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OF THE NATIVE TRIBES OF TASMANIA.
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he was encamped with his two women by himself, the rest of the tribe being in another glen. Tegg had good information of his movements and of the direction he had taken, so he got on his tracks without difficulty. Fatigued as the party were after their rapid march, the pursuit commenced immediately, and before dusk of the day of their arrival at Oyster Bay, they came in view of the bivouac of the savage. He had, luckily, no dogs, and not expecting a hostile visit from anyone, he was not on the watch, as usual with him. His women were at a little distance from the wretched bark weather screen they had put up for him, to break the force of the cutting wind, which was cold enough now. Tegg directed his companions to take post between the chief and his females, which they did by stealthily advancing in the direction indicated by the young black, but who himself made a cat-like movement toward the hovel in which Musquito lay, half-roasting himself by the lire that blazed up merrily in front of it.

Musquito started from the ground at the first indication of approaching footsteps, at sound of which Tegg darted forward to confront him before could seize his arms, which Tegg divined but for once wrongly, that the other had at hand; but so assured was the doomed man of security, that he had not a spear in his camp. Tegg then fired at him, sending a ball through his body, from one barrel and two into his thighs from the other. But badly wounded as he was he ran off, but pain and loss of blood soon brought him to a stand.

In the meantime Godfrey and Marshall had taken both of Musquito's wives; and whilst the latter stood sentry over the two prisoners, Godfrey ran off to assist Tegg. On joining his youthful leader he found Musquito wounded, as said above, and at bay, but still making a poor effort to defend himself with sticks and stones. Seeing, however, the futility of resisting two armed men, he at length surrendered.

How it was that a man so badly wounded was got to Hobart Town, I have no information, but suppose he was sent round by water. He reached this place late in the evening of the 12th of August, and was placed in the Hospital, where the sable chief was interviewed by his brother potentate, the Governor; from whence, in process of time, he was removed to the Supreme Court, to take his trial for the murders named above, and from here, by a natural transition, to the condemned cell and gibbet.

If the report such as it is, that is given in the official Gazette of the trial of this man be correct, it is not easy to understand on what it was he was convicted; for whatever may have been his guilt, there was no legal proof of any, beyond presence at the hut along with sixty or seventy more, and some slightly suspi-