The History of Tasmania, Volume II | Page 7

committed to
private hands by their parents, or retained with the express sanction of
himself. There is no reason to doubt, that several of these were orphans,
and adopted and reared with the utmost humanity. Among the expenses

of the times, it is gratifying to observe one item, in the rental of a house
for the entertainment of the aborigines. The sentiments of Governor
Sorell are honorable to his character, and cannot be doubted; but we are
startled to find, that when charges, so solemnly imputed, must have
been founded upon particular facts, no equal punishment seems to have
overtaken the crimes proclaimed. The government disapproved of
oppression, but it was either too weak, or too indolent, to visit the
guilty.
Mr. Commissioner Bigge, who came to the colony 1820, in his
voluminous reports, rarely alludes to the natives of these seas. Those of
Van Diemen's Land engaged a very small share of his attention, and in
two brief paragraphs he describes their character, and disposes of their
claims. He remarks, that an act of unjustifiable hostility had awakened
their resentment, passes over an interval of sixteen years, and expresses
his conviction that no obstacle they could oppose to colonisation, need
excite alarm. It is probable, that his instructions would but briefly touch
on questions relating to these children of the soil; but considering that
the notices and orders of government must have apprised him of their
sufferings, he dismisses their case with astonishing indifference.[6]
Several Wesleyan missionaries visited this island during the years 1821
and 1822. The natives attracted their notice: they described, with
brevity, their moral and social state; but they did not intimate the
smallest apprehension of their malice.
For several years reference to the aborigines is of rare occurrence. The
year preceding the first series of outrages, furnished no incident worth
contemporary record. We are reminded, however, that they survived,
by an act of equestrian audacity. Mr. Risely, looking down Allan Vale,
saw a naked girl dashing off at full speed, on a valuable horse, which
she bridled by the tether--the first of her race ever known to gallop.
Horsemen pursued her for two days, without overtaking her.
In those numerous publications, which precede 1824, the aborigines are
always represented as originally friendly, and only dangerous when
excited by cruelty. It was the boast of the times, that the whole island
could be crossed in safety by two persons armed with muskets; and

Curr, who wrote latest, does not even mention their existence. It is
difficult to imagine more decided proof, that at this time the
depredations of the blacks were neither numerous nor sanguinary.
It is the general opinion, however, that the remonstrances of Sorell had
been attended with some success, and that the settlers and
stock-keepers were not unimpressed with his predictions of a more
concerted and continuous revenge; nor can we doubt that many persons
of humanity even exaggerated this peril, to restrain those brutal natures
which are sensible only of personal risk.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 3: "The natives, who have been rendered desperate by the
cruelties they have experienced from our people, have now begun to
distress us by attacking our cattle. Two were lately wounded by them at
Collins-vale; and three, it is reported, belonging to George Guest, have
been killed at Blackman's Bay. As this tribe of natives have hitherto
been considered friendly, the change in their conduct must be
occasioned by some outrage on our part, No account having been
received up to this time of William Russell and George Getley, there
can be no doubt of the miserable death they have been put to. This
unfortunate man, Russell, is a striking instance of divine agency, which
has overtaken him at last, and punished him by the hands of those very
people who have suffered so much from him; he being well known to
have exercised his barbarous disposition in murdering or torturing any
who unfortunately came within his reach."--The Derwent Star, January
29th, 1810.]
[Footnote 4: Eye-witness.]
[Footnote 5: "ORDER.--From the conduct of the native people, when
free from any feeling of injury towards those who have held intercourse
with them, there is strong reason to hope, that they might be conciliated.
On the north-eastern coast, where boats occasionally touch, and at
Macquarie Harbour, where the natives have been lately seen, they have
been found inoffensive and peaceable, and they are known to be
equally inoffensive, where the stock-keepers treat them with

mildness."--March 19, 1819.]
[Footnote 6: Dual, mentioned by Bigge, was transported from Sydney,
for chopping off the right arm of his wife: he said she should "make no
more dough-boy." The whites persuaded the natives, that the lighter hue
of their half-caste children resulted from the too free use of flour.]

SECTION III.
It would be useful to mankind,