The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-04 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH WALES.

MURDER OF SEVEN MEN BY THE BLACKS
ON THEIR WAY TO PORT PHILLIP.

The Sydney Herald, of May 21, just received, contains
the following account of a dreadful catastrophe, which, we
are afraid, must in some measure be attributed to the con-
duct of the white people themselves :
The murder of Mr. Faithful's servants, by the blacks,
having created a more than ordinary sensation among the
settlers in the interior, we have obtained the following au-
thentic particulars of that desperate outrage. It appears
that on the morning of the 11th ultimo, a party of men in
charge of Mr. Faithful's sheep, on the route to Port Phil-
lip, were preparing to proceed from the Winding Swamp,
about thirty miles beyond the Ovens River, on their way
to the Goulburn, where it was understood that good sheep
stations might be had ; and while the bullocks were being
yoked, the men with the drays heard the shouts of the
shepherds crying out for help. These met), who were at a
short distance from the encampment collecting their sheep,
were presently seen running with great speed towards the
dray, pursued by a body of blacks throwing spears after
them. Their companions near the encampment, three of
whom were armed with guns, immediately ran to their as-
sistance, and, if possible, to drive off the blacks, whn, lay
that time were within 300 or 400 yards of the camp. One
of these men, named Bentley, fired his gun in the air, think-
ing that such a display would intimidate them ; but it bad
no effect. The blacks still came forward, cautiously shel-
tering themselves behind the trees in their path, until, when
within near approach of the adverse party, one came for-
ward and was in the act of deliberately poising his spear,
when Bentley shot him dead, and was himself, immediately
after, pierced with three spears. This unfortunate man was
last seen desperately fighting with the butt end of his musket.
The combat now became general ; spears flew in all direc-
tions, and several shots were fired without effect, owing to
the caution exercised by the blacks of interposing the trees
between themselves and the defensive party, but still gra-
dually closing upon the latter. It was now seen that further
resistance would be of no avail, and that in flight lay the
only chance of safety—as the blacks continued to increase
in numbers as they advanced. There were 15 in all of
Mr. Faithful servants, out of which seven in number were
killed by the blacks, and one other so severely wounded
that his recovery is considered hopeless. When attempting
to make their escape, a line was opened by the blacks, con-
sisting of about 150 in number, who thus speared at the
fugitives right and left as they passed. At about 100 yards
distance from the scene of this outrage, another strong party
of armed blacks were drawn up, doubtless as a reserve, but
they took no part in the contest. There could not, we are
assure, have been fewer than 300 fighting men present—
uot an old man was seen among them. The party in charge
of the sheep and cattle had remained at this particular place
from the Saturday previous, waiting the arrival of Mr.
George Faithful, who was only a day's stage behind, and
was then momentarily expected. During their stay, every
precaution was taken by the overseer and the rest to keep
on friendly terms with the natives, who constantly hovered
about the encampment in groups of ten or twenty at a time.
So friendly did they appear that neither the overseer nor
any of the men, save Bentley, anticipated any hostile inten-
tion ; but his suspicion was excited by the fact of no women
appearing at any time among the blacks, and by finding,
while going his rounds as guard, the night preceding the at-
tack, a large number of spears at a short distance from the
camp, which he concealed. All the sheep, except 130, we
understand, have been recovered, and some of the cattle ;
the remainder, it is expected, may also be recovered when a
party sufficiently strong to protect themselves from the
blacks can be formed to go in search of them.

The Sydney Gazette of May 22 adds the following :
A gentleman who arrived overland from Port Phillip the
other day, informs us that the intelligence of the murder of
so many of Mr. Faithful's men by the blacks on their route
to Port Phillip has spread great consternation over the set-
tlement, where it is looked on as amounting to an actual
prohibition of all intercourse by land with the parent Co-
lony. A party of the Mounted Police, under the command
of Lieutenant Smith, who had been dispatched in search of
the murderers, had returned unsuccessful, their orders
being not to fire on the blacks unless for self-preservation.
They had stumbled upon a party of nearly 300 natives,
well armed, surrounding an immense fire, on which a bul-
lock, or some similarly large animal (it was impossible to
discover what), was being roasted. On discovering the
Police the blacks started up and brandished their spears,
which no persuasion would induce them to lay aside, the
party was consequently compelled to retreat without Lc-
complisbing their object. The survivors of Mr. Faithful's
party strenuously persist in denying that any act on their
part provoked the commission of the outrage ; indeed,
from their statement, it would appear to have been a deli-
berately formed scheme, which had been in contemplation
for some time previously. It may be that their statement
is true, but we feel assured from our own observation of the
manners and customs of the Aborigines, that some aggres-
sion on the part of the whites, if not of Mr. Eaithful's
party, probably of some party that preceded his, must have
excited the blacks to the commission of so horrible an out-

rage. To protect the travellers by land to and from Port
Phillip, it has now become a matter of absolute necessity,
that stockades, manned by an adequate military force,
should be stationed at regular distances along the route ;
until that is done there can be no safety for the traveller,
and all communication by land must necessarily cease.

On Tuesday and Wednesday last, one of the lakes
in the grounds at Woodley was drawn off, for the purpose of
cleaning out the weeds and mud, and, in consequence, a vast
weight of 6sh was taken. It consisted of the pike, carp, perch,
roach, and eels; two of the pike were enormous, one weigh-
ing 301b5., and the other 271b5., but the rest of this species
averaged about 51bs. each ; the carp were in abundance of albs.
and Elba. each, and the perch vary large and numerous.
Reading Mercury.

On Monday a dinner was giver, in celebration of the
opening of the Bankside Steam-boat Pier at the London
Bridge-house Hotel. This pier is situated on the southern
side of the Thames, near Southwark-bridge, arid is intended
for the accommodation of passengers proceeding up and down
the river in the small vessels belonging to the London and
Westminster Steam-boat Company, and will eventually be
used as a place of embarkation by the Gravesend boats. About
150 gentlemen sat down to dinner, and after the usual loyal
toasts were duly honoured, the Chairman, Mr. Sheers, to whom
the opening of the pier is chiefly owing, proposed " Success
to the new undertaking," The toast was most heartily re-
sponded to; for the pier, though humble in appearance, was
generally considered to he a groat public convenience, as
affording for the first time a means of landing from steam-
boats between Southwark and the Strand bridges.

On Monday an inquest was held before Mr. W. Car-
ter, Coroner for Surrey, at the sign of the Pilgritn, Kenning-
ton•lane, Lambeth, on vi7tv of the body of Mr. John William
Bishop, aged 51 years, who came by his death under the fol-
lowing melancholy circumstances :—lt appeared from the evi.
dance that the deceased, accompanied by his son, gr.uld-
children, and servant, left their residence, No. 1, Providence-
place, Kennington-lane, in a light chaise-cart, and proceeded
to Norwood on Sunday, the 30th ult., where they spent the
day, and were returning home in the evening, when in the act
of descending the bill near the French Horn Inn, the horse
started oif at full speed, and ran the eha;se on the bink with such
force as to overturn it. The deceased was thrown out, and on
lifting him up his left leg was found to be trokrn. A surgeon,
named Fowes, livin in the Great Dover-road, Southwark,
who happened to b 3 in the neighbourhood, saw the accident,
and recommended that the unfortunate man chould be removed
home without loss of time. This was done, but, notwithstand-
ing every assistance was rendered, he gradually got worse, and
expired en Friday last. Verdict—" Accidental death."

lilt , Lord E. 'rhynne hounded a
him.
EXTRAORDINARY DEER CIIAS
E.
deAfter a capital
chase of three miles down to the Tilt, the
r came to bay in
Thursday, the
20th
deer in Blair Foreat,
about seven e.at., slipping two dogs at
yfour dogs.
the river, very near the kennel, from which two.eof tGheie,deonges
gat out, when the deer broke bay, and ran up B
a the highest bills of the forest, followed by the .
Lord E. Thynne and his
Next
the chase, it being near nine o'clock, and quite dark.
lie
morning a keeper was sent out in search of the dogs, when
the
party were now obliged to give up
found the deer standing at the very top of Ben y Glo, and
0. dogs still with him, holding him at bay. On the approach t the keeper he again broke away, and took straight down Ben
y Glo to the Tilt, a distance of six miles, where; having been
once more brought to bay, he was shot by Mr. Butter, of Fas-
kally, who was corning up from his residence at the time, all
the dogs being still with the deer, the two first dogs that were
slipped at him having thus never left hint for seventeen hours.
They were taken home in a very tired and exhausted condition.
PENRITII AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.—We
have often endeavoured to attract the attention of the public
to the great importance of a railway communication be-
tween this city sad Penrith, and it now gives us great
pleasure to refer our readers to an advertisement in another
column, for bolding a meeting at Peurith on the subject.
We think, however, that the Committee who have taken
upon themselves the onerous duty of enquiring into the
traffic have under-rated some of the items ; but in this
they have acted wisely; they show a fair remunera-
tion for outlay of capital, and subscribers will be much
more gratified to receive that extra interest which they did
not anticipate, than to have been misled in the first
instance. On reference to the exposition of the traffic
upon the Maryport and Carlisle line, published by the
Committee of Directors WI observed the item of 20,7271. 3s.
for the annual transit of, passengers, to which 100 per cent. is
added, producing 41,4541. 65., and as we have no reason to
doubt the correctness of this statement, surely, on the Great
North Road, with eight mails, a Liverpool, Manchester, and
Express coach to London, passing end repassing daily upon
upon it, to ssy nothing of the continued run of carriages going
through our city, a larger sum than 9,000/. per annum might
been
.de
calculated upon in this item; but the error is
on
We shall make some further observations upo
n.
this project after the meeting ; meanwhile, we urge every one
interested
lf re of this district to take shares, that
the work may be commenced with the least possible delay.—
the have
right
, Carlisle Patriot.

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1838.