Search for Native Murderers

A few days after Mr. Nathaniel Hailes' return to Adelaide, bringing the news of Brown's murder, a whale boat arrived from Port Lincoln with the news of the murder of Biddle and his servants. Thereupon a deputation of men connected with Port Lincoln waited on the Governor in April 11, 1842, and presented a memorial, which among other things pointed out the "necessity of immediate and decisive measures being taken with reference to the recent outrages."

The Governor's response was very prompt, for on April 14, the schooner Victoria sailed, having on board Lieut. Hugonin, one sergeant and 15 rank and file, being part of the 96th Regiment. By the same boat, Mr. and Mrs. Hailes and family also went to Port Lincoln, as well as Police-Corporal Swaffer and Police-Constable McLean who was to act as orderly to Lieut. Hugonin. The Private Secretary (Mr. A. M. Mundy) advised the deputationists that His Excellency the Governor "felt himself bound to do his utmost to protect the interests of the settlers in that part of the province, and he will still continue to do so. The isolated position and the difficulties that they consequently have to contend against, giving His Excellency's belief, the strongest possible claim upon the sympathy of the Colonial Government."

"The matter had assumed," wrote Nathaniel Hailes, "a decidedly serious aspect. Some mounted troopers were told off to reinforce the local police, and a party of the 96th Regiment, under command of Lieut. Hugonin, was dispatched to the scene of the murders. We were hurried away with all possible expedition. The vessel, although a trifle larger than the regular trader was very small, and passengers, soldiers, luggage, furniture and merchandise were crammed into her interior after a most miscellaneous and uncomfortable fashion."

For five days and five nights this had to be endured, said Hailes and also "the weather was boisterous and the water rough, for several antagonistic currents, sometimes set in among the numerous little islands which stud Spencer's Gulf, and communicate to a small sailing vessel, a motion or combination of motions, far more unpleasant than either pitching or rolling."

CONFLICTING DATA

As far as I can make out the length of the voyage was four days — April 14 to 17. The discomforts of the trip also remained ever fresh in McLean's memory, and the trials and troubles were so severe that in later years he quoted the length of the voyage as eight days instead of only four. By November the Governor considered that sufficient progress had not been made in bringing to justice the murderers, so the Commissioner of Police (Major O'HalIoran) and Inspector Tolmer were instructed to proceed to Port Lincoln, where they arrived on the 10th of that month.

The Commissioner left Port Adelaide by the Alpha on November 25, Tolmer having had to return earlier. Before the arrival of the soldiers, Mr. Driver had conducted one punitive expedition. It would appear that when the news of the tragic event reached White's Station, Mr. Driver was there and forthwith he made up a party and went in pursuit, overtaking the aboriginals in about four miles. The natives, seeing the approach of the party, bolted, leaving all the plunder and also one man, killed by a long shot. This apparently was the position the soldiers arrived on April 17. There is not a reliable account of the doings of the "avenging parties."

James McLean, formerly a police constable, in his reminiscences, written for the Royal Geographical Society of S.A., and published in session 1902-3, gives his recollections. He had been sent over as orderly, returned to Adelaide, and went to Port Lincoln with E. J. Eyre and was left there again for some time. In places where his statements can be checked they do not seem very reliable, therefore in utilising his account, which we must do a little further on, allowance will have to be made as to its accuracy. He is not singular in this respect. Reference has been made to the length of the voyage over — McLean's eight days, Hailes's five days as against the actual four days. Take another case which has been referred to previously. Both Hailes and Angas make Tubbs (or Stubbs) so far exhausted when the shepherds arrived home at night that he could scarcely tell them what had happened. Nearly all other writers, including McLean, relate how Tubbs crawled from Biddle's to White's Station. Neither of the former states how the news was carried, but the inference must be that the shepherds, who had been out watching the sheep, did so after their return at sunset.

WHAT RECORDS SHOW

Before considering McLean's account, it will be advisable to take into consideration accounts written by J. W. Bull and Alexander Tolmer, to see what they have to say on the expeditions. Both of these writers deal more with O'Halloran's movements than with those of the soldiers. The criminal case book of Port Lincoln Court, now fortunately in the archives, has an entry for May 9, 1842, saying that Lieut. Hugonin and detachment had returned from Pillaworta, bringing in a native man; a woman, wife of Charlie, with two children and another woman with one child. The latter had a piece of canvas taken from Pillaworta, while the others had various articles as recorded in the inventory (now lost). They named Wondulta, Kingulta, Narraby, Numulta, Mellie, Moullia, and Nultia as the perpetrators of the recent murders. There being no evidence against those brought in by the lieutenant, they were released, having first been provided with rations.

Bull said that after arrival at Port Lincoln, the soldiers were marched out on an expedition against the tribes. The party was supplied with a bullock dray and team, also horses to carry provisions and baggage by Captain Hawson, who also accompanied them as guide and advisor to Lieut. Hugonin. The party was out for three months. The soldiers were all on foot, so the natives, when found, easily escaped in the scrub. The only result was the shooting of three blacks.

They went out a second time accompanied by Mr. Driver and three mounted troopers, on which occasion one native was shot. Later on Major O'Halloran and party of mounted police were sent from Adelaide and were out for six weeks. How these errors will creep in !

The major when leaving Adelaide took six weeks' provisions for his party, but double banking with the local police, he found that the party would be twice the size he anticipated, therefore provisions would last only half the time. Actually he was only in the Port Lincoln district from November 10 to 25, so naturally Mr. Bull's six weeks must dwindle down to two.

GOVERNOR'S INSTRUCTIONS

We are able to follow the major's movements from extracts from his diary and published by Bull, and from two letters written by himself to the Colonial Secretary dated November 13 and 24, 1842. The Governor, as a friend of the natives, was very definite in his instructions to Major O'Halloran. The Government Resident, and the officer in charge of the military had been instructed to give O'Halloran any assistance required. The object of the party was stated to be to "endeavour to capture any of the aborigines who may be identified."

The Governor was definite how the work was to be performed. He had previously instructed O'Halloran as to his powers when chasing the blacks north of Adelaide, which of course the major would accept as his procedure anywhere against the natives. The Governor again gives the instructions, almost to the same effect, the Colonial Secretary wrote "In exercising this duty, His Excellency directs me to say that you must be careful that no belligerent rights are exercised against the natives and that, no proceedings are adopted but such as the laws of England would authorise against Europeans, who had been guilty of similar atrocities."

We learn that on the arrival of Major O'Halloran at Port Lincoln. Mr. Driver was absent, but returned in the afternoon after an absence of three days, having succeeded in apprehending two natives, out of a mob of 32, of the Battara tribe. Two known murderers escaped. The captured natives were Moullia and Nultia, and were identified by Tubbs as having been present when Mr. Biddle and his people were killed. A list of six other natives, who were wanted was in possession of Mr. Driver.

EXPEDITION LAUNCHED

The following morning the major and party (Tolmer and five constables) accompanied by Messrs. Driver, Schurmann (officers), Hawson, McEllister (volunteers) and the native prisoner Moullia — who was taken as Utulta, the friendly native who was to have acted as guide did not turn up — left for Pillaworta, where a depot was formed. The major considered his prospect of arresting any native practically nil, owing to the natives having been just warned and scattered by Mr. Driver's last attempt.

Major O'Halloran wrote to the Chief Secretary giving an outline of the procedure to be adopted, and on the information being submitted to the Governor, he said, as recorded by the Colonial Secretary, "as far as he is able to form an opinion ... appears .... to be very judicious."

From Pillaworta a sortie, with three days' provisions, was made to the northward. The first day they travelled 28 to 30 miles. The next day, during lightning and thunder, they came upon a party of natives, apparently friendly ones. Utulta being amongst them. After receiving a fatherly lecture, indicating the white people's ideas, the natives volunteered the information that four of the murderers were ahead. After a long and fatiguing ride, they came about 4 p.m. upon a mob of retreating blacks, and gave them a chase over terribly rough and scrub-by country, but only caught one man, who turned out not to be an offender, so was allowed to follow his comrades. On the 17th they returned to the depot a distance of from 40 to 58 miles. The major praised his prisoner guide (Mouilla) while Utulta had been unable to act, he being in the process of being made man and warrior by his tribe. On November 18 Tolmer left the party to return to Adelaide on account of ill health. On the 19th Mr. Driver also left.

(Another Instalment Next Week.)