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‘… one of the most trusty and sagacious …’, 1832
The Hobart Town Courier, 28 December 1832
X079.9461/1
| We are happy to learn, that the party now out to conciliate and bring in the remainder of the Blacks, conducted during Mr. Robinson's visit to Hobart town by Mr. Anthony Cotterel and Mr. Rohinson's eldest son, has succeeded in bringing in 8 more of them, who will be for- warded to the general establishment on Flinder's island. They were found on the banks of the river Arthur on the western coast, being part of the same tribe to which the chief Wy- murie now in town belongs, and had it not been for the conduct of a black named Edick who is amongst them, the whole of the residue of them now on that coast amounting we understand to about 26 more, would probably have come over to join their associates at the new colony. Mr. Cotterel with his party being on the oppo- site side of the rivet', which at that place near the coast was deep and broad, experienced some difficulty in bringing them over, and was obliged to construct a raft fOl' that purpose. Five men, two women and a child were in this way conveyed across and joined with much seeming satisfaction the friendly blacks that formed Mr. Cotterel's party. Night coming on their voyages across were stopped until next day, when the raft having been carried out by the tide and lost upon the bar, Mr. Cotterel constructed a temporary sort of ca- noe, which he sent over with one of the most trusty and sagacious of his Sydney blacks, named Stewart, who was to bring over those that chose to come, one at a time, as it was too small to contain with safety more than two people. In a few minutes after reaching the south side--the treacherous Edick and some others rushed forward and flung their spears at Stewart. He immediately jumped into the river and dived out of sight (with a presence of mind and agility worthy of the American author, Cooper's pen, to describe). He avoided the spears by this manoeuvre, although the men that threw them were not more than 5 or 6 yards distant from him. Whilst under wa- ter, he contrived to rid himself of his clothes, consisting of a shirt and jacket. The moment however he put his head above water to take breath, a shower of spears and waddies were thrown at him, but those like the former he avoided by diving on the instant. He conti- nued doing so until he got beyond their reach, when he was met by one ofthe Sydney natives, who swam to his assistance, and they happily reached the shore without having received any injury. |
The whole number of blacks now at large in the island cannot, it is conceived exceed 50 or 60, and Mr. Robinson we learn feels confident that by his intervention, he will be able so to convince them of the advantage of migrating to their associates in Great Island, that they will soon voluntarily request a pas- sage to it. When we compare ,the present secure and tranquil condition of the remote settler with what it was before Mr. Robinson brought in the hostile tribes, the colony we think cannot be too grateful for his exertions, which have providentially proved so successful. Not a week then passed without the melan- choly news reaching town, that in some quar- ter or other a murder or some other sanguinary outrage had been committed. How far the government has recompensed so important services we do not exactly know, but this we are certain of, that they could scarceely be rewarded too highly, and considering the length, of time he has been engaged on that fatiguing and dangerous duty away from his home, we do think he is entitled to some pub- ic expression of the sense which this colony at large entertains of his labours. |
