NATIVE POLICE IN NEW HOLLAND. 



EVERY traveller, who has enjoyed an opportunity of personally 

 observing the American Indians, the natives of the Polynesian 

 groups, and other dark races, must have been struck with the amaz- 

 ing powers of vision and smell they enjoy. The acuteness of their 

 senses appears to have been designed by Providence to compensate 

 for their want of intellectual acquirements. The truly simple abo- 

 rigines of New Holland, who have been designated as the last link 

 in the chain of humanity, or the most distant remove from civiliza- 

 tion, have been found to possess those powers in a pre-eminent and 

 astonishing degree. Among many well authenticated instances of their 

 displaying their truly .wonderful acuteness, the following seems worthy 

 of remark, particularly as it is connected with a strange and inexpli- 

 cable circumstance that occurred about the same time, not many years 

 since, and which may be found on the records of His Majesty's Su- 

 preme Court at Sydenham. 



A free settler, by name Fisher, who had long successfully 



cultivated a grant of land in a remote district, and was well known 

 to be possessed of a considerable sum of money, had been for some 

 time missing at the nearest market-town, whither he had been in the 

 habit of repairing with cattle and produce for sale. An inquiry was 

 instituted by his acquaintance ; and his head servant, or rather as- 

 sistant on the farm, a convict, who had lived many years with him 

 in that situation, declared that his master had left the colony for some 

 time on business, but that he expected him to return in a few months. 

 As the man was generally known as Fisher's confidential servant, his 

 assertion was believed, although some expressed their surprize at the 

 settler's abrupt and clandestine departure ; for his character for ho- 

 nesty and sobriety was good, and, as far as was known, he owed no 

 money in the colony. The month's wonder, however, soon sub- 

 sided, and Fisher was forgotten. His assistant, meanwhile, managed 

 the farm, bought and sold, and spent money freely. If questioned, 

 which was but rarely, he would express his surprize at his master's 

 delay, and pretend to expect him daily. 



A few months after he had first been missed, a neighbouring set- 

 tler, who was returning late on Saturday night from the market- 

 town, had occasion to pass within half a mile of Fisher's house. As 

 he was riding by the fence, which separated the farm from the high 

 road, he distinctly saw the figure of a man seated on the railing, and 

 at once recognized the form and features of his lost neighbour. He 

 instantly stopped, and called to him familiarly by name ; but the 

 figure descended from the railing, and walked slowly across the field, 

 towards the farm-house. The settler, having lost sight of him in the 

 gloom, proceeded on his journey ; and, on his arrival at his planta- 

 tion, informed his family and neighbours that Fisher had returned, 

 and that he had seen and spoken to him. The news soon spread 



