# The Aborigines of Victoria/Volume 2/Appendix H

APPENDIX H.
HUNTING THE BLACKS.
(By the Honorable A. F. A. Greeves.)
"It was when I was Chief Constable of the Port Macquarie district," said Mr. D—— "The blacks had been very troublesome; among other murders they had committed was one of Mr. ———'s stockmen, whom they seized and sawed up into junks while he was alive. We found the cross-cut saw; but more of that by-and-by. I was only turned nineteen then, and was delighted to be appointed to head the party to track and punish the miscreants. The party consisted of two half-civilized blacks for guides—you know one tribe will always betray and attack another; one better sort of young fellow named Meade, a sort of second or lieutenant; and four Government men, with two soldiers. Well, we beat about a long time before we could get on their track."
"And pray how did you find out their trail?"
"Oh why, after several days' reconnoitring, at last we found a little bit of bark on fire, and one fire smouldering away. It was cold weather, so that all were carrying bark torches to keep themselves warm; but they were cunning enough either not to light fires or to cover over the ashes with bark, so that we should not find them. However, in this way, we went on day after day until we came into the wildest country you can imagine. All rocks and stones; no horses could have gone there."
"What; were you on foot?"
"On foot! Every man of us. Horses won't do to track the blacks; they take too much looking after; they occasion too much noise in trampling on dry leaves and rotten sticks; besides, when the natives are pursued, they resort to precipices and ravines where horses could not go twenty yards. I think it was the second day after we found their track that one afternoon, on turning the corner of a rock, we found ourselves in a long valley, bounded by rugged precipices on each side. The bush was open; there were only a few large trees here and there. There were copses of brushwood scattered about of stunted Banksias and mimosas, like thickets of hazel at home. Well, just as we entered the valley, we saw the whole party of blacks defiling a great height above us, in a zig-zag direction, among the precipices. They did not appear to see us, and we hurried on after them. At last we began to hear their voices. Sunset was near, and we presently heard them breaking off branches to construct their mia-mias—or ​gunyahs, as those tribes call them—for the night. We went very cautiously a little further, until we could, by glimpses through the wood, just ascertain they were about to encamp a few hundred yards ahead on the opposite side of a narrow scrub of young trees. We halted in silence until it was quite dark, and then I gave the signal to move on. We crept stealthily along, one of our guides hovering about a little ahead to reconnoitre their exact place. I was very near him; in fact, in the scrub itself; and we were cautiously prowling forward, when he trod upon a rotten twig—unavoidable in the dark. Snap went the twig, sounding in the silent dark solitudes like a pistol shot: instantly, within a few yards of me, jumped up about a dozen or score blacks. I was taken very much aback, for in the dark we had not thought them so near. They had all spears, and I had never been in war before. I must confess I felt rather qualmish at the sight of those stout fellows so near me; however, I had resolution enough to cry out—'Now, boys, fire away.' The men fired—the natives uttered a fearful yell, shouting 'white fellow,' threw down their spears, and ran off like kangaroos. I now found my courage much restored, and ordered to reload; but, in my anxiety to lose no time, I put the wrong end of my cartridge into my piece, so it was of no use just then. We then set a watch, and waited until morning. I don't think many of us slept for fear of a surprise. Nothing, however, occurred, and in the morning we found we had killed three big fellows. They had left several of their spears and liangles and other things; amongst the rest was the cross-cut saw with which they had murdered the poor stockman, all covered with blood. We concluded we had now driven them off our side of the country, and taking off the tip of the ears of the dead blacks, according to orders, set off back, and without further adventure got to the settlement.
"When I reported progress to old Major ———, the head Government officer there, he swore we had only half served them out; they were too daring to be easily driven away; and ordered me to recruit my party, and, with fresh supplies, to be after them again, and make an example of them. I had had quite enough for one spell. However, go I must."
"But how," interrupted I, "did you get food?"
"Why, this time we had two extra men—Weenick named them our pack-bullocks—to carry an extra supply. The first expedition each man carried his own."
"And water?"
"Oh, we never found any difficulty. The blacks know every spot of the country, and always take care to travel where there is water. Besides, we had a favorable season for it: it was winter. Well, we set off and reached the limit of our former journey, and got again upon the trail of the blacks. The long and slender kangaroo-grass, trodden down as here and there it occurred in their line of march, had not yet sprung up again. It is not so difficult to follow a track in the bush after all; but it's keen work, too, and wants a quick and practised eye. Anything eatable quickly disappears with the wild dogs and wild cats, as well as by the natives themselves and their dogs. But a little twig lying on the ground cut off, or merely with the branches and leaves stripped off, which show that man had done it, and the condition of freshness ​or dryness, would tell how long since he was there. The notched trees—nicks they make in the trees in order to ascend them—are very conspicuous guideposts. Occasionally you come upon a foot-mark in a miry place, or a dry and sandy one; and it is amazing how the blacks will infer the size, age, and sex of the persons who imprinted it. In short, they recognise the features of a foot-mark just as we do those of the countenance; and as they are clearly defined, or obliterated, as the minute blades of grass are crashed down, or erecting themselves again, can they tell how long since the person passed. For seven days did we travel in this manner following the fugitives. Little did we think of their manoeuvre, as will presently appear. Every evening, at sunset—the time they camp—did I ascend some eminence, to see if we could observe the minute little cloud of curling smoke which indicates their fires. We could see nothing, and yet we knew they were not very far off. That night some of the party fancied they heard a chopping of branches, as when the blacks construct their gunyahs at eventide. However, next morning, before the party started, I went to the top of an eminence with Meade, to reconnoitre the day's journey and direction. It was a fine cloudless morning in July. The air was chilly, as it always is in winter at morning. The sun was just clear above the fogs of the horizon, and the dew glittered on the leaves. The parrots were wakening up with noisy welcomes to day, and sucking the honey from the early-flowering trees. The squirrel and opossum had gone to sleep in their holes—for the Australian animals live only at night; and the shy kangaroo might be seen slowly hopping away to his lair, having filled his pouch since dawn, to ruminate his hastily-got food. I sat down on the brink of the precipice which looked towards the country we expected to traverse. There was a fog In the valley below rapidly clearing off; but beyond that was the wide wild forest, over which I could not detect a symbol of life. Suddenly my companion exclaimed—'My heavens, what a lot of blacks!' I looked down the precipice—the mist had cleared off—and sure enough there was the sable company in vehement agitation. They saw the two white men against the sky, on the rocks above them, and they were for off. I hastened down to our camp, summoned the party, and off we set.
"We set off direct for the mountains, and after two days we came to some ashes, which were quite warm. Towards evening we heard the sound of the chopping of branches (preparing their gunyahs) and children playing. It came on snowing, and we halted until morning. At dawn a dog came and smelt and snuffed around, and then retired a little distance to a big log and began to howl. Up jumped the blacks, and rushed towards us; we let fly; several blacks fell; and a mêlée ensued. We had to use the butt-end of our muskets. One young lad was shot through the chest and both arms, after which he ran some three hundred yards before he dropped. Not a woman of them was hurt, except one who got her head grazed. The children made holes, and buried their heads, looking like black burnt stumps. One fine tall fellow appeared on the top of the hill, shouting—'Bail me coolah long with white fella.' Two of my men went towards him. I shouted—'Take him, he'll be of use;' but in a moment one knocked him down and the other shot him through the head. ​All the women and children then fled. We cut off his left ear, wrapped it in salt, and I carried it in my waistcoat pocket to take to our superior officers as a trophy of our success.
"We now determined to return, our provisions all being done but a piece of damper.
"We set a watch every night. We began to feel the pangs of hunger, but were afraid to shoot any game for fear of directing the blacks; so, having caught a native bear, we killed him for food. Next night we halted; it was a beautiful night, and there was a beautiful fall of water on the spot. It was Meade's watch, though we all watched alike. I went to wash my shirt in the creek; I was busy there when I fancied I heard a crackle—perhaps it was a kangaroo; again I fancied I saw a star or two, or a spark; then another. 'Here's the blacks,' called out all hands; and, crossing the creek above the falls, we saw the lights coming nearer, and then a shower of spears fell into our mia-mias, already deserted by us.
"'Let fly,' was the word; there was a great cry; and next day sixty spears were found, all where we had been lying. This was the ambush into which the party of blacks had wished to draw us from the first. If I had not taken charge of the watch, I believe we should all have been killed.
"We now pursued our return march, and for many days suffered intensely from hunger; but arriving at an out-station, we killed a bullock, upon which we fared sumptuously on broiled beef; we left, however, the tips of the ears unconsumed; and, resuming our march, arrived safely at head-quarters. The blacks were never troublesome in that neighbourhood any more. Since then they have been subject to ordinary law; but previously all they understood was 'force,' and that retaliation is a virtue."
This was written down by me from the lips of the above head of the party, Mr. J—— D—— , then reporter to the Port Phillip Gazette, and now one of the Members of Assembly for Hobarton, in 1844-5.—Augustus F. A. Greeves.