476 
VAN DIEMENS LAND 
CHAP. 
is a short period, in which to have banished the last aboriginal 
from his native island,—and that island nearly as large as 
Ireland. The correspondence on this subject, which took place 
between the government at home and that of Van Diemen’s 
Land, is very interesting. Although numbers of natives were 
shot and taken prisoners in the skirmishing, which was going 
on at intervals for several years, nothing seems fully to have 
impressed them with the idea of our overwhelming power, until 
the whole island, in 1830, was put under martial law, and by 
proclamation the whole population commanded to assist in one 
great attempt to secure the entire race. The plan adopted 
was nearly similar to that of the great hunting-matches in 
India : a line was formed reaching across the island, with the 
intention of driving the natives into a cul-de-sac on Tasman’s 
peninsula. The attempt failed ; the natives, having tied up 
their dogs, stole during one night through the lines. This is 
far from surprising, when their practised senses and usual 
manner of crawling after wild animals is considered. I have 
been assured that they can conceal themselves on almost bare 
ground, in a manner which until witnessed is scarcely credible ; 
their dusky bodies being easily mistaken for the blackened 
stumps which are scattered all over the country. I was told 
of a trial between a party of Englishmen and a native, who 
was to stand in full view on the side of a bare hill; if the 
Englishmen closed their eyes for less than a minute, he would 
squat down, and then they were never able to distinguish him 
from the surrounding stumps. But to return to the hunting- 
match ; the natives understanding this kind of warfare, were 
terribly alarmed, for they at once perceived the power and 
numbers of the whites. Shortly afterwards a party of thirteen 
belonging to two tribes came in; and, conscious of their 
unprotected condition, delivered themselves up in despair. 
Subsequently by the intrepid exertions of Mr. Robinson, an 
active and benevolent man, who fearlessly visited by himself 
the most hostile of the natives, the whole were induced to act 
in a similar manner. They were then removed to an island, 
where food and clothes were provided them. Count Strzelecki 
states, 1 that “at the epoch of their deportation in 1835, the 
number of natives amounted to 210. In 1842, that is after 
1 Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, p. 354. 
