Beheading of Aborigines Condemned

E. J. Eyre arrived at Port Lincoln after an unavailing search for Dutton, at the end of October, 1842, and there found a letter from the Colonial Secretary requesting him to render the Government Resident (Mr. Driver) temporary assistance of men and horses for the apprehension of natives concerned in the recent murders. 

A careful review convinced Eyre that he would do no good himself, but after consultation with the Government Resident, he decided to leave at Port Lincoln the members of the police force and horses attached to his party. Thus McLean was able to accompany Mr. O'Halloran's party after its arrival. 

On one occasion the major rounded up some natives, and McLean said it was some time before the Port Lincoln police would point out any suspected murderers, being paralysed with fear —"in fact they always appeared so whenever we came in contact with them," he said. 

After a time they pointed out two whom the Adelaide police arrested. Apparently the rest were allowed to escape. Then the Port Lincoln police "felt themselves safe, and commenced to talk. One said, ' Did you see the black that killed Mr. Brown ?' Another said, ' Was it not a pity that the fellow that killed Fastins was not taken.' " 

So it appears that the principal murderers were allowed to escape. James C. Hawker, a son of an admiral, narrating his early experiences wrote with reference to the military expedition under the heading "A Military Fiasco," as follows : — 

" Subsequently a detachment of the 96th Regiment quartered in Adelaide was sent to try and capture some of the murderers — soldiers on foot, in heavy marching order, to try and catch natives who knew every inch of the country and could thus evade any attempt to make them prisoners! Every movement of the soldiers was wakened by scouts from the tribes. It was a miserable fiasco. The officer in charge told me that one day they came to a swamp across which they wore unable to march. Fifty or sixty yards on the opposite side the natives mustered to look at them, having come out of the thick scrub a short, distance in their rear. Shots were fired at them by the soldiers, which, as the old Brown Bess musket would not carry effectively much more than half the distance, caused great amusement to the blacks, who danced and jeered at their adversaries for not coming across the swamp. The natives of this side of Spencer's Gulf were small in stature, with hair on their cheeks growing nearly into their eyes. Their most deadly weapon was a spear, having one barb tied on with kangaroo sinew. The woomera was used for throwing the spear.'' 

INNOCENT PUNISHED 

According to Eyre, the innocent were punished as well as the guilty. He instances a case where the arresting party consisted of military and their officers, the police, a settler and the missionary — in all 12 or 14 persons — set out for Coffin's Bay, following the supposed tracks of Brown's and Biddle's murderers, under the guidance of an Eastern Eyre Peninsula native. 

Upon reaching the coast some natives were seen fishing, the party spread out fan-shaped, to close upon and capture them, the officer, missionary and guide being at the centre. On approaching closer, the guide discovered that he was mistaken as to the identity of the natives ; instead of being the guilty ones they were friends. 

The officer, realising prompt action was required, called out not to fire — all too late, for owing to the scrubby nature of the district, his call was either not heard or attended to. A shot was fired, and one native fell. The wounded man walked ashore, and while dying said, "Mr Kopler, me good man." It turned out he was a particular protege of the missionary, and had adopted the name of the missionary's servant. The companions of the natives came forward to attend their friend, regardless of what the whites would do. 

We are horror-stricken at the slaughter by the natives, but can we credit this : "that at such a scene as this the soldiers were indulging in coarse remarks, or brutal jests, upon the melancholy catastrophe ; and comparing the last convulsive spring of the dying man, to a salmon leaping in the water. Yet this," wrote Eyre. "I was assured was the case by the Government Resident at Port Lincoln, from whom I received this account."

There is another account of horror, this time in one of the official reports, dated May 26, 1842, from Mr. Schurmann, the missionary protector, to the Protector of Aborigines, in Adelaide. He had been called to PilIaworta to communicate with a native prisoner and to view the head that had been cut off a fallen native. The soldiers' account of the affray, according to the missionary, was very incoherent, but their action with regard to the head was not. 

Mr. Schurmunn wrote, "It is not my province to give you an opinion as to the propriety of taking the head from the body of the dead native, but I certainly think it is my duty to acquaint you with the barbarous and revolting treatment of it at Pillaworta, of which I was witness. The soldiers and policemen stuck the head on a pole and put it on an old pigsty, forcing a short clay pipe between the teeth. I remonstrated with the lieutenant against the impropriety of such conduct, but could not prevail on him to put a stop to it."

CONDUCT CONDEMNED

 "That conduct of this kind is not calculated to restore harmony between the white and the black population of Port Lincoln I need not say. It would therefore be desirable if a repetition of similar occurrences could be prevented." 

There is a cryptic sentence in the same letter which will be left to the readers to interpret for themselves. It reads : "The destruction and removal of the innocent or at least less guilty natives, while those who have forfeited their lives escape with impunity, besides some other circumstances are gradually convincing me that my presence will not much longer be wanted in this part of the province." 

This was written after the soldiers had been in the district one month. Another letter dated July 14, 1842, Tom Mr. Schurmann, is of interest. He had an interview with his Excellency the Governor, and discussed the missionary's letter of May 18 (now lost) in which was his report of Driver's expedition of April. 

One of the questions asked by the Governor was, did the natives make any resistance when pursued, to which Mr. Schurmann gave the written reply . "The fact of two spears having been thrown at one of the party was communicated to me by the individual at whom they were thrown, and I fully believe his statement. I saw a shot fired at a native before any spear was thrown, but I do not know that the native was killed. The Europeans were naturally in a high state of excitement at seeing the natives in possession of the spoils, and fired almost involuntarily." 

This must have had reference to verbal instructions issued by Governor Grey to Major O'Halloran on April 18, 1842. The context of the instructions will show why they were issued. The major, to clear himself of any misinterpretation, immediately wrote them out and signed the paper. 

This valuable document is now stored in the Archives. "Having sought for instructions from His Excellency to guide me in case I might be called on, during his contemplated visit with Captain Frome to Lake Albert, to proceed against the blacks if they continued troublesome in the North," the major writes, "I asked the Governor what would be the extent of my powers and instructions if sent on such service, upon which he replied that I must treat the blacks if armed and likely to resist, as I would any other hostile party who were resisting the law ; and that I should be fully justified in becoming the aggressor in such a case ; or if I thought the life of a single individual of my own party was threatened or endangered, I should act with vigor till all resistance ceased. The Governor further added that though the law might have to decide upon the legality of such proceedings, I might rest assured and satisfied that the Government would give me every support and protection in their power (signed) T. O'Halloran, Commissioner of Police." " Read by me this 20 April, 1842 (signed) W. D. O'Halloran." 

"EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER" 

These instructions by Capt. Grey did not override those previously issued by Colonel Gawler, but amplified them. They were issued to a representative of the Government, whereas the latter was more particularly concerned with the private individual. 

With regard to the depletion of the natives mentioned by Mr. Schurmann, we get some illuminating information from J. W. Bull, who when referring to the murder of Mr. Brown said, "Although great exertions were made to bring his murderers to justice, they were not caught and punished in the ordinary way." 

There must have been another beheading event, for in Nathaniel Hailes's manuscript papers in the Archives will be found the following pathetic story. It scarcely reads like the case mentioned by Mr. Schurmann above : — " There was one fine young man (native) killed in the somewhat extensive slaughter, which followed the Port Lincoln murders .... eighteen years' of age .... Single handed and armed with his spear, he kept several horsemen for a time at bay. During the contest he received four pistol shots, and had a sword passed through his body. The horsemen left him, as they supposed, dying, but on their return found that he was still alive, that he had crawled several paces, and re-armed himself with abandoned weapons. He was at last despatched and his head chopped off with a hatchet. The trophy was borne to Port Lincoln, where I had an opportunity of inspecting it. As the head rolled out of a bag, and I recognised the lofty retiring forehead, I said to myself, ' If that man had been born with a white skin he would have been a hero.' " 

Is this a flight of fancy, similar to the " myth of Moullia," which will be related later on ? 

(Another Instalment Next Week.)