THE NATIVES. 
177 
and have been compelled to take away the assigned 
servants, or withdraw the depasturing licences of 
made on the subject, by the Government, the following letters 
refer. 
“ Moreton Bay , Zioris Hill, \Ath January 1843. 
“Sir, — In reply to your inquiryrespectingthegrounds on which 
I made mention in my journal, kept during a visit to the Bunga 
Bunga country, of a considerable number of blacks having been 
poisoned in the northern part of this district, I beg leave to state, 
that having returned from Sydney in the month of March 1842, 
I learnt, first, by my coadjutor, the Rev. Mr. Epper, that such a 
rumour was spreading, of which I have good reason to believe 
also his Excellency the Governor was informed during his stay 
at Moreton Bay. I learnt, secondly, by the lay missionaries, 
Messrs. Nique and Rode, who returned from an excursion to 
“ Umpie-boang” in the first week of April, that natives of dif- 
ferent tribes, who were collecting from the north for a fight, had 
related the same thing to them as a fact. Messrs. Nique and 
Rode have made this statement also in their diary, which is laid 
before our committee in Sydney. I learnt, thirdly, by the run- 
away Davis, when collecting words and phrases of the northern 
dialect from him, previous to my expedition to the Bunga Bunga 
country, that there was not the least doubt but such a deed had 
been done, and moreover that the relatives of the poisoned blacks, 
being in great fury, were going to revenge themselves. Davis 
considered it, therefore, exceedingly dangerous for us to proceed 
to the north, mentioning at the same time, that two white men 
had already been killed by blacks in consequence of poisoning. I 
ascertained likewise from him the number, 50 or 60. 
“ When inquiring of him whether he had not reported this 
fact to yourself, he replied, that both he, himself, and Bracewell, 
the other runaway, whom Mr. Petrie had brought back from the 
Wide Bay, had done so, and that you had stated it fully in your 
report to his Excellency the Governor, respecting himself and 
Bracewell. 
VOL. II. 
N 
