第35章

A party,consisting of two captains,two subalterns,and forty privates,with a proper number of non-commissioned officers from the garrison,with three days provisions,etc.are to be ready to march to-morrow morning at day-light,in order to bring in six of those natives who reside near the head of Botany Bay;or,if that should be found impracticable,to put that number to death.

Just previous to this order being issued,the author of this publication received a direction to attend the governor at head quarters immediately.

I went,and his excellency informed me that he had pitched upon me to execute the foregoing command.He added that the two subalterns who were to be drawn from the marine corps,should be chosen by myself;that the sergeant and the two convicts who were with McEntire,should attend as guides;

that we were to proceed to the peninsula at the head of Botany Bay;and thence,or from any part of the north arm of the bay,we were,if practicable,to bring away two natives as prisoners;and to put to death ten;that we were to destroy all weapons of war but nothing else;that no hut was to be burned;

that all women and children were to remain uninjured,not being comprehended within the scope of the order;that our operations were to be directed either by surprise or open force;that after we had made any prisoners,all communication,even with those natives with whom we were in habits of intercourse,was to be avoided,and none of them suffered to approach us.

That we were to cut off and bring in the heads of the slain;for which purpose hatchets and bags would be furnished.And finally,that no signal of amity or invitation should be used in order to allure them to us;or if made on their part,to be answered by us:for that such conduct would be not only present treachery,but give them reason to distrust every future mark of peace and friendship on our part.

His excellency was now pleased to enter into the reasons which had induced him to adopt measures of such severity.He said that since our arrival in the country,no less than seventeen of our people had either been killed or wounded by the natives;that he looked upon the tribe known by the name of Bideegal,living on the beforementioned peninsula,and chiefly on the north arm of Botany Bay,to be the principal aggressors;that against this tribe he was determined to strike a decisive blow,in order,at once to convince them of our superiority and to infuse an universal terror,which might operate to prevent farther mischief.That his observations on the natives had led him to conclude that although they did not fear death individually,yet that the relative weight and importance of the different tribes appeared to be the highest object of their estimation,as each tribe deemed its strength and security to consist wholly in its powers,aggregately considered.

That his motive for having so long delayed to use violent measures had arisen from believing,that in every former instance of hostility,they had acted either from having received injury,or from misapprehension.

"To the latter of these causes,"added he,"I attribute my own wound,but in this business of McEntire,I am fully persuaded that they were unprovoked,and the barbarity of their conduct admits of no extenuation;

for I have separately examined the sergeant,of whose veracity I have the highest opinion,and the two convicts;and their story is short,simple,and alike.I have in vain tried to stimulate Baneelon,Colbee,and the other natives who live among us,to bring in the aggressor.

Yesterday,indeed,they promised me to do it,and actually went away as if bent on such a design;but Baneelon,instead of directing his steps to Botany Bay,crossed the harbour in his canoe,in order to draw the foreteeth of some of the young men;and Colbee,in the room of fulfilling his engagement,is loitering about the lookout house.Nay,so far from wishing even to describe faithfully the person of the man who has thrown the spear,they pretended that he has a distorted foot,which is a palpable falsehood.

So that we have our efforts only to depend upon;and I am resolved to execute the prisoners who may be brought in,in the most public and exemplary manner,in the presence of as many of their countrymen as can be collected,after having explained the cause of such a punishment;and my fixed determination to repeat it,whenever any future breach of good conduct on their side shall render it necessary."

Here the governor stopped,and addressing himself to me,said if I could propose any alteration of the orders under which I was to act,he would patiently listen to me.Encouraged by this condescension,I begged leave to offer for consideration whether,instead of destroying ten persons,the capture of six would not better answer all the purposes for which the expedition was to be undertaken;as out of this number,a part might be set aside for retaliation;and the rest,at a proper time,liberated,after having seen the fate of their comrades and being made sensible of the cause of their own detention.

This scheme,his Excellency was pleased instantly to adopt,adding,"if six cannot be taken,let this number be shot.Should you,however,find it practicable to take so many,I will hang two and send the rest to Norfolk Island for a certain period,which will cause their countrymen to believe that we have dispatched them secretly."The order was accordingly altered to its present form;and I took my leave to prepare,after being again cautioned not to deceive by holding signals of amity.

At four o'clock on the morning of the 14th we marched The detachment consisted,besides myself,of Captain Hill of the New South Wales Corps,Lieutenants Poulder and Dawes,of the marines,Mr.Worgan and Mr.Lowes,surgeons,three sergeants,three corporals,and forty private soldiers,provided with three days provisions,ropes to bind our prisoners with,and hatchets and bags to cut off and contain the heads of the slain.