Watkin Tench's 1788 (14 page)

A convict was selected to sleep with him and to attend him wherever he might go. When he went with his keeper into his apartment he appeared very restless and uneasy while a light was kept in, but on its extinction he immediately lay down and composed himself.

Sullenness and dejection strongly marked his countenance on the following morning. To amuse him he was taken around the camp and to the observatory. Casting his eyes to the opposite shore from the point where he stood, and seeing the smoke of fire lighted by his countrymen, he looked earnestly at it and, sighing deeply two or three times, uttered the word
‘gweeun
'(fire).

His loss of spirits had not, however, the effect of impairing his appetite. Eight fish, each weighing about a pound, constituted his breakfast, which he dressed as before. When he had finished his repast he turned his back to the fire in a musing posture, and crept so close to it that his shirt was caught by the flame. Luckily his keeper soon extinguished it, but he was so terrified at the accident that he was with difficulty persuaded to put on a second.

1st January 1789
. Today being New Year's Day, most of the officers were invited to the governor's table. Manly dined heartily on fish and roasted pork. He was seated on a chest near a window, out of which, when he had done eating, he would have thrown his plate had he not been prevented. During dinner time a band of music played in an adjoining apartment and, after the cloth was removed, one of the company sang in a very soft and superior style; but the powers of melody were lost on Manly, which disappointed our expectations, as he had before shown pleasure and readiness in imitating our tunes. Stretched out on his chest, and putting his hat under his head, he fell asleep.

To convince his countrymen that he had received no injury from us, the governor took him in a boat down the harbour, that they might see and converse with him. When the boat arrived and lay at a little distance from the beach, several Indians who had retired at her approach, on seeing Manly, returned. He was greatly affected, and shed tears. At length they began to converse. Our ignorance of the language prevented us from knowing much of what passed. It was, however, easily understood that his friends asked him why he did not jump overboard and rejoin them. He only sighed and pointed to the fetter on his leg, by which he was bound.

In going down the harbour he had described the names by which they distinguish its numerous creeks and headlands. He was now often heard to repeat that of
Weèrong
,
^†
which was doubtless to inform his countrymen of the place of his captivity and perhaps to invite them to rescue him. By this time his gloom was chased away and he parted from his friends without testifying reluctance. His vivacity and good humour continued all the evening and produced so good an effect on his appetite that he ate for supper two kangaroo rats, each of the size of a moderate rabbit, and in addition not less than three pounds of fish.

Two days after, he was taken on a similar excursion; but to our surprise the natives kept aloof and would neither approach the shore or discourse with their countryman. We could get no explanation of this difficulty, which seemed to affect us more than it did him. Uncourteous as they were, he performed to them an act of attentive benevolence. Seeing a basket made of bark used by them to carry water, he conveyed into it two hawks and another bird which the people in the boat had shot and, carefully covering them over, left them as a present to his old friends. But indeed the gentleness and humanity of his disposition frequently displayed themselves. When our children, stimulated by wanton curiosity, used to flock around him, he never failed to fondle them and, if he were eating at the time, constantly offered them the choicest part of his fare.

February 1789
. His reserve, from want of confidence in us, continued gradually to wear away. He told us his name, and Manly gave place to Arabanoo. Bread he began to relish and tea he drank with avidity. Strong liquors he would never taste, turning from them with disgust and abhorrence. Our dogs and cats had ceased to be objects of fear and were become his greatest pets and constant companions at table. One of our chief amusements, after the cloth was removed, was to make him repeat the names of things in his language, which he never hesitated to do with the utmost alacrity, correcting our pronunciation when erroneous. Much information relating to the customs and manners of his country was also gained from him; but as this subject will be separately and amply treated, I shall not anticipate myself by partially touching on it here.

On the 2nd of February died Captain John Shea of the marines, after a lingering illness. He was interred on the following day with the customary military honours amidst the regret of all who knew him. In consequence of his decease, appointments for the promotion of the oldest officer of each subordinate rank were signed by the major commandant of the marine battalion, until the pleasure of the lords of the admiralty should be notified.
*

On the 17th of February the
Supply
again sailed for Norfolk Island. The governor went down the harbour in her and carried Arabanoo with him, who was observed to go on board with distrust and reluctance. When he found she was under sail, every effort was tried without success to exhilarate him. At length, an opportunity being presented, he plunged overboard and struck out for the nearest shore. Believing that those who were left behind would fire at him, he attempted to dive, at which he was known to be very expert, but this was attended with a difficulty which he had not foreseen. His clothes proved so buoyant that he was unable to get more than his head under water. A boat was immediately dispatched after him and picked him up, though not without struggles and resistance on his side. When brought on board, he appeared neither afraid or ashamed of what he had done, but sat apart, melancholy and dispirited, and continued so until he saw the governor and his other friends descend into a boat and heard himself called upon to accompany them. He sprang forward and his cheerfulness and alacrity of temper immediately returned and lasted during the remainder of the day. The dread of being carried away, on an element of whose boundary he could form no conception, joined to the uncertainty of our intention towards him, unquestionably caused him to act as he did.

One of the principal effects which we had supposed the seizure and captivity of Arabanoo would produce seemed yet at as great a distance as ever. The natives neither manifested signs of increased hostility on his account, or attempted to ask any explanation of our conduct through the medium of their countryman who was in our possession, and who they knew was treated with no farther harshness than in being detained among us. Their forbearance of open and determined attack upon us can be accounted for only by recollecting their knowledge of our numbers and their dread of our firearms. That they wanted not sufficient provocation to do so will appear from what I am about to relate.

March 1789
. Sixteen convicts left their work at the brick-kilns without leave and marched to Botany Bay, with a design to attack the natives and to plunder them of their fishing tackle and spears. They had armed themselves with their working tools and large clubs. When they arrived near the bay, a body of Indians, who had probably seen them set out and had penetrated their intention from experience, suddenly fell upon them. Our heroes were immediately routed, and separately endeavoured to effect their escape by any means which were left. In their flight one was killed and seven were wounded, for the most part very severely. Those who had the good fortune to outstrip their comrades and arrive in camp first gave the alarm, and a detachment of marines, under an officer, was ordered to march to their relief. The officer arrived too late to repel the Indians, but he brought in the body of the man that was killed and put an end to the pursuit. The governor was justly incensed at what had happened and instituted the most rigorous scrutiny into the cause which had produced it. At first the convicts were unanimous in affirming that they were quietly picking sweet-tea,
^**
when they were without provocation assaulted by the natives, with whom they had no wish to quarrel. Some of them, however, more irresolute than the rest, at last disclosed the purpose for which the expedition had been undertaken; and the whole were ordered to be severely flogged. Arabanoo was present at the infliction of the punishment, and was made to comprehend the cause and the necessity of it, but he displayed on the occasion symptoms of disgust and terror only.

On the 24th instant the
Supply
arrived from Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, bringing from the latter place three turtles.

An awful and terrible example of justice took place towards the close of this month, which I record with regret, but which it would be disingenuous to suppress. Six marines, the flower of our battalion, were hanged by the public executioner, on the sentence of a criminal court composed entirely of their own officers, for having at various times robbed the public stores of flour, meat, spirits, tobacco and many other articles.

†
Sydney Cove.

*
These appointments were confirmed by the admiralty.

**
A vegetable creeper found growing on the rocks which yields, on infusion in hot water, a sweet astringent taste whence it derives its name. To its virtues the healthy state of the soldiery and convicts may be greatly attributed. It was drank universally.

4

Transactions of the colony in April and May 1789

A
N
extraordinary calamity was now observed among the natives. Repeated accounts, brought by our boats, of finding bodies of the Indians in all the coves and inlets of the harbour, caused the gentlemen of our hospital to procure some of them for the purposes of examination and anatomy. On inspection, it appeared that all the parties had died a natural death. Pustules, similar to those occasioned by the smallpox, were thickly spread on the bodies; but how a disease to which our former observations had led us to suppose them strangers could at once have introduced itself, and have spread so widely, seemed inexplicable.
^*
Whatever might be the cause, the existence of the malady could no longer be doubted. Intelligence was brought that an Indian family lay sick in a neighbouring cove. The governor, attended by Arabanoo and a surgeon, went in a boat immediately to the spot. Here they found an old man stretched before a few lighted sticks and a boy of nine or ten years old pouring water on his head from a shell which he held in his hand. Near them lay a female child dead, and a little farther off, its unfortunate mother. The body of the woman showed that famine, superadded to disease, had occasioned her death. Eruptions covered the poor boy from head to foot, and the old man was so reduced that he was with difficulty got into the boat. Their situation rendered them incapable of escape and they quietly submitted to be led away. Arabanoo, contrary to his usual character, seemed at first unwilling to render them any assistance, but his shyness soon wore off, and he treated them with the kindest attention. Nor would he leave the place until he had buried the corpse of the child. That of the woman he did not see from its situation and as his countrymen did not point it out the governor ordered that it should not be shown to him. He scooped a grave in the sand with his hands, of no peculiarity of shape, which he lined completely with grass, and put the body into it, covering it also with grass; and then he filled up the hole and raised over it a small mound with the earth which had been removed. Here the ceremony ended, unaccompanied by any invocation to a superior being, or any attendant circumstance whence an inference of their religious opinions could be deduced.

An uninhabited house near the hospital was allotted for their reception and a cradle prepared for each of them. By the encouragement of Arabanoo, who assured them of protection, and the soothing behaviour of our medical gentlemen, they became at once reconciled to us and looked happy and grateful at the change of their situation. Sickness and hunger had, however, so much exhausted the old man that little hope was entertained of his recovery. As he pointed frequently to his throat, at the instance of Arabanoo he tried to wash it with a gargle which was given to him; but the obstructed, tender state of the part rendered it impracticable.
Bàdo, bàdo
(water) was his cry. When brought to him he drank largely at intervals of it. He was equally importunate for fire, being seized with shivering fits, and one was kindled. Fish were produced to tempt him to eat, but he turned away his head with signs of loathing. Nanbaree (the boy), on the contrary, no sooner saw them than he leaped from his cradle and eagerly seizing them, began to cook them. A warm bath being prepared, they were immersed in it; and after being thoroughly cleansed they had clean shirts put on them and were again laid in bed.

The old man lived but a few hours. He bore the pangs of dissolution with patient composure and, though he was sensible to the last moment, expired almost without a groan. Nanbaree appeared quite unmoved at the event and surveyed the corpse of his father without emotion, simply exclaiming,
bòee
(dead). This surprised us, as the tenderness and anxiety of the old man about the boy had been very moving. Although barely able to raise his head, while so much strength was left to him, he kept looking into his child's cradle. He patted him gently on the bosom and, with dying eyes, seemed to recommend him to our humanity and protection. Nanbaree was adopted by Mr White, surgeon-general of the settlement, and became henceforth one of his family.

Arabanoo had no sooner heard of the death of his countryman than he hastened to inter him. I was present at the ceremony, in company with the governor, Captain Ball and two or three other persons. It differed, by the accounts of those who were present at the funeral of the girl, in no respect from what had passed there in the morning, except that the grave was dug by a convict. But I was informed that when intelligence of the death reached Arabanoo, he expressed himself with doubt whether he should bury or burn the body, and seemed solicitous to ascertain which ceremony would be most gratifying to the governor.