THE NATIVES. 
187 
when an alarm of the rushing of the sheep being 
given, he looked and saw' something climbing over 
the fence, and subsequently something crawling 
along the ground, upon which he fired off his piece, 
and hit the object, which upon examination turned 
out to be a native. The night was dark, and the 
native was brought into the hut, where he died the 
next day. He could not help observing, that cases 
of this kind were much more frequent than was 
creditable to the reputation of the Colony. Last 
Sessions a man was tried and acquitted of the charge 
of killing a native woman. That verdict was a very 
merciful one, but not so merciful, he trusted, as to 
countenance the idea that the lives of the natives 
are held too cheaply. The only observation that he 
would make upon this case was, that it was" one of 
great suspicion 
Other cases have occurred in which some of the 
circumstances have come under my own notice, and 
when Europeans have committed wanton aggres- 
sions on the Aborigines, and have then made up a 
plausible story to account for w T hat had taken place, 
but where, from obvious circumstances, it was quite 
impossible to disprove or rebut their tale, however 
improbable it might be. In the Port Phillip 
District in 1841, Mr. Chief Protector thus writes to 
the local Government. 
“ Already appalling collisions have happened 
* I believe this case was not brought to trial. 
