BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 85 



blacks, on account of their brutal outrages, was at fever 

 heat, and the witness had every inducement to repre- 

 sent their conduct in this affair in an unfavourable lii;ht. 

 White came to the colony with Bowen, and was an 

 assigned servant to the settler Clark. He was the first 

 man who saw the approach of the natives. He was hoe- 

 ing new ground on the creek near Clark's house, Mdiich 

 was about half a mile up the valley behind the camp. 

 As he was hoeing, he saw 300 natives, men, women, and 

 children, coming down the valley in a circular, or rather 

 a semi-circular, form, with a flock of kangaroo between 

 them. They had no spears, but were armed with 

 waddies only, and were driving the kangaroo into the 

 bottom. On catching sight of him they paused astonished, 

 and, to use his expression, " looked at him with all 

 their eyes." White had very probably been accus- 

 tomed to the Port Jackson natives ; at any rate, he says 

 that he felt no alarm at the approach of the blacks, but 

 he thought it advisable to go doAvn the creek and inform 

 some soldiers. He then went back to his work. On 

 his return the natives were near Clark's house. They 

 did not molest him or threaten him in any way. Birt'a 

 house was on the other side of the creek some hundreds 

 of yards off, and White was very positive that so far 

 from attacking Birt or his house, they never even crossed 

 over to that side of the creek, and " were not within half 

 a quarter of a mile " of the hut. He knew nothing of 

 their going into the camp itself; but they did not attack 

 the soldiers, and, he believed, would not have molested 

 tliem. When the tiring commenced there were a great 

 many of the natives slaughtered and wounded, how many 

 he did not know. 



The Rev. Mr. Knopwood gave evidence before then, of Com, 

 same committee. He stated that he had heard different Paper, 23rd 

 opinions as to the origin of the attack ; that it was said ®®P*j' ^^^^) 

 the natives wanted to encamp on the site of Birt's hut, ^" ■*" 

 half a mile from tlje camp, and had ill-used his wife, 

 but that the hut was not burnt or plundered. They did 

 not attack the camp, but our people went from the camp 

 to attack the natives, who remained at Birt's hut. He 

 thought only five or six natives were killed. The 

 general opinion was that the blacks had gone to Risdon 

 to hold a corrobberry. 



These accounts throw great doubt on the accuracy of 

 Lieut. Moore's version of the affair. It is significant 

 that Knopwood, who had every opportunity of learning 

 the truth at the time, should state so positively that the 

 natives never left the neighbourhood of Birt's hut, but 

 that the soldiers went out to attack them. 



