Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/593

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I given by six natives of New South Wales, whom he persuaded to join him. His tirst exploit was the capture of three women^ two men, and five children without lona of life. He used the women as decoys to explain hia peaceful intentions. But all his eiicoimters were not bloodless* In one he left fifteen blacks dead on the field, liavin*:,^ captured only one woman and child. It was a tradition having almost a religious [force among the Australian blacks, that it was good to deal death amongst tribes not friendly. Even without a brutal disposition, therefore, many atrocities were committed by these superstitious children of the forest ; and it was fortu- nate that the Sydney natives were employed under the con- trol of a man like Batman, who was bold but not brutal ; rough and uneducated, hut shrewd and genial. His services were so highly appreciated by Arthur, that at the end of twelve months he granted him two thousand acres, and re- warded five of the convicts employed under him. To the Sydney blacks £10 (each) were given, and Arthur informed the Secretary of State that '* Mr. Batman, wlio has taken the moat lively interest in conciliating those wretched people, and has been one of the few who supposed that they might be iiilhienced by kindness, was, with his family, most assidiuHis in cultivating the best understanding/' The Eev. J. West declared tJiat to Batman was due '* the praise of mingling hunuinity with severity." There were other capture parties" more ruthlessly led. The small island ' was traversed hy hunted blacks and hunting whites. Peace 1 would only iiow from such tactics when, by universal slaughter, captures had become impossible. What hu- manity there was in Van Diemen's Land recoiled from such an end. The Aborigines' Protection Society in Hobart Town protested against the indiscriminate killing which made all Christian men shudder; and they found a mail to aid in putting a stop to it. Mr, GeoLge Augustus Robinson was a remarkable man, of humble origin, A bricklayer by trade, he busied him- self in promoting religion amongst the sailors, and in visit- ing tlio convicts in their barracks. He was kind to the natives before his peculiar mission brought them under his care. To watch and tend the captives, Arthur required a manager to reside on Bruni Island, ^vA ^%iX.^sSL V^ ^A^i^M^x-