The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-28 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF TWO ABORI-

GINAL NATIVES.

The warrant for the execution of the two natives,
Doodjeep and Barrabong, having received the signature
of his Excellency Governor Hutt, the Sheriff, G. F.
, Stone, Esq., proceeded to carry the sentence into effect.
The culprits were placed in a cart, to which they
were chained, and the party, with a suitable escort,
reached Guildford about one o'clock on Tuesday, 7th
instant. On their being placed in the cart at the prison
door, Perth, they evinced no signs of fear, but took the
whole proceedings very quietly, depending, as it was
supposed, upon a chance of rescue, or that some slight
punishment would be inflicted upon therm at York, and
they would be again set at large. Indeed they begged
to be flogged, and promised never to commit a like
offence ; a promise little to he depended upon, and a
punishment (if it had been possible to have remitted
the sentence) unequal to the just retribution their
hi inous offences imperatively called for.
They exhibited no signs of fear or alarm until after
they had passed their own hunting grounds, about three
miles on the other side of the half-way house ; indeed
it was not visibly indicated until they arrived at York ;
their minds being evidently impressed with a belief that
they would be rescued on their own grounds by their
tribe. At the half• way house it was observed that Bar-
rabong trembled considerably, but it was thought this
arose from the spot being the scene of the murder of
Murphy some years back, in which he was a principal.
An unloaded gun and two pistols were placed in the
cart, which by the most ingenious devices, by endeavour-
ing to draw off the attention of the party, they made re-
peated attempts to sciz,. In the sequel of our narra-
tive it will be seen one man got hold of the gun,
and excited some natives to offer some show of re-
sistance. On the morning of the II th the party,
with an additional escort of six rank and file, and

one ssrjeant, proceeded to the place of execution, about
ten miles to the southward of York. After travelling
a few miles, six natives made their appearance, well
armed with glass spears. They were allowed to ap-
proach near enough to the cart to enter into a conversa-
tion with the culprits ; and, in this instance, the absence

of an interpreter was seriously felt. The animated
conversation which ensued, the savage and revenge-
ful expression depicted in the- - countenances of
the two culprits, coupled with the seizure of a
gun by one of them, lying at the back of
the cart, excited the natives who had jeined
them to ship their spears, and they were
alone repulsed by the resolute conduct of the military.
The guns of the escort were instantly raised, and the
natives skulked away into the bush, but repaired to the
sqveral adjoining hills, and, by lighting their signal
fires, communicated to the neighbouring tribes an
unusual event, and spread the sign of alarm. No re-
sistance was, however, offered, although it was behaved
many natives ware spectators of the scene. About.
twenty-four Europeans were present, and many of the
settlers in the neighbourhood witnessed the execution,
which we may briefly describe.
When the party arrived at the spot where the mur-
der was perpetrated—the place of execution—the de-
linquents were observed to turn their heads from the
only remaining vestige of their devastation, a small chim-
ney which stood as a monument of the violent outrage
they had committed. Here all hope of escape seemed
to fail them. The younger of the two prisoners met his
end with a dogged and a determined spirit, as it ap-
peared, of revenge ; the only intelligible expressions
made use of conveyed an impression that ho would
rise up a " white fellow," which it was considered
strengthened his resolution. The elder man, when
he found all hope of escape fail him, and the
cap was drawn over his eyes, fainted ; and it
was with mudh difficulty he could be made to rise,
until the operations of the executioners (after the
sheriff had read the warrant for the execution) launched
them into eternity. The horror of being hung was
sensibly felt, and they repeatedly asked to be shot or
speared ; and such was their savage spirit of revenge,
that, up to the short period before the execution, they
were understood to express a desire to flog three
friendly natives, who accompanied the escort, for daring
to come there. Notwithstanding the justice of the
sentence is fully acknowledged, some doubts arc enter-
tained of the effect a public execution will have upon the
aborigines generally. Whether this example will deter
them from committing offences in future, is qnestionable.
The expressions made use of by the natives, such as,
"What for soldier man, white man, corroborra ?" uttered
in a half-laughing, half-sympathising tone, confirms our be-
lief that some attempt will be made to retaliate. We
may be wrong in forming this opinion, but it behoves the
settlers to be on their guard, and they cannot toe care-
fully watch the proceedings of the natives. We would
not be supposed unnecessarily to spread alarm, but we
know the acts of the aborigines arc held in utter con-
tempt by many persons, and to these the caution is best
applied.
The minor details of this execution we have passed
over, but we cannot conclude this notice without ex-
pressing our gratification at the general accounts we hear
of the praiseworthy conduct of the soldiers of the 51st
Regiment, and all who attended on this certainly painful
duty.—Perth Gezcltc, July 18, 1840.

AUSTRALASIA SHIPPING.—The present time may
perhaps be considered the most unpropitious for loading
ships destined for the Australian colonies, few persons
feeling inclined to embark in the depth of winter. Yet
such is the amazing trade between England and these
colonies, that the shipping list for this month displays
an array of not less than fifty vessels entered out for the
various ports in Australasia, whose united tonnage
amounts to 18,444 tons. Where would this shipping
find employ but for these colonies? If emigration to
Australasia were accelerated by means of loans secured
on the future sales of the waste colonial lands, and a
supply of labour maintained equal to the demand actu-
ally existing, the amount of shipping required to carry
on the trade thereby created would, in a short time, be
double that amount now employed.—Australian Record.

TII E LATE FROST.—The inconvenience to the
public during the late frost, by which the navigation of
the river above Blackwell was obstructed for a period
longer than •any that has occurred since the winter of
1813, would have been much more felt but for the ar-
rangements made last summer at the Brunswick Pier at
Blackwell• This pier has been completely adapted and
arranged for the landing and embarkation of passengers
from and to the steam-vessels, in conjunction with the
Blackwell Railway. Availing themselves of that accom-
modation, all the steamers that were running during the
frost landed and took on board their passengers there,
the passengers and luggage being carried to and from
Blackwall by the railway ; and there is no doubt that pro-
perty to a great amount, perhaps in many cases human
life, have been saved by the vessels not being obliged, as
heretofore. to struggle through the ice to the metropolitan
wharfs. In many cases the passengers coming from
Gravesend, and availing themselves of this route, arrived
at the Minories station in less than two hours from the
time of starting, notwithstanding the partial obstruction of
the navigation below Blackwall.

Lord Kimbolton and Mr. Henry John Porter
have arrived at Hatchctt's Hotel, Dover street, from
Rome.

THE LAW.—SHERIFF'S OFFICERS.—In an
action, Toits v. Macgraw, tried on Tuesday in the Sheriff's
Court, the liability of Sheriff's Officers to the Sheriff; was
decided. Macgraw, the officer, having distrained for 91.,
after notice that the furnitnre bad already been distrained
cn, damages and costs to the amount of 1411. were re-
covered against the Sheriff, who brought his action against
Macgraw for that sum. The original debt was only 91.,
but the costs came to no less than 1321.

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.-Mr. Stokes,
tho Senior Wrangler of this year, is an Irishman, and the
son of a clergyman. Ho did not enter in the first instance
at Trinity College, Dublin (as is erroneously supposed by
the correspondent of the Standard), but up to the period
of his going to Cambridge was a student of the Bristol
College, the Rev. Dr. Jerrard being at the time principal
of that institution.

The Rev. F. B. Briggs, M.A., Vicar of St.
Stephen's by Saltash, in Cornwall, was instituted on Fri-
day, the 16th inst., to the rectory of Sutcombe, in Devon-
shire. Patron, Thomas Briggs, Esq.
THE LATE COUNTESS 13ATIIURST.—The
mortal remains of the above respected Countess were re-
moved at an early hour on Monday morning from the
family mansion in Charles-street, Berkeley-square, for in.
termcnt in the family vault at Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
The funeral was strictly private, the hearse being only fol-
lowed by one mourning coach. Earl Bathurst left town
yesterday morning for Oiklcy Park, to attend the obse-
quies of his lamented mother. The interment took place
yesterday.
Mr. Bell, M.P., being prevented
thaet
tnhd attending gTFthehb: the
opening cf Parliament by Mrs. Bell's indisposition, has
pairedFeb-
ruary.—Newcastle a ilu._No
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young gcn Leman, nephew;of the I:entedJthuedgsoeleTmanschhiegrielamu,a(s)sf
Quebec, in whose untimely fate all have sympathised, was
carried from the hospital on. WedenaedsdawyalsasctiltaoutnhteciS.acrTishtye
adj ,fining the church St. Nicholas, where ho remained till
Friday, when he was removed into the church, which was
ohßfurnti
British
Consulth Catholica black k
aftol
Churchdr
et. most respectable
English and French families attending on the occasion,
and following the fimeral precession to the cimetiere.
We regret to say that the bodies of one sailor and of Mr.
was..er have not )et been discovered. The latter had,
we hear, besides two gold watches and chain, upwards of
two hundred pounds about him at the time of the accident.
We hear that he possessed an annual income of nearly
4,000/ , which he inherited by the death of his father, who
was drowned two years ago, with his mother and two sis-
ters, on a voyage from New York to New Orleans.—
Boulogne Gazette.
In the case of Neeld v. the Duke of Beaufort,
the Vice-Chancellor on Tuesday decided in favour of the
Noble Duke, to whom the peaceable possession of Dunley
Gors3 will immediately revert.
Tuesday Alr. Butler, late lessee of the Olympic,
was liberated by the Insolvent Debtors' Court, on bail.
His insolvency arose from the failure of the Olympic
Th,2Atre, wherein the iiv,ilvent had expended a large sum
01 his own, and had i—uricd various debts now inserted in
the schedule. The debts were upwards of 1,2001., and
had, with the exception of about 40/., bees contracted on
account of the theatre,