476 VAN DIE MEN'S LAND chap. 



is a short period, in which to have banished the last aboriginal 

 from his native island, — and that island nearly as large as 

 Ireland. The correspondence on this subject, which took place 

 between the government at home and that of Van Diemen's 

 Land, is very interesting. Although numbers of natives were 

 shot and taken prisoners in the skirmishing, which was going 

 on at intervals for several years, nothing seems fully to have 

 impressed them with the idea of our overwhelming power, until 

 the whole island, in 1830, was put under martial law, and by 

 proclamation the whole population commanded to assist in one 

 great attempt to secure the entire race. The plan adopted 

 was nearly similar to that of the great hunting-matches in 

 India: a line was formed reaching across the island, with the 

 intention of driving the natives into a cul-de-sac on Tasman's 

 peninsula. The attempt failed ; the natives, having tied up 

 their dogs, stole during one night through the lines. This is 

 far from surprising, when their practised senses and usual 

 manner of crawling after wild animals is considered. I have 

 'been assured that they can conceal themselves on almost bare 

 ground, in a manner which until witnessed is scarcely credible ; 

 their dusky bodies being easily mistaken for the blackened 

 stumps which are scattered all over the country. I was told 

 of a trial between a party of Englishmen and a native, who 

 was to stand in full view on the side of a bare hill ; if the 

 Englishmen closed their eyes for less than a minute, he would 

 squat down, and then they were never able to distinguish him 

 from the surrounding stumps. But to return to the hunting- 

 match ; the natives understanding this kind of warfare, were 

 terribly alarmed, for they at once perceived the power and 

 numbers of the whites. Shortly afterwards a party of thirteen 

 belonging to two tribes came in ; and, conscious of their 

 unprotected condition, delivered themselves up in despair. 

 Subsequently by the intrepid exertions of Mr. Robinson, an 

 active and benevolent man, who fearlessly visited by himself 

 the most hostile of the natives, the whole were induced to act 

 in a similar manner. They were then removed to an island, 

 where food and clothes were provided them. Count Strzelecki 

 states,^ that "at the epoch of their deportation in 1835, the 

 number of natives amounted to 210. In 1842, that is after 

 ^ Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Laud, p. 354. 



