Having Passed The North Arm Of Botany Bay,
They Proceeded To A Hut Formed Of Boughs, Which Had Been Lately
Erected
on this peninsula, for the accommodation of sportsmen who wished to continue
by night in the woods; for, as
The kangaroos in the day-time, chiefly keep
in the cover, it is customary on these parties to sleep until near sunset,
and watch for the game during the night, and in the early part of the morning.
Accordingly, having lighted a fire, they lay down, without distrust
or suspicion.
About one o'clock, the sergeant was awakened by a rustling noise in the bushes
near him, and supposing it to proceed from a kangaroo, called to his comrades,
who instantly jumped up. On looking about more narrowly, they saw two natives
with spears in their hands, creeping towards them, and three others a little
farther behind. As this naturally created alarm, McEntire said,
"don't be afraid, I know them," and immediately laying down his gun,
stepped forward, and spoke to them in their own language. The Indians,
finding they were discovered, kept slowly retreating, and McEntire
accompanied them about a hundred yards, talking familiarly all the while.
One of them now jumped on a fallen tree and, without giving the least warning
of his intention, launched his spear at McEntire and lodged it in his
left side. The person who committed this wanton act was described as
a young man with a speck or blemish on his left eye That he had been lately
among us was evident from his being newly shaved.
The wounded man immediately drew back and, joining his party, cried,
"I am a dead man". While one broke off the end of the spear, the other two
set out with their guns in pursuit of the natives; but their swiftness of foot
soon convinced our people of the impossibility of reaching them. It was now
determined to attempt to carry McEntire home, as his death was apprehended
to be near, and he expressed a longing desire not to be left to expire
in the woods. Being an uncommonly robust muscular man, notwithstanding
a great effusion of blood, he was able, with the assistance of his comrades,
to creep slowly along, and reached Sydney about two o'clock the next morning.
On the wound being examined by the surgeons, it was pronounced mortal.
The poor wretch now began to utter the most dreadful exclamations,
and to accuse himself of the commission of crimes of the deepest dye,
accompanied with such expressions of his despair of God's mercy,
as are too terrible to repeat.
In the course of the day, Colbee, and several more natives came in,
and were taken to the bed where the wounded man lay. Their behaviour
indicated that they had already heard of the accident, as they repeated twice
or thrice the name of the murderer Pimelwi, saying that he lived at Botany Bay.
To gain knowledge of their treatment of similar wounds, one of the surgeons
made signs of extracting the spear, but this they violently opposed,
and said, if it were done, death would instantly follow.
On the 12th, the extraction of the spear was, however, judged practicable,
and was accordingly performed. That part of it which had penetrated the body
measured seven inches and a half long, having on it a wooden barb,
and several smaller ones of stone, fastened on with yellow gum, most of which,
owing to the force necessary in extraction, were torn off and lodged
in the patient. The spear had passed between two ribs, and had wounded
the left lobe of the lungs. He lingered* until the 20th of January, and then
expired. On opening the corpse, it was found that the left lung had perished
from suppuration, its remains adhering to the ribs. Some pieces of stone,
which had dropped from the spear were seen, but no barb of wood.
[*From the aversion uniformly shown by all the natives to this unhappy man,
he had long been suspected by us of having in his excursions, shot and injured
them. To gain information on this head from him, the moment of contrition
was seized. On being questioned with great seriousness, he, however,
declared that he had never fired but once on a native, and then had not killed,
but severely wounded him and this in his own defence. Notwithstanding
this death-bed confession, most people doubted the truth of the relation,
from his general character and other circumstances.]
The governor was at Rose-hill when this accident happened. On the day after
he returned to Sydney, the following order was issued:
Several tribes of the natives still continuing to throw
spears at any man they meet unarmed, by which several
have been killed, or dangerously wounded, the governor,
in order to deter the natives from such practices in
future, has ordered out a party to search for the man
who wounded the convict McEntire, in so dangerous a
manner on Friday last, though no offence was offered
on his part, in order to make a signal example of that
tribe. At the same time, the governor strictly forbids,
under penalty of the severest punishment, any soldier
or other person, not expressly ordered out for that
purpose, ever to fire on any native except in his own
defence; or to molest him in any shape, or to bring away
any spears, or other articles which they may find
belonging to those people. The natives will be made
severe examples of whenever any man is wounded by them;
but this will be done in a manner which may satisfy them
that it is a punishment inflicted on them for their own
bad conduct, and of which they cannot be made sensible
if they are not treated with kindness while they continue
peaceable and quiet.
A party, consisting of two captains, two subalterns,
and forty privates, with a proper number of non-commissioned
officers from the garrison, with three days provisions,
etc.
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