“Another native, Charley, who was present when the said affair took place, tells me, that the police sneaked upon, and fired at them, while sitting round the fire; [Note 55 at end of para.] that he jumped up, and endeavoured to make himself known, as a friendly native, by saying, “Yarri (that is the name the natives have given to one of the police), Yarri, I Charley, I Charley,”—­but that the effect produced had been the pointing of a gun at him, when of course he ran away.  That any of the natives returned, and poised their spears, he firmly denies; but accounts for the murder, by supposing that the dead man made resistance, and offered to spear his assailants.  He moreover says, that Padlalta would not have died in consequence of the first shot, but that the police fired repeatedly, which agrees with the settlers, who say they heard three shots.  When the bloody deed had been committed (a ball had passed right through his body), the cruel perpetrators ran home, leaving the murdered man helpless.”

[Note 55:  There must, I think, be some mistake here in the phrascology.  I cannot think any of the police would fire upon a small party of friendly natives whilst unresisting.  The probability is, that they surrounded the natives to make prisoners, and fired upon being resisted.  This must generally occur if the police have positive orders to make captures.  Natives, not very much in contact with Europeans, will almost always resist an attempt to make prisoners of them, or will try to escape.  Very many have, at various times, met their death under such circumstances; and too often it has occurred, that the innocent have been the suffering parties.  This shews the absurdity of applying European customs and laws to a people situated as the Australian natives are.  It shews, too, the necessity of altering our present system and policy towards them, to one that will exercise sufficient influence over them to induce them to give up offenders themselves.  I believe such a system may be devised.—­Vide Chapter IX.]

“Some time after, a party of three settlers went to the spot, one of whom he recognized, and claimed his acquaintance, and perhaps assistance, by mentioning the party’s Christian name; but, alas! no good Samaritan was found amongst these three; they all passed by on the other side, without alleviating his pain, moistening his parched lips, warming his shivering limbs, or aiding him in any way whatever.  There he lay a whole cold and long winter night, without a fire to warm him, or a soul to talk to him.  Next morning he was found still alive, but died on the way into town, where he was buried in the jail yard, like a condemned felon.

“What awful and melancholy reflections crowd upon one’s mind in thinking on this transaction.  But what conclusians must a poor people, whom a Christian and civilized nation calls savages, arrive at, with such facts before them.