THE MURRAY NATIVES. 
465 
or neglect of the men attending them. By a want 
of proper care and precaution, temptation was 
thrown in the way of the natives, but even then, it 
was only some few of the young men who were 
guilty of the offence ; none of the elder or more in- 
fluential members of the tribe, having had any thing 
to do with it. Neither did the tribe belong to the 
Murray river, although they occasionally came down 
there upon visits. There was no evidence to prove 
that the natives had stolen the sheep at all ; the only 
fact which could be borne witness to, was that so many 
sheep were missing, and it was supposed the natives 
had taken them. As soon as I was made acquainted 
with the circumstances, I made every inquiry among 
the tribe suspected, and it was at once admitted by 
the elder m,en that the youths had been guilty of 
the offence. At my earnest solicitations, and repre- 
sentations of the policy of so doing, the culprits, five 
in number, were brought in and delivered up by 
their tribe. No evidence could be procured against 
them, and after remanding them from time to time 
as a punishment, I was obliged to discharge them. 
I may now remark, that upon inquiry into the 
case, and in examining witnesses against the natives, 
it came out in evidence, that at the same station, and 
not long before, a native had been fired at , (with 
what effect did not appear,) simply because he 
seemed to be going towards the sheep-folds, which 
were a long way from the hut, and were directly in 
the line of route of any one either passing towards 
2 H 
VOL. II. 
