The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-29 00:00:00

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THE ABORIGINES OF WESTERN 414.7+ Mx*- •••••
(From the Perth Gazette, of March I . 41( N.', 0
MURDER OF MR. JOHN LAYMAN.
It is our painful duty to record the murder of one of our
settlers in the Vasse District, by one of the Aborigines. The
unhappy sufferer, with his wife and family, by means of his
assiduity, and application to the life a settler, was rapidly
accumulating an independence, when, alas ! their hopes
have been thus untimely blighted. The father of a family
is murdered by a savage, in the act of protecting his own
property, and insisting upon the equal distribution of a por-
tion of damper, or bread, given in consideration of services
performed by another native. We are depending in a great
measure upon mere report for the present account, but we
have every reliance it will be found substantially correct.
The native had stolen some flour from Layman during the
day, and subsequently robbed one of his companions of a
damper. The unfortunate deceased remonstrated with the
savage, and confiding in that security which we are all too
ready to believe we hold, took him by the beard and shook
him According to their usage and habits, no greater viola-
tion of the person can be inflicted ; the man instantly called
for a spear, arid pearsed it through his body. The sufferer
had scarcely turned round and called for his gun, when he
1 I fell lifeless.

The deed was considered so atrocious that the military sta-
tioned at the Vasse were called out, and, accompanied by the
government resident, J. Molloy, Esq., and Mr. Bussell,
they followed the tracks of the offending party. They came
upon their resting place at night, and Mr. Bussell, who is
well acquainted with their language, distinctly heard them
exulting over this barbarous outrage, arid threatening, that
as this was the first blow which had been struck for some
time, it should be followed up by the extermination of the
very parties who were listening to their boasted assurance.
A conviction that the murderer was one of the number of those
who were planning the diabolical acts to be committed, and
hearing the imitation of the dying man's gurgle in his throat.
it was instantly resolved to capture the whole party. The
attempt, however, being forcibly resisted, in the scuffle five
natives were shot, and the real offender escaped. It is to be
hoped that he will be brought to justice before long.
This summary proceeding will, no doubt, bring down upon
the recriminating party the cry of unjustifiable homicide.
Be it so. Bring any one of the cream-faced objectionists
in the same position, and see would they not do the tame
thing were they in the same place. There cannot be a
question that the salutary chastisement thus inflicted will be
the means of saving much bloodshed; and that the supre-
macy of power must be upheld is equally indisputable.
Coupled, therefore, as our conduct has been with acts of
kindness and consideration for their situation, as contrasted
with us of civilised life—the benefits we have conferred upon
them for outweighing any loss they may have experienced
from our occupation of their lands—and the uniform dispo-
sition of the whole population to administer to their com-
forts; these acts combined should at least secure to the
distant settler au immunity from unprovoked outrage and
security of property. But with the savages of this country,
no moral obligation is binding upon them; we state this
advisedly, knowing that the greatest acts of kindness—
of relief in the hour of necessity—of protection from assail-
ants of a neighbouring tribe—even support in the hour of
death, is thought as lightly of by them as though they were
conferred from a sense of obligation, or undeserving the sim-
ple return of common gratitude. The members of public
societies, and meetings at home, may rant, fume, and
speechify to their hearts' content, but all this will not avail
to unite the link between the savage and the man of civilised
habits—this must be wrought by time.
We have no reason to commend or disparage the acts of
those who have found it necessary to follow up the offending
parties in this outrage, but, from lengthened experience in
the colony, we are fully satisfied that prompt measures are
required, in such instances, not alone to avert future injury,
but in mercy to the race of blacks, who will, if unrestrained,
carry their lawless violence to such.excesses as may lead to a
fearful loss of life to repel their aggressions.