Life and Adventures of William Buckley/Chapter X
CHAPTER X.
"Heaven, from all creatures, hides the book of fate,
All but the page prescribed,—their present state."
I should here state, that a Mr. Faulkner, from Launceston, had been some time settled in the colony, but he had no connection with the Company. From some cause or other, and although not knowing much of me, he represented me to be a dangerous character: as one having too great an influence over the natives. I was much hurt at his representations to my prejudice with the Company; and so, not knowing what the ultimate consequences might be, I resigned my situation; continuing however with Mr. Batman, who treated me with the greatest kindness on all occasions, I do not attribute any intentional wrong to Mr. Faulkner, believing him to have been misinformed by interested persons, and that I was sacrificed by their malignity.
With Mr. Batman I remained until the arrival of a King's ship from Sydney, having on board Captain Lonsdale, of the King's Own Regiment of Foot, my old corps, with which I had served in Holland. He came to assume the command, not only as a military officer, but as the resident magistrate of the new colony. A detachment of the Fourth accompanied him for the protection of the settlers; who were, by this time, numerous, many of them being also very wealthy, and influential. The new Commandant enquired very particularly into my history and sufferings, and ultimately offered me employ, with the same pay and advantages I had had before I was discharged from the Company's service; but considering all I had done, I said I thought myself entitled to at least an advance of pay, which was at length agreed upon; so that I was in future to receive sixty pounds per annum, and rations, instead of fifty, as heretofore. This being arranged, I began the duties of my office as Interpreter and attendant on the new Commandant, pointing out to him localities for his consideration, for the building of barracks, a store-house, and such like; Captain Lonsdale however retaining his quarters on board, until a suitable temporary building was erected for his accommodation.
After a little, time, I succeeded in getting the natives to work in carrying loads of goods, building materials, and water, from place to place, where they were required; rewarding them each with boiled meat and biscuit; and this sort of employ they followed with great cheerfulness.
At the sight of the soldiers' red jackets, however, they were at first very much alarmed, associating the colour with something very dreadful.
My duty now was to visit about amongst the various settlers' families, to ascertain if the natives had been in any way troublesome, to promote a mutual confidence between the parties, and for some time I was pleased to find all things going on well; but one day, a white boy brought me word that two stock-keepers had been murdered, in consequence of their attempting to ill-use some native women when they were out gathering roots. Their screams brought some of the tribe to their assistance, and the next day, as the shepherds were proceeding to another station, having their guns and provisions fastened on a pack-horse, the natives waylaid and surprised them—seizing their guns the first thing, and then murdering them. This unfortunate affair happened about seventy miles from the settlement; and this was not the only one to be regretted, for several robberies having taken place near Geelong, a native was seized, and although merely suspected, he was tied to a tree and shot; the body being thrown into the Barwin River.
I was sent, in company with two other constables, to apprehend the white man—a servant of a Mr Fisher; and having brought him with us to Melbourne, he was fully committed and sent to Sydney for trial, there being no competent tribunal at Port Phillip.—He was acquitted, as no person could clearly prove the identity of the deceased, and other necessary particulars in cases of life and death.
Soon after this, Governor Bourke visited us, with several of the Civil and Military Officers of the New South Wales Government. As good a parade as possible was made to receive him, myself having the charge of about one hundred natives ranked up in line, soldier fashion, and saluting him by putting their hands to their foreheads as I directed.
His Excellency told me to say to them, if they were quiet and orderly they should have presents of bread, blankets, and tomahawks; all which promises were faithfully kept within a very few hours after he had landed.
The Governor having expressed a desire to see something of the interior, I was ordered to attend him, with an escort; and crossing the Yawang Plains, we reached the Marrabul, now called the Esk River, the first night, there pitching our tents. The night following we halted near the Yallock, where we again bivouacked, remaining there several days; his Excellency, the Surveyor-General and others, taking me with them, and moving in various directions, expressing great delight at all they saw of the country in that quarter. The natives we met with in these excursions, were, through me, assured by the Governor, that if they came to the settlement, and avoided committing any offences against the white people, they should receive presents of all kinds of useful articles. These invitations and promises many of them availed themselves of, behaving very peaceably. One night whilst away from Melbourne, the party was awoke by shocks of an earthquake; and so heavy were they, that the sentry gave an alarm, thinking at first the natives were in upon our powder and provisions.
About this time we received intelligence that Mr. Gellibrand had again arrived from Hobart Town, in company with a Mr. Hesse, a Solicitor of that city. It appeared that shortly after landing at Geelong, they had left that place on horseback for Melbourne; but, at the end of a fortnight, great alarm was excited by the news, that they had not arrived at the latter—nor found their way back to the former. Although greatly fatigued after a very long journey, I was immediately sent on horseback in search of them; and reaching the hut of a gentleman, nearly fifty miles distant, I remained there for Mr. Gellibrand's son, who was to meet me by appointment. No news of the lost gentlemen could be obtained by me on my journey;—and here, I should say, that they had taken with them as a guide a white man, who, according to his statement, they had discharged, in consequence of some misunderstanding about the direction of the route. On his return to his master, Captain Pollack, he stated "That they had refused to be guided by him, and that therefore he had left." I engaged some trustworthy natives and accompanied them, hoping to trace the steps of the horses.
When Mr. Gellibrand, junior, joined me at the place appointed, we all proceeded to Captain Pollack's station, from whence, after necessary refreshment, the latter gentleman accompanied us on our search, following the course the guide said the lost travellers had taken, to the spot where they had left him. We traced the spoor of the horses, as the Cape men say, much farther on, into an extensive plain recently burnt, and here we lost it altogether. We now struck across the country, still hoping to gather some intelligence; and falling in with a native encampment, and having reason to think it was not a tribe likely to receive the white men in a friendly manner, I requested them to remain where they were, whilst I endeavoured to obtain some information. This being acceded, I approached, but being on horseback, and in an unknown dress they, at first, did not know me, but ran away in great alarm, having never seen a horse before. After a time, however, I made them understand who I was, and dismounting, they all came round me in a friendly manner. Just when I was explaining the object of my visit, our white party rode up, and one of them began asking questions in a jargon of language no one could understand; and by this interference prevented my doing any service, for I had scarcely had time to express even a hope that they would go in search and do their best to bring the lost gentlemen to the settlement. The abrupt appearance of our people on horseback, so much alarmed the natives, that I could do nothing, except accompany them alone to their camp as they wished, but this my companions would not allow me, as their guide, to do, not feeling safe in my absence.
Our efforts to trace the lost travellers were all in vain, and at length I returned to Melbourne to report our ineffectual efforts for their rescue. Whilst we were absent on the expedition, Governor Bourke had returned to Sydney, and the news of the loss of Messrs. Gellibrand and Hesse having been forwarded to Hobart Town, three of their friends arrived with the determination, if possible, to trace their fate. I was applied to for information, and to accompany them; the former I gave them, but I refused the latter proposal, because I was certain I could do much better if I went by myself on such a mission. They appeared very much displeased at my objections, and I was summoned before the Commandant to give my reasons; to whom I said, those who were with me before had most improperly interfered, endangering my life and their own, by not having placed confidence in me and allowed me to do with, and say to the natives, what I thought best on the matter. The Commandant agreed with me, but the persons who had taken the affair in hand decided on having their own way; and they accordingly engaged several blacks to go with them, who, strange to say, they furnished with fire arms.
Three days after they had left the place, I had permission from Captain Lonsdale to proceed alone on my search; but my horse having a sore back, I was obliged to remain a short time until it could bear the saddle. In the meantime he was tethered in the rear of my quarters, where the animal was very happy during his temporary rest; until one day a native came running to me in great sorrow, saying he was bleeding very much and nearly dead. Mr. Batman happening to be near, we went away together to where the horse was, and found he had been, what is called, ham-strung; all the hind sinews of his legs having been cut through by some white, or other savage.
My poor horse died, and I took passage by a vessel to Geelong, in order there to provide myself with another, and thence pursue my search, although I had long since concluded upon its being useless, after the absurd efforts which had been made by those who, no doubt, most anxiously desired to recover the lost gentlemen, but knew nothing about how successfully to accomplish so difficult an undertaking in such a country and under such circumstances. Mr. Gellibrand, junior, did all he could; and as a son, was naturally excited and influenced by all proper feelings of regret, anxiety, and perseverance; but what could he do, overruled as he was by others, who had done more harm than good in the search, as I have already shown, by their improper interference with me, who might have led to the discovery of the lost travellers, either dead or alive.
Having obtained permission, I at length set off alone, and at Mr. Reibey's station received intelligence that a native and his daughter had been shot by the natives who had accompanied the three gentlemen that preceded me from Melbourne by land, and who, being much alarmed at the circumstance just recorded, had returned to that place. Knowing it would be useless for me to attempt any discovery after this event, I went on board again, and returned to Melbourne also. It was an inexcusable murder, for there was not the least reason to believe that the poor people who had been so mercilessly sacrificed, had had anything to do with the death of either Mr. Gellibrand or Mr. Hesse, neither was it known at that time whether they were dead or alive. This affair gave me great pain, because, from my long association with the natives, I thought such destruction of life anything but creditable to my countrymen; but on the contrary, that they were atrocious acts of oppression.
From that time all search after the unfortunate gentlemen ceased, but enquiries were still continued, unfortunately without effect. In Mr. Gellibrand, I lost a very good and kind friend; his humane considerations for me will never be forgotten; and amongst other evidences of this feeling, he had given me the horse which, as I have just said, was so brutally mutilated.
About this time, an absconder from Van Diemen's Land was apprehended, and ordered by the Magistrates to be returned to Launceston; and I asked permission to take charge of him to that colony, which request was acceded to, as I was a Constable. Having delivered the prisoner to the Gaoler at Launceston, I went into the country for a few days to visit an old shipmate, whose name it is not necessary to mention, and then returned for a passage back again, according to the, orders I had received.At this time a steam vessel arrived at Launceston with some prisoners bound to Port Phillip, and in her was Captain Fyans, who had been appointed Resident Magistrate at Geelong. I returned to the new colony in that vessel, having received great kindness at Launceston from Mr. Samms, the Under Sheriff and others, who gave me flour, and other things, as presents for myself, and to be given to the natives.
On my arrival at Melbourne, I was directed to accompany Captain Fyans to Geelong, he having a number of other persons with him. On crossing the Yawang Plains it came on to rain very heavily, and having been much occupied and exhausted before I left Melbourne, by my explanations to the friendly tribes of natives, and by my long march, I was compelled to rest by the way,—the party proceeded on without me.
I hesitated for some time whether I would follow the Captain in the morning, but at length determined to do so, and proceeded to Mr. Fisher's station, who on all occasions treated me, as had Messrs. Simpson and Wedge, with the greatest kindness and consideration; so much so, that I shall, through life, always be pleased to acknowledge the obligations I am under to them and others.
Having gone on to Geelong and remained there several days, I obtained permission to return to Melbourne by water; and, soon after my arrival, was sent in search of sheep, said to have been driven away by natives. In this way I was employed for several weeks, but finding that some persons were always throwing difficulties in the way of my interests, and not knowing what might be the result, I determined on resigning office, and on leaving a colony where my services were so little known, and so badly appreciated by the principal authorities.
It was not without great regret, that I resolved on leaving the colony, because I had believed my knowledge of the language and habits of the natives, acquired during my sojourning amongst them, might have led to my being employed by the local authorities during the rest of my life; but, when I reflected on the suspicion with which I was viewed by the most influential white men, and on the probable doubt the natives would entertain in my sincerity after having left them, I thought it best to retire to Van Diemen'a Land. Indeed, I could not calculate on one hour's personal safety from either one party or the other, under such circumstances, for if lives had been lost, or cattle stolen, in any locality where I happened to be stationed, prejudice or vindictive feelings might have been brought into play, and I should have been sacrificed.
In proof of this, and of the reckless way in which conclusions were sometimes arrived at in serious matters, I will here relate, in as few words as possible, what happened to one of the natives, who, poor fellow, had a very narrow escape from death, in consequence of false information; such as I might have been subjected to at any time, had I remained in a colony where no confidence was placed in me, merely because I possessed more influence with the natives than others.