Story of Tragedies of 1848-1849

Men will call me unrelenting.
Pitiless, vindictive, stern ;
Few will raise a voice dissenting ;
Few will better things discern.
- Louise Gerard.

Except that the above is in the singular, the quotation is very apt, so far as the situation on the western shore of Eyre Peninsula, as portrayed by raconteurs and writers during the last 50 or 60 years, is concerned. It is to be hoped that this series will dispel the erroneous impressions that have got about. With this end in view it is earnestly recommended that all readers should keep a copy of all of these articles, so that when the final analysis is made at the end of the series, each can for himself or herself reason as the probable accuracy of the deductions of the writer, who readily admits that many things happen that are not recorded.

With the initial settlement of the land on the western side of the Peninsula, there was every opening for a repetition of robberies, assaults and murders as had been experienced adjacent to Port Lincoln six to eight years previously. The Protector of Aboriginals had contemplated such calamities if the stations were scattered about and without sufficient protection.

GLOWING REPORT OF COUNTRY

The two adventurous whalers (who I now see are called explorers by a writer) in 1843 had given a glowing account of the land around Mount Wedge, which had led to an exploration of the district by John Charles Darke in 1844. This explorer, while not so enthusiastic as the whalers, spoke highly of the country from Mount Hope northward. A number of Port Lincoln settlers had accompanied Darke on the first part of the journey: quite how far, is not recorded, but possibly as far as Mount Wedge, or if not as far as that then to about Sheringa, though I incline to the former place. Among those settlers were some of the Hawsons.

With all the favorable reports, sheep farmers soon began to take up land, and their stations were far apart, giving the natives every opportunity for stealing and threatening the occupiers. Port Lincoln was the nearest police station; possibly the police patrolled the back country at intervals after the whites went there, but with only a handful of men what control would Lance-Corporal Geharty have ?

In May, 1841, the settlers on the western, coast petitioned the Governor to have police stationed at some central point. From this letter we get an idea of some of the settlers at that time. Those who signed the petition were :— W. S. Peter, Coffin's Bay ; J. R. Beevor and A. B. Lodwick, Point Drummond ; W. Dunkin, 75 miles west; W. Mortlock, 85 miles west, and J. Anderson whose location is not given. There must have been other settlers, for W. Pinkerton's name does not appear, neither does W. Nation J.P., nor E. B. Vaux. Henry Price was somewhere on the Peninsula, and John Tennant was on the eastern coast, at Salt Creek.

The Government Resident reported on May 18, 1848. that John Tennant's flocks at Salt Creek, 30 or 40 miles from Port Lincoln, had been attacked repeatedly by the natives, who had also threatened to spear his servants. Lance-Corporal Geharty and a native constable were despatched to arrest the offenders, but on account of the scrub were unable to do so. How ever, the police frightened the raiders, who left the district. The Government Resident voiced his opinion that Tennant was negligent in the manner in which he allowed his stations to be conducted. He felt so strongly on the point that he wrote a letter to Tennant on the subject, stressing the point that the sheep were allowed to stray, while the men remained in the camp playing cards.

NATIVE RAID

While the petition referring to the above was on the way, Geharty reported to Adelaide that the natives had raided Mortlock's station at Lake Hamilton, about 3 p.m., on June 10, 1848, just the day after the police patrol had passed the station. It appeared that a former native employe came to the hut and in a most frien ly and matter-of-fact way, informed the hut keeper (Isaac Brydges) that he and the rest of the party had come to kill him, "there was no gamman about it." A large party of natives were quartered behind a fence with spears ready shipped to take the offensive. While the hut-keeper was getting his gun, the shepherd (C. Goldsmith) arrived home, the natives throwing some spears at him as he got within range. The shepherd, reinforced by the hut-keeper, faced the natives, who gradually closed in on a half circle The shepherd received a spear wound "in the rump," wherewith he fired and it was reported one man dropped. The engagement then became general, a spear stuck fast in the shepherd's "rump,'' and the hut-keeper trying to extricate it, received a spear in his breast. Through the utter folly of the owners, only three charges of powder were provided. These being expended, the two lone defenders of the hut had to beat a retreat, "on the run," to the head station, two or three miles, distant.

The overseer returned to the hut, which was found to have been robbed of everything. and half the flock gone. He followed the tracks for four miles and came to 13 natives driving the sheep. On approaching to within 60 yards, the natives again took the offensive, by throwing spears. The overseer retaliated, and felt sure he had killed one. It was found that several sheep were missing, and several speared. Messrs. Nation and Price, J's.P., took statements from the men. These statements have not been seen in the present search.

TOO MUCH LATITUDE

Geharty stated that the natives belonged to the Andyes tribe (the Government Resident called them KuKata tribes while in the court proceedings they were called Anargetti tribe), the same tribe as was responsible for the spearing of J. C. Darke, three and a half years previously. Unlike some of the other tribes, they did not show up to the police for rations. Geharty considered the natives were allowed too much latitude at the station, having the run of the hut, and thus would become acquainted with the shortage of ammunition. Also, they apparent ly realised that the hutkeeper was afraid of them. Fortunately the two white men were not seriously hurt. Police-Constables Dann and Keech. of the patrol, who were on their way to the wreck of the Arachne, were instructed to capture the offenders. Shortly after this affray, the natives raided the head station and set fire to the hut while the overseer and two men were within it. The fire was extinguished. Shortage of ammunition placed the lives of the whites in danger; however, the natives retired without "further molestation." The Government Resident said "the most prominent individuals are well known, but from the immense extent of scrub, contiguous to the run, it is by no means certain that their capture will soon be effected."

(Another Instalment next week.)