given by six natives of New South Wales, whom he persuaded
to join him. His first exploit was the capture of three
women, two men, and five children without loss of life. He
used the women as decoys to explain his peaceful intentions.
But all his encounters were not bloodless. In one he left
fifteen blacks dead on the field, having 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 fortunate that the Sydney natives were employed under the control of a man like Batman, who was bold but not brutal;
rough and uneducated, but 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, who has taken
the most lively interest in conciliating those wretched
people, and has been one of the few who supposed that they
might be influenced by kindness, was, with his family, most
assiduous in cultivating the best understanding." The Rev.
J. West declared that to Batman was due "the praise of
mingling humanity with severity." There were other
"capture parties" more ruthlessly led. The small island
was traversed by hunted blacks and hunting whites. Peace
would only flow from such tactics when, by universal
slaughter, captures had become impossible. What humanity 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 man to
aid in putting a stop to it.
Mr. George Augustus Robinson was a remarkable man, of humble origin. A bricklayer by trade, le busied himself in promoting religion amongst the sailors, and in visiting the convicts in their barracks. He was kind to the natives before his peculiar mission brought them under his To watch and tend the captives, Arthur required a manager to reside on Bruni Island, and offered by adver-
