Experiences of Search Parties

As it was first in the field in the Port Lincoln district, the local land party organised to search for C. C. Dutton, will be dealt with first. We have the Government Residents own report to the Colonial Secretary, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, of this search. It is a straightforward tale without any embellishments. 

Presumably the vessel Governor Gawler had arrived and from the papers the Resident learnt that Dutton had not arrived by September 19, at his destination. After narrating these facts Mr. Driver goes on to say : '' I endeavoured to form a party to proceed in search of them. After extreme difficulty in obtaining even five horses (two of whom are ponies be longing to myself) I left Port Lincoln on the 27th September accompanied by Mr. Schurmann, the native Utulta, two police constables and a man named Stewart (this name probably should be Stuart ; a man named George Stuart an employe of Captain Bishop signed the memorial asking for protection). 

"We followed Mr. Dutton's track 90 or 100 miles through country in general very unfavourable to the driving of cattle. Our horses being unequal to a further journey, we commenced our return on the fourth day after leaving Port Lincoln, a necessity which I the less regretted from having met Nargulta (the native lately tried in Adelaide) who informed me that he had seen the tracks of men and cattle considerably farther on."

"Nargulta also stated that he had seen tracks such as would have been left by the volunteers and police party which had left Adelaide in search of Mr. Dutton."

"I much regret that it is now almost impossible for me to mount a party, however small, in cases even of the greatest emergency in consequence of the almost total absence of serviceable horses." 

The recipient of this letter was instructed by the Governor to "thank Mr. Driver for the promptitude and energy with which he appears to have acted on this occasion." The official report does not give the whole story, so we turn to the "Register" of October 15, in which it is reported that two or three communications had been received about the "awful desperate state" of affairs at Port Lincoln. The loss of Dutton and an expected invasion of the natives were the then dark clouds. 

As a result of Mr. Driver's expedition, we are told that a cow and calf were found about 80 miles from Port Lincoln, supposed to have died of thirst. Dutton's tracks had been crossed at that mileage, and there he appeared to have struck off in a north-westerly direction, although his normal course was north-east. A thick scrub extended, it is said, for at least 30 miles, which probably necessitated this alteration in his route. It was also related that Dutton's horse had returned to Port Lincoln without saddle or bridle. 

ANXIETY IN ADELAIDE 

The scene is now changed to Adelaide, where among those vitally concerned anxiety had been felt at the non-arrival of Dutton's party. They were provisioned for six weeks, allowing ample margin for delays. Thus they should have been heard of by the beginning of August, but by the (beginning of September there was no sign of them, so Capt. John Hart and John Baker (later Hon. J. Baker) made application (September 9, 1842) to the Governor for assistance in a search to ascertain their fate. The request was readily agreed to. 

The applicants were advised that the command of the whole party would devolve on the officer of police in charge of the police party and they would have to bear the whole of the victuals for the police and volunteers. John Baker informed the Colonial Secretary that it was his intention to hire a boat to examine the coast and meet the party from the north. He anticipated to arrange for a rocket to be fired each night at 9 p.m. Inspector Tolmer, the officer selected, and his police party were to be joined by the volunteer party at Bungaree (Hawker's station). The instructions to Tolmer are contained in a letter from the Colonial Secretary dated September 12, 1842.

In view of subsequent happenings, this letter must be carefully considered, more especially where the command of the party lay. The salient features of the letter were : — 

(1) Tolmer was appointed to proceed in charge of the police, who were to accompany a party of volunteers ;
(2) Baker's statement showed that Dutton left Port Lincoln on June 20 with four men, a small herd of cattle, 600 lbs. of flour in his possession and a proportionate quantity of tea and sugar;
(3) grounds for serious apprehension as to Dutton's safety ;
(4) it was expected that several volunteers would be prepared to start with Tolmer from Hawker's, station ;
(5) and this is the vital instruction, " You will take the command of the entire party, except in the case of a magistrate being present, when you would, of course place yourself under his orders in the usual manner ";
(6) if the command devolved on Tolmer he was to act on his own energy and discretion as circumstances might warrant ;
(7) the main thing was using every exertion to track Dutton and his party, even if it entailed going as far as Port Lincoln;
(8) John Baker was leaving with his brother for Hawker's station and expected to have everything ready for Tuesday. 

DEPARTURE OF PARTY 

Tolmer's party, consisting of himself, Corporal Rose and three police troopers, with three pack horses, left Adelaide on September 14, with ample provisions for an extended search. On reaching Hawker's station, the volunteer party consisting of William Peters, James Baker, Charles and James Hawker (no doubt Charles Lloyd and James Collins Hawker) were assembled and Tolmer's letter of instructions was read to them. On being asked if there were any objections, according to Tolmer. ''there was not a dissentient voice." 

The volunteer party had two pack horses and a Sydney native named Billie, a most intelligent fellow. It is not intended to follow the doings of the party on the way up the eastern side of the Gulf, but come to the time of the separation. At present Tolmer's version only will be dealt with, but later, J. C. Hawker's account will be related. Tolmer's full account was not published until 40 years after the event occurred, and naturally many little errors may have crept into it. For instance he states that Dutton's party was provided with riding-horses, from all other accounts it would appear there was only one horse. 

That was a minor slip, but another is a serious one, for he uses a statement to bolster up the action he took before separating from the volunteers : " . . . . having gathered from Mr. E. J. Eyre's book that the disposition of the natives was not to be depended upon in that part of the country through which we were travelling . . . ." The search was in 1842, three years before the publication of Eyre's book ; of course Eyre may have made the statement in some of his reports. Tolmer in his official report September 26, 1842, only stated that the volunteers refused to comply with his orders and that they determined not to proceed further without having a voice in directing the movements of the party. 

Refusing to abrogate his right of command Tolmer had two things to do, go on independently or return to Adelaide. He chose the latter as he "did not think it prudent to proceed further with such a small party of police from the numbers of native fires seen in the scrub" pointing out that "three men were each loading a pack horse and myself and a corporal only disengaged in case of an attack." 

At the Governor's request Tolmer amplified his report on September 27, by saying that ''on the approach of my party towards Flinders Range native beacon fires were first seen all in a line, as if indicating the line of our march, but when approaching the head of the Gulf these signals became less in number but nearer to us." No blacks were seen, but their tracks were visible. He could not say whether the fires were for hostile purposes or not. 

PARTY SEPARATES 

To resume Tolmer's account as recorded in his printed book : he deemed it wise for the safety of the party to place a sentry at night. On the evening of the dispute, the volunteer party camped about 200 yards from the police party. As night drew on, (Corporal Rose was sent with a message requesting them to come to the main fire, stating it was not safe to be divided. They sent word back saying they intended to camp by themselves. Thereon Tolmer went himself to get confirmation of the reply. The volunteers acknowledged it as correct, and added "that they wished to have a voice in directing the movements of the party," to which Tolmer rightly replied. "If I allowed your request I should be giving up the command." He suggested that they should "sleep on it." 

Next morning after the police had breakfasted without the volunteers — who had made no stir, in fact, they were still under their blankets — Tolmer again approached, asking what they intended to do. Receiving the same reply as before, he said, "Well, gentlemen, if that is your determination, you can go on in search of Dutton and his party, but I shall return to Adelaide." 

Tolmer gives as his opinion the cause of the rupture, that he had expressed his intention to have a thorough and systematic search. At this they became afraid of the length of time probably required for such a procedure. Whatever may have been Tolmer's opinion, the action of the volunteer party on arrival at Port Lincoln discredits such an idea on their part. 

Tolmer returned to Adelaide, leaving Corporal Rose to follow more leisurely, as he intended to make a rapid journey. He arrived in Adelaide on Monday, September 26 (not September 27, as stated in his book). As mentioned before, two reports were submitted for the information or the Governor, and the Commissioner of Police was advised under date September 30, 1842, that the Governor "altogether approves of the course which Inspector Tolmer pursued in refusing to comply with the request made by the gentlemen volunteers. . . . that they "should have a voice in directing the movements of the party." In fairness to the volunteers, it should be said that the Governor arriving at this decision did so on one version of the evidence. Corporal Rose and the other police men were stopped at Gawler, to await a second police expedition and there we shall leave them.