which gave much dissatisfaction, and was warmly resented by Mr. J. A. Marsden, who declared that such an announcement would be calculated to retard the movement by alienating the co-operation of persons who would be only glad of any excuse not to contribute towards it. Dr. Palmer was also soundly castigated by some of the newspapers for having the courage of such an opinion, in which, however, he did not stand alone, for Mr. Superintendent Latrobe, one of the most humane men in the province, was of the same way of thinking. A Committee was appointed to raise funds, and to ascertain whether the Government would assist, and to what extent. The Committee lost no time in setting to work, and issued an appeal to the public, especially to the ladies, which was freely responded to, and Mr. M'Pherson, a clerk in the Treasury at Sydney, brother to one of the supposed captives transmitted two remittances of £10 and £30.
On the 19th September a reply was received from the Colonial Secretary to the communication of the Committee, forwarding a copy of the resolutions, and asking for assistance in the way of certain supplies towards the fitting out of an expedition. It set forth, that so far back as the month of May, when the report assumed a distinct character, the Superintendent of the province had taken prompt steps to test its truth, and if found true, to follow up the measures necessary to effect a possible rescue; that there were "pretty certain proofs" of the existence of an unfortunate female in the position described, and that the Government officers had been entrusted with the duty of prosecuting a search, and authorized to incur every expense necessary for such a purpose. His Excellency the Governor considered the proposed movement calculated to defeat the object in view, as the course pursued by the Government officers was the best, having regard to the full attainment of the end and security to the life of the female. He therefore declined giving either assistance to the private expedition, or his sanction to the steps proposed to be taken. It concluded with an expression of surprise that neither the Mayor nor the projectors of the public meeting had thought proper to apply to the Superintendent for the information in possession of the Government. Notwithstanding this "wet blanketing," the Committee persevered, and both raised sufficient money from voluntary contributions and started the expedition, of which a more detailed account will be found further on.
A letter from Mr. M'Millan before referred to is so interesting that I give it in compressd form. The writer expressed his positive belief that there was a white woman with the blacks. In October, 1840, he came to a blacks' abandoned encampment on the Glengarry river, and found there a dead white child about eight months old. On approaching the place he saw several Aboriginal men and women behind a female, pushing her forward, and questioning a native black who accompanied him, was told it was a white woman. This he did not believe; for, if so, he should have followed them. The subsequent finding of the child's corpse convinced him that the blackfellow was right. He wrote on a slip of paper where his station was, and left it at the camp for the supposed white woman. There were also found there a pair of prunella shoes, a child's dress, some light brown or sandy colour human hair, and parts of a brass sextant and quadrant, evidently procured from some wreck. On returning there next day the place had been destroyed by fire. He stated it as the opinion of Dr. Arbuckle, a medical practitioner in that part, that the child found was born of an European parent. Two separate and independent search parties were now in the field, and in order to recount their proceedings in an intelligible and consecutive manner, the latter are produced seriatim, precedence being given to
THe Government Expedition.
Early in the year 1846 a correspondence passed between Mr. C. J. Tyers (Gippsland Crown Commissioner), Captain Dana (Commandant of Native Mounted Police), and Superintendent Latrobe which left little doubt that there was a white captive woman with the Aborigines. Two of the troopers declared that once, when patrolling at the foot of some ranges, they saw a party of natives having with them a white woman with red hair. She wore an opossum cloak, which, accidentally or intentionally she dropped, and it was then they noticed her whiteness. An old native man, armed with a spear, caught and forced her into the scrub, in which the Aborigines speedily
