such a course until it has attained in exports the highest average per head of its inhabitants of any community in the world.

During Captain Grey's residence here it was not possible for him to become a popular Governor, as his stringent instructions from the Colonial Office had a most crushing effect on the community, and they were carried out by him with firmness and determination to obey orders, although he ultimately evinced a desire to assist claimants on the Government for goods supplied and work performed under the orders of his predecessor, Colonel Gawler. To meet such just claims he drew bills, which were dishonored, and he received an unmerited censure from Lord Stanley, Secretary for the Colonies, as has been already explained.

He also got wrong in making promises as to the claims of the firm of Borrow & Goodiar, which he was unable or unwilling to fulfil. On these accounts very severe censures were published in the papers, and much indignation was generally expressed at what was rated as repudiation.

The Governor also struck upon another rock — one that Governments frequently meet with, even in countries where representation precedes taxation, but in the case of the then Government of South Australia there was not even the semblance of representation. The power of the Governor was unchecked by any influence but such as resided in Downing-street, and there no sympathy existed in the person of the Colonial Secretary of State, when that post was filled by Lord Stanley.

On the intention of the Governor becoming publicly known of imposing heavy and exorbitant Port dues, a public meeting was held, and a deputation waited on him, composed of a body of influential gentlemen, who respectfully remonstrated against the proposed impolitic measure, urging as the subjects of Her Majesty residing in the colony of South Australia, that they had no voice through any form of representation, and they entered their protests on behalf of the inhabitants at large against the proposed impost. The reply he gave them, as reported in the papers of the day, was that he would enact taxation before any kind of representation was granted. The deputation left his presence with their feelings considerably ruffled, and great indignation spread throughout the province, but the inhabitants on this as well as on all occasions since the foundation of the colony acted under such restraint as becomes good subjects, and in a short time he withdrew the obnoxious tax.

In justice to Captain Grey, an extract from a despatch to him from Lord Stanley, of December 24, 1842, must be given, on the liberty he had taken to pay claims.

"The justification which you have urged or the course taken by you is in substance this — that you understand that all the bills, drawn by your predecessor were to be accepted at length and paid, and that the claims in satisfaction of which you were about to draw those bills were similar to those on account, of which Governor Gawler drew his bills. It is true, that in order to sustain the credit of the Colonial Government, the Home Government ultimately consented to provide for the payment of all Colonel Gawler's bills ; you were warned not to draw any bills without having previously received authority to do so."

Astonishment may well be felt and expressed on the extraordinary obtuseness of Lord Stanley in not perceiving that the question was not merely, as to Colonel Gawler exceeding his instructions as to drawing bills, but whether the claims were just, and if the liabilities had been incurred principally in erecting necessary public buildings. However, the severe and unfair censure which Captain Grey received must be accepted as an apology for his strict adherence to orders in other cases, although such a course might withhold justice from struggling colonists.

It may be mentioned here that one of the great stumbling-blocks which stood in the way of claims out-standing at that time, and one most relied on, was that for the erection of what was incorrectly pronounced to be an unnecessarily large Gaol. The writer, on a visit to the same establishment, whilst preparing these papers, obtained from Mr. Howell, the present keeper, the following information:—

That an additional yard, with usual accommodation, besides other internal buildings, had been added to the first structure ; that in June, 1877, the number of prisoners confined was 197 ; and that the establishment on a proper separate system was only still competent to accommodate 110.

In closing this series, in which have been collected and published some of the early colonial experiences the writer has endeavored to give fair and impartial information, which, he trusts, while it may afford some entertainment, will at the same time correct mistakes and inaccuracies which have been put forth respecting the early days of the settlement. The history has been brought to the verge of a settled state of prosperity, during which great public works have been subsequently accomplished, such prosperity having been, as to climate, subject only to occasional droughts, producing checks to which all communities are more or less called upon to bear from one cause or another. Finally, should encouragement be given, the subject may be further continued by recounting, the gigantic works performed for such a young community.