128 BURY THE BODIES. [CH. VI. 



bows and yokes, harness, pack-saddles, trunks, canisters, 

 &c. The savages appeared to have been ignorant of the use 

 of sugar, tea, and tobacco, articles \Yhicli the aborigines 

 nearer to our colony prefer to all other things. A large 

 canister of tea had been emptied on the ground, a similar 

 canister, more than half full of sugar, lay on its side, so 

 that its contents were still good, the lids of both canisters 

 having been carried off. The whole stock of tobacco lay 

 scattered about the ground, and destroyed by the late rains. 

 A spade, a steel-yard, and a hammer were left ; although iron 

 had been so desirable, that one of the iron pins of the cart 

 was carried away. The two hair trunks belonging to Mr. 

 Finch, and which contained his clothes, papers, dice, re- 

 mained on the heap, uninjured and unopened, while the 

 truly savage plunderers had carried off, apparently as stuff 

 for clothinof, the canvass of the tent. From these circuni- 

 stances it was obvious that the murderers were quite unac- 

 quainted with the colonists or their habits. 



The bodies were now in the most offensive state of pu- 

 trefaction, and already so much decayed, that Ave could not 

 even distinguish the persons, except by the smaller frame of 

 Bombelli. The body of the bullock-driver lay under the cart, 

 where he had been accustomed to sleep; that of Bombelli 

 about four feet from it. INo dress appeared to have been 

 on either, besides the shirts, and one side of each skull was 

 so shattered, that fragments lay about on removing the 

 remains into a grave. It seemed most probable, that the 

 natives had stolen upon them when asleep. 



I ought to state here, that Mr. Finch, on first leaving the 

 settled districts, had five men, two of whom, having behaved 

 ill, he had been obliged to send back to the colony. 



Having interred the bodies, we loaded the cart with 

 such articles as still remained serviceable, and yoking it to 

 three of the horses which the men had brought, we i-eturned 

 towards the camp. By the smoke, which arose from various 

 parts we perceived tiiat the aborigines were watching our 



