Watkin Tench's 1788 (19 page)

We undertook a third expedition soon after to Broken Bay, which place we found had not been exaggerated in description, whether its capacious harbour or its desolate incultivable shores be considered. On all these excursions we brought away, in small bags, as many specimens of the soil of the country we had passed through as could be conveniently carried, in order that by analysis its qualities might be ascertained.

†
The madness of King George III.

*
These words bring to my mind an anecdote which, though rather out of place, I shall offer no apology for introducing. Among other inquiries, we were anxious to learn whether Monsieur La Perouse, with the two ships under his command bound on a voyage of discovery, had arrived in France. We heard with concern that no accounts of them had been received since they had left Botany Bay in March 1788. I remember, when they were at that place, one day conversing with Monsieur La Perouse about the best method of treating savage people. ‘Sir,' said he, ‘I have sometimes been compelled to commit hostilities upon them, but never without suffering the most poignant regret; for, independent of my own feelings on the occasion, His Majesty's (Louis XVI) last words to me,
de sa propre bouche
[from his own mouth] when I took leave of him at Versailles, were: ‘It is my express injunction that you always treat the Indian nations with kindness and humanity. Gratify their wishes and never, but in a case of the last necessity, when self-defence requires it, shed human blood.' Are these the sentiments of a tyrant, of a sanguinary and perfidious man?

**
Accident only prevented her from making it in eighteen days less, for she was then in sight of the harbour's mouth, when an unpropitious gale of wind blew her off. Otherwise she would have reached us one day sooner than the
Lady Juliana
. It is a curious circumstance that these two ships had sailed together from the River Thames, one bound to Port Jackson and the other bound to Jamaica. The
Justinian
carried her cargo to the last mentioned place, landed it and loaded afresh with sugars, which she returned with and delivered in London. She was then hired as a transport, reladen, and sailed for New South Wales. Let it be remembered that no material accident had happened to either vessel. But what will not zeal and diligence accomplish!

††
Mt Prudhoe, Razorback Range.

8

Transactions of the colony in the beginning of September 1790

T
HE
tremendous monster who had occasioned the unhappy catastrophe just recorded was fated to be the cause of farther mischief to us.

On the 7th instant, Captain Nepean of the New South Wales corps, and Mr White, accompanied by little Nanbaree and a party of men, went in a boat to Manly Cove, intending, to land there and walk on to Broken Bay. On drawing near the shore, a dead whale in the most disgusting state of putrefaction was seen lying on the beach, and at least two hundred Indians surrounding it, broiling the flesh on different fires and feasting on it with the most extravagant marks of greediness and rapture. As the boat continued to approach they were observed to fall into confusion and to pick up their spears, on which our people lay upon their oars and Nanbaree, stepping forward, harangued them for some time assuring them that we were friends.

Mr White now called for Baneelon who, on hearing his name, came forth and entered into conversation. He was greatly emaciated, and so far disfigured by a long beard that our people not without difficulty recognised their old acquaintance. His answering in broken English, and inquiring for the governor, however, soon corrected their doubts. He seemed quite friendly. And soon after Colbee came up, pointing to his leg to show that he had freed himself from the fetter which was upon him when he had escaped from us.

When Baneelon was told that the governor was not far off, he expressed great joy and declared that he would immediately go in search of him, and if he found him not, would follow him to Sydney. ‘Have you brought any hatchets with you?' cried he. Unluckily they had not any which they chose to spare; but two or three shirts, some handkerchiefs, knives and other trifles were given to them, and seemed to satisfy. Baneelon, willing to instruct his countrymen, tried to put on a shirt, but managed it so awkwardly that a man of the name of McEntire, the governor's gamekeeper, was directed by Mr White to assist him. This man, who was well known to him, he positively forbade to approach, eyeing him ferociously and with every mark of horror and resentment. He was in consequence left to himself, and the conversation proceeded as before. The length of his beard seemed to annoy him much, and he expressed eager wishes to be shaved, asking repeatedly for a razor. A pair of scissors was given to him, and he showed he had not forgotten how to use such an instrument, for he forthwith began to clip his hair with it.

During this time, the women and children, to the number of more than fifty, stood at a distance and refused all invitations which could be conveyed by signs and gestures to approach nearer. ‘Which of them is your old favourite, Barangaroo, of whom you used to speak so often?'

‘Oh,' said he, ‘she is become the wife of Colbee! But I have got
bulla murree deein
(two large women) to compensate for her loss.'

It was observed that he had received two wounds in addition to his former numerous ones since he had left us; one of them from a spear, which had passed through the fleshy part of his arm; and the other displayed itself in a large scar above his left eye. They were both healed, and probably were acquired in the conflict wherein he had asserted his pretensions to the two ladies.

Nanbaree, all this while, though he continued to interrogate his countrymen, and to interpret on both sides, showed little desire to return to their society, and stuck very close to his new friends. On being asked the cause of their present meeting, Baneelon pointed to the whale, which stunk immoderately, and Colbee made signals that it was common among them to eat until the stomach was so overladen as to occasion sickness.

Their demand of hatchets being reiterated, notwithstanding our refusal, they were asked why they had not brought with them some of their own. They excused themselves by saying that on an occasion of the present sort they always left them at home, and cut up the whale with the shell which is affixed to the end of the throwing-stick.

Our party now thought it time to proceed on their original expedition, and having taken leave of their sable friends, rowed to some distance, where they landed and set out for Broken Bay, ordering the coxswain of the boat in which they had come down to go immediately and acquaint the governor of all that had passed. When the natives saw that the boat was about to depart, they crowded around her, and brought down, by way of present, three or four great junks of the whale, and put them on board of her, the largest of which Baneelon expressly requested might be offered, in his name, to the governor.
^†

It happened that His Excellency had this day gone to a landmark, which was building on the South Head, near the flagstaff, to serve as a direction to ships at sea, and the boat met him on his return to Sydney. Immediately on receiving the intelligence he hastened back to the South Head, and having procured all the firearms which could be mustered there, consisting of four muskets and a pistol, set out attended by Mr Collins and Lieutenant Waterhouse of the navy.

When the boat reached Manly Cove the natives were found still busily employed around the whale. As they expressed not any consternation on seeing us row to the beach, Governor Phillip stepped out unarmed and attended by one seaman only, and called for Baneelon, who appeared but, notwithstanding his former eagerness, would not suffer the other to approach him for several minutes. Gradually, however, he warmed into friendship and frankness and, presently after, Colbee came up. They discoursed for some time, Baneelon expressing pleasure to see his old acquaintance, and inquiring by name for every person whom he could recollect at Sydney; and among others for a French cook, one of the governor's servants, whom he had constantly made the butt of his ridicule by mimicking his voice, gait, and other peculiarities, all of which he again went through with his wonted exactness and drollery. He asked also particularly for a lady from whom he had once ventured to snatch a kiss and, on being told that she was well, by way of proving that the token was fresh in his remembrance, he kissed Lieutenant Waterhouse, and laughed aloud. On his wounds being noticed, he coldly said that he had received them at Botany Bay, but went no farther into their history.

Hatchets still continued to be called for with redoubled eagerness, which rather surprised us, as formerly they had always been accepted with indifference. But Baneelon had probably demonstrated to them their superiority over those of their own manufacturing. To appease their importunity, the governor gave them a knife, some bread, pork and other articles; and promised that in two days he would return hither and bring with him hatchets to be distributed among them, which appeared to diffuse general satisfaction.

Baneelon's love of wine has been mentioned; and the governor, to try whether it still subsisted, uncorked a bottle and poured out a glass of it, which the other drank off with his former marks of relish and good humour, giving for a toast, as he had been taught, ‘The King'.

Our party now advanced from the beach but, perceiving many of the Indians filing off to the right and left, so as in some measure to surround them, they retreated gently to their old situation, which produced neither alarm or offence. The others by degrees also resumed their former position. A very fine barbed spear of uncommon size being seen by the governor, he asked for it. But Baneelon, instead of complying with the request, took it away and laid it at some distance, and brought back a throwing-stick which he presented to His Excellency.

Matters had proceeded in this friendly train for more than half an hour, when a native with a spear in his hand came forward, and stopped at the distance of between twenty and thirty yards from the place where the governor, Mr Collins, Lieutenant Waterhouse and a seaman stood. His Excellency held out his hand and called to him, advancing towards him at the same time, Mr Collins following close behind. He appeared to be a man of middle age, short of stature, sturdy and well set, seemingly a stranger and but little acquainted with Baneelon and Colbee. The nearer the governor approached, the greater became the terror and agitation of the Indian. To remove his fear, Governor Phillip threw down a dirk, which he wore at his side.
^††
The other, alarmed at the rattle of the dirk, and probably misconstruing the action, instantly fixed his lance in his throwing-stick.
^*

To retreat His Excellency now thought would be more dangerous than to advance. He therefore cried out to the man,
weèree, weèree
(bad; you are doing wrong), displaying at the same time every token of amity and confidence. The words had, however, hardly gone forth when the Indian, stepping back with one foot, aimed his lance with such force and dexterity that, striking
^**
the governor's right shoulder just above the collarbone, the point glancing downward, came out at his back, having made a wound of many inches long. The man was observed to keep his eye steadily fixed on the lance until it struck its object, when he directly dashed into the woods and was seen no more.

Instant confusion on both sides took place. Baneelon and Colbee disappeared and several spears were thrown from different quarters, though without effect. Our party retreated as fast as they could, calling to those who were left in the boat to hasten up with firearms. A situation more distressing than that of the governor, during the time that this lasted, cannot readily be conceived: the pole of the spear, not less than ten feet in length, sticking out before him and impeding his flight, the butt frequently striking the ground and lacerating the wound. In vain did Mr Waterhouse try to break it; and the barb which appeared on the other side forbade extraction until that could be performed. At length it was broken, and His Excellency reached the boat, by which time the seamen with the muskets had got up and were endeavouring to fire them, but one only would go off, and there is no room to believe that it was attended with any execution.

When the governor got home, the wound was examined. It had bled a good deal in the boat and it was doubtful whether the subclavian artery might not be divided. On moving the spear, it was found, however, that it might be safely extracted, which was accordingly performed.

Apprehension for the safety of the party who had gone to Broken Bay now took place. Lieutenant Long, with a detachment of marines, was immediately sent to escort them back, lest any ambush might be laid by the natives to cut them off. When Mr Long reached Manly Cove the sun had set; however, he pursued his way in the dark, scrambling over rocks and thickets as well as he could, until two o'clock on the following morning, when he overtook them at a place where they had halted to sleep, about halfway between the two harbours.

At daybreak they all returned, and were surprised to find tracks in the sand of the feet of the Indians, almost the whole way from the place where they had slept to the cove. By this it should seem as if these last had secretly followed them, probably with hostile intentions but, on discovering their strength, and that they were on their guard, had abandoned their design.

On reaching Manly Cove, three Indians were observed standing on a rock, with whom they entered into conversation. The Indians informed them that the man who had wounded the governor belonged to a tribe residing at Broken Bay, and they seemed highly to condemn what he had done. Our gentlemen asked them for a spear, which they immediately gave. The boat's crew said that Baneelon and Colbee had just departed, after a friendly intercourse. Like the others, they had pretended highly to disapprove the conduct of the man who had thrown the spear, vowing to execute vengeance upon him.