Star.
London, England, 1831-05-18 00:00:00

VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.

From the Tasmanian of the 5114 November, ia:v.

We have the very utmost satisfaction in stating, that t e invariant
expedition against the Aborigines, the establishing whit b ►:y his Ea-
celleney Lieutenant Governor Arthur will of itself entitle his Admini-
station to the gratitude of the Colony; and form an inn resting epoch
to its annals, has, we have nu doubt, by this time succeeded to the ut-
utmost extent hoped or expected by the most sanguine. Our readers
,re aware of the nature of the plan—that it was a bold and hst_triluus
one, and the sucec•a of which, as it was utterly impossible to c oimand,
from the nature of the country, and from the limited meat,. jaas.saed
by his Excellency with which to carry so extended an op. tatam into
effect, disappointment could have been attended only with reriet—
blame could h.lve attached nowhere. Succes', therefore, to the extent
which we hope and beiieve we may with s. I.:1y announce, is infinitely
the mo►e gratifying. We shall now proceed t•t explain to our readers,
Mg clearly as we are *lda to do without the rt, cess:ery reference to the
map, the manner in which his Exceilency has moat skilfully conducted
this great operation to the present period.
The general plan is well known to have been the drawing a cordon
of troops, formed of the line and the velunte Its, arourd the southern
division of the island, within which to enclose the A, original, end by
advancing southeey, to drive them tow,dels the eolith-eastern point of
the island, forming the peninsula called Tastnan's, which contains some
sixty or eighty thousand acres of land, enclosed by a narrow isthmus of
a few hundred yards wide, dividing the Pacific Ocean ironi a bay of the
river Derwent. The Aborigines, thus deiven upon this isthmus, would of
necessity be compelled to pass it and enter the Peninsula, within which
they can be safely enclosed, and it is hoped, by proper arrangements,
civilized. A better plan than this cannot be imagined, either as re-
spects the first object of capturing, and the ultimate one in reference to
their future destination. This being, then, the plan of operations, his
Excellency, shout the middle of last month, took the field at the head
of about three thousand men, ■nd proceeded to put in practices under
leis own immediate personal inspection, the plan of the campaign. It
i is highly gratifying to know that every man has done his duty, to say
the vet), least As respects the military, it is an old adage in tie entry,
that he in a Ford soldier who does his ditty. It is expected of none to
do more ; and if the zeal and enthusiasm with which the volunteers
have from the very first, day and night, done all, and much more, than
: could have been expected of them, may have, by a sort of hardly fair
comparison, thrown the cool and deliberate'` duty.doing" soldier into
the shade, the proper way of estimating the matter is, to consider the
soldier as doing all that was required, the volunteer as doing more
Ithan was required.
On the 28th of the last month the line had marched southerly,
slowly, and steadily, under the disadventages of very bad weather in a
very tugged country, rocky, and mountainitess, intersect d whir rivers
and deep gulleys_in a word, to der the greatest possible difficulties,
to a position extending front the town of Sorel!. .1 the head of the bay
of the ricer Dement, called P,ttwater, to a bay of the Pacific on the
eastern maw. called Prosser 's Bay. The line then formed nearly a se.
mimetic, and was comp seed of twelve separate corps under the com-
mand of the following officers, commencing on the right t Lieutenant
Barron, Lieut. Murray, Lieut. Champ, Capt. Clarke, Lieut. Cooley,
Lieut Pcdder, Capt. Madden, Cap:. l'l'herson, Capt. Bayley, Lieut.
Grove, Lieut. Ovens. Lieut. Aubya.
This was the first line immediately enclosing the Aborigines ; a short
digit? ce in the rear cf white, aseumd line of picked troops, under the
command of Maj,w Dringlas-,ai d Captains Donaldson and Wentworth,
was most judiciously formed ; so that any attempt to penetrate the first
either by force or stra.agrm, was most likely to tail of success. On the
31st October, his Excelleicy was pleased to issue the following
Order:—

Camp, Sorel' Mettle., Oct. 31 —TI e Colunel commanding
reques:s the Commanders ui corps will into,tu every 'cadet under
their orders, that the advance of Captrin Donaldson's division will,
it is hoped, enable thn final and decisive mascot-nu to commence to-
morrow.

" His Excellency, fully aware of the great privations which the
leaden, as well as those serving with them, have been suffering by so
protracted a separation from their families and homes, has observed,
with real satisfaction, the cheerful and traiseworthy alacrity which has
animated them in striving to accomplish the present important under.
taking. The delay upon waiting for reinforcements has been unavoid-
able; for to have advar.ced the whole force from its present position
would have assureely risked the loss of the great advantage which the
labours of the ccinniunity have obtained in so successfully enclosing
the two most dangerous tribes.;
" A few more days must now terminate the great work in the moat
satisfactory manner; and his Excellency earnestly hopes that the lead-
ers will, for the remaining short period, continue to show the excellent
spirit which has all along been so conspicuous in their parties. They
will perceive that the advance of the most forward parties will render
redoubled vigilance necessary on the part of those who guard the line,
as the natives, when Jisturbed in the interior, will undoubtedly Increase
their efforts to burst through the position.
(Signed) "O. ART H UR."
From this order it is quite apparent that his Excellency is well as-
tisfied with the conduct of every description of force of which the cape.
dition is composed. On the same day his Excellency issued a held
memorandum, in which Major Douglass was instructed to push into
the front of the line 22 parties of seven men each (including the leader)
at day-break of the following day, Monday last. These parties were
to take post 50 paces in front of the line, according to an order, sub-
I joined to the memorandum. Captain Wentworth was also ordered to
push 15 similar parties in front of the line as above. The whole re-
maining force of Major Douglass and Captains Wentworth and Do-
naldson were ordered to close up to the front line, and to fill up ail
vacancies which might occur. The utmost order and regularity in
making these movements was strictly enforced, which were directed to
be fully effected by twelve o'clock on Monday, at which hour a move.
went in advance was to commence. A field sketch of the ground was
annexed to this memorandum, executed, we apprehend, by Mr. Frank.
land, the Surveyor-General. It is plain, simple, and comprehensive,
and exhibits:at one view the different positions which the line is to oc-
cupy on the foul days during which this important operation is to be
brought to a close. On the 3lst of October, the line occupied the post
tion we have already stated. On Monday, the Ist of November, the
lire was to advance so as to form a semicircle of a more extended arc,
the right resting upon the Iron Creek near the Pittwater Lower
Ferry, the left upon a promontory • I.ttle south of Presser's Bay.
On Tuesday the 2d, the right still remained as the day preceding,
the remainder of the line advancing, so as that the left rested
upon a creek on the eastern coast, half way between Pros-
ser Bay and the Bream Creek. On Wednesday, the third,
the whole line having closed in very considerably, its extent
having much diminished, halted, the right upon the Carlton River,
the left upon the Bream Creek. And upon the fourth day (yesterday),
which of course will have been the most interesting of the whole, the
line would march upon East Bay Neck, closing in and driving all be-
fore it, so as to reach that position by midedey, and form upon the
sand-pit at its northern extremity, thereby, we anxiously hope, effec-
tually incloaing the Aborigines within Tasman's Peninsula, of which
the Batt Bay Neck or Isthmus is the key. Thus shut in, whatever
ulterior measures it may be his Excellency's pleasure to adopt respect-
ing these people will then be had recourse to. A very small force will
be sufficient to effectually maintain the post at the nece, particularly if
a small field work is constructed, extending from sea to sea (somewhat
it; a miniature way of Lord Wellington's lines at Tones Vedras,)
which, by the employment of the whole force for a few hours, could be
effectually done. The arrangements for these operations were pointed
out. and explained by his Excellency, in the -' Memorandum" of
which we have spoken, in a very plain and explicit manner. His
Excellency concluded it by expressing his hope that the investing line
would put forth every effort to prevent the natives passing through it,
who would of course, when so closely pressed, redouble their efforts so
to do.

In the field order of his Excellency above inserted, it is announced,
in terms which admit anti doubt, that the expedition has at least sue.
ceeded in capturing " the two most (tinge:eats tribes." There can be
no qmstion but that the capture of these tribes will boon become
generally known to those of their brethren who are still at large, and
it is evident that the best consequences will ensue in their respect.
The hostility of the tribes in the northern part of the 'ahead
sheen' itself mere and more daily. We alluded in a recent number
to the exnaordinary conduct of those who thuught proper to en.
deavour to thwart the excellent and highly popular arratigenieots of
his Excellency, in the manner we therein stared. Tic effect of this
manoeuvre was, that seeeral of the Aborigines, who venue' have been
taken. had the tiOrfTWOT received that co.operatien which he had every
tenon and every right to expect, having (heaped, are LOW cemmiiting
very btrOUN outrages. We make the following extract from the letter
of a gentleman on the other bide the island :
" I have had a smart work of it this week. No less than four
regular eivacks on different points of my farm, at distances of two,
three, and four miles from each other. Of course, all my shepherds'
en rages have been stripped of useful articles. The !kicks now
know the use of fire anus ; they made a held attack on one of my
' men for a gun, which wan placed about twelve feet from the place
where he was at wolk, and which they euecrethal in obtaining. On
Friday, she they came to my mill and commenced throwing bags
of flour out of the window ; but on my people proceeding to attack
them, they sheered cif, but appeared the saute ley et aroth.r place of
mint, where they were again repulsed. At last the party, under
Mr. Sanspson came up with them near Mr. Talbot's, where, no
doubt, they intended to help themselves to what suited. They cone.
menced by spearieg one of the p,r:y through the thigh, hut he fired
at the moment, and shot his at-pa:Lid that!. The lir cks tlien tan
off, add Mr. Sampson's party cane laic last night, when I invite
(lamely forwarded the wounded man on lustseheck to the torpor:, at
Canntebelitown. The dead black wits left as a decoy to his frieods, who
saw hint fall. and as no doubt they will return fur the body, is is hoped
they may be captured."
Titus much for the good effect of interfering with the Ocresettnnet
arrangente:.u.. ,•
We have heard with very great ogres, that the eleven mew raitered
by Mr. Berman, as mentioned in our but, escaped on heyday laq,
Wang with them ill the aru.s and atuniutieurs, provision, ,te. they

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