The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-04-27 00:00:00

PERILOUS ENCOUNTER WITH A SHARE.

The following article is taken from The New South
Wales Gazette :—" From Mr. Copra we receive an
account of the following occurrence, the truth of
which he solemnly assures us of; and to the lovers
of natural history it will doubtless be acceptable.
Mr. C. has a farm at the Long Reef, shout ten
miles north of the heads of . this harbour, it having
a lagoon within lOU yards of the sea beach, as
large as Sydney Cove, about a mile round it. The
banks of thus lagooa, tl gh several feet above the
high water level at the spring tides, is forced into a
communication with the sea out heavy falls of rain,
as it is supplied with fresh water fious a rivulet
which quickly overflows with a rapid stream suf-
ficient to force :piny the embankment of the lagoon,
which is sillily. The depth of water iii the
lagoon, which is always more or less salt, never ex-
ceed, six or WWII feet to the deepest punts, and iv
sometimes one to two-thirds dried up on the
margin, which reduces the centre to a mere pool.
At a time within the present twelvemonth, when
the sea wad the lagoon laud heconie united, as above
remarked upon, a fine water-dog wits observed to
dash into the water, at stn erect moving spire„which
had the appearance of a shark's back fist, and he
was soon perceived to be wiguged with this ferocious
fish ; the shark, predominant in his OWII element,
seized the dog by the nose, and disappeared with him
for a minute. This rencoistre was in three feet and
half of water ; the master of the slog, Overseer
to Mr. Custer, having then a luny; fusaliog-piece in
Iris bawl, went to the dog's assistance, and, striking
with the butt of the piece, had a furious battle with
the shark (which was about five feet loog) for
some minutes; when the stuck flying, lie coatinued
this engagement with the barrel, the shark is 14111.•
tabling Ins gr I with vigour, and by accidental
ehaitge of position, intercelititsg the maw's retreat.
The coursge of the sfic was useless, fr his
wound, and to go into deeper wider would hive
been, doubtletes, fatal. Another mail, the overseer%
assistant on the farm happened fortuuately to arrive

The object of the Onondagas is to purchase our lands at
Tonnewants. This, and all oilier business that they may
have to do at Albany, muat be transacted in the presence of
the Governor. He will Pee that she heroin is fairly made,
so that all parties may have reason to be satisfied with what
shall be done; aril when our sanction shall be wanted to the
'transaction, it will be freely given.
1 roach regret that at this time the state of my health
should have ',resettled me from accompanying you to Al.
batty, as it was the wish of the nation that I should stale to
the Goveruer some circumatesees which shear that the chain
of fiieadship between us and the white people is wearing
out, and wants brightening.
1 proceed now, however, to lay them before you by ktler,
that yo■ may mention them to the Governor, and solicit
►edress. He is appointed to do justice to all, and the
buboes fatty eurtattr Shea he *Saw ask moat these 11111 Orb
wronged with impunity.
The first subject to which we would call the attention of
the Governor, is the drpredatioas that are daily committed
by the white people norm the most valuable timber on our
reservation•. This has been a subject of complaint with us
far many years; but now, and particularly at this season of
the year, it has become an alarming evil, and calla fur t►e
immediate interposition of the Governor in our behalf.
Our next subject of complaint is the frequent thefts of
our horses and cattle by the white people, and their habit of
taking and using them, whenever they please, and without
our leave. These are evils which seem to increase upon us,
w;tb the increase of our white neighbusis, and call loudly
for redress.

Another evil arising from the pres4ure of the whites upon
us, and our unavoidable consnounir 'llion with them, le the
frequency with which our chiefs and warriors, and
are thrown into gaol, and that ton for the most trifling
causes. This is sery galling to our (crimp, and ought not
to be permitted, ro the extent to which, to gratify filchr bad
passions, our while neighbours now carry this practice.
In our hunting and liaising too, we are greatly interrupted
by the whites: our venison is stolen from the trees, where
we have hung it, to be reclaimed after the chase; our battl-
ing camps have been fired into, and we have been warned
that we shall no longer be permitted to pursue the deer in
those forests which were so lately all our own. The fish
which, in the Buffalo and Tonto-want° Creek., used to sup-
ply us with food, are now, by the dams and other übstrue.
skins of the while people, prevented from multiplying, and
we are almost entirely drprived of that accustomed suste-
nance.

Our great father, the President, has recommended to our
young turn, to be imlustrious, to plough, and to sow. Thi■
we have dune, and we are thankful fur the advice, and for
the means he has afforded us of carrying it into effect. We
sic happier iu cons. quence of it. But another time, re-
comniesided to us, lots created great confusion among es,
and is snaking us a quarrelsome and divided people; and
that is the introductiou of preachers into our nation. These
Black Coats contrive td get the consent of some of the In-
dians to presets among us: and wherever this is the case,
confusion and disorder are sure to follow; and the encroach-
ment of the whites upon our lands ■re the invariable eon-
sequence. The Governor must not think lisad of me for
speaking thus of the preachers. I have observed their pro-
gress, sad when I look hack to see what has taken place of
old, I perceive that whenever they conic among the Indians,
they were the forerunners of their dispersion ; that they al-
ways excited enmities and quasrels among them; that they
introduced the wisite people on their lands, by whom they
were rubbed and plundered of their property; and that the
Indians were sure to dwindle and decrease, and be driven
hack. iu proportion to the slumber of preachers that came

among them..
Each station has its own customs, and its own religion.
The Indians have theirs, given to them by the Great Spirit,
tinder which they wire happy. It was not inteuded that
they should embrace the relij.,iiin of the whites, and he de-
stroyed by the littempt to make them think differently uu
that subject from their fathers.
It is true, these 'weathers have got the conamit of some
of the chiefs to • ny mud to wadi among us; but I and
say faiPiiJs know this to he wrong, soil Unit they ought to b.:
removed. Besides, we have bees, threatened by Mr. Hyde,
who came among iss as a sehoolmmater and a teethe, of our
children, but has now beetimie a 11141 k coat, and refuses to
teach them any more, that steles, we listen 111 his 'welch-
ing and become Christians, we will be turned off our lands
mot slut allowed to plagiie is, any inure ; we shat nevi r be
at peace while he us a ~,,,, ig its
%Ye are afraid tots, Mat these prescheni, by and by, will
become pour, and lures ua to pay them fur living among
us and disturbing U..
Sone of One chiefs. have irol lazy, and instead of evil&
rating their lauds themeelvela, employ white people to du
so. 'there are time eleven white families tiling u• our re-
servation at Ilaffalo; this is wrong, sail might sot 10 be
permitted. The gieal source of all our grievances is, that
the shim ors are souse sus. Let them be reastived, sad
we will br happy and contented ainumg ounietves.
We sow cry to she Governor (..r help, suit hope that he
will attend so our eowsplaiats, sad speedily give es redress.
RED JACKET.
This letter was dictated by Red Jacket, and interpreted