cruel lot. The boy described her arrival in the following singular manner, a portion of which is given in his own mixed dialect: "One day, long time ago, there were a great many black fellows on the coast, when big one canoe (ship) yan yan (ran along) saucy water (boisterous sea). Dead boy canoe murrain murang (the men got into a small boat). Caubaun canoe, caubaun blanket (big ship carried big sail). That many white fellows (holding up eight of his fingers)and white gin come up in dead boy canoe (small boat). Plenty black fellow sit down this time along the beach; white fellows began corroboree to black fellows; black fellows catch white gin by the hands, and all white coolies plenty yan yan (ran away); plenty more black fellows yanem from the scrub, and plenty black fellows throw spear after white fellows." The boy was remarkably silent upon the fate of the unfortunate white men; but the probability is that they were speared. He described the woman as having been dressed like Miss Tyers, as with a bonnet on and a "caubaun pussy cat" (boa) about her neck. He further stated that the black "gins" immediately commenced dragging the white one's clothes off, and left her stark naked, with the exception of her boots and stockings, and when the latter were worn out they sewed opossum skins about her legs in consequence of her inability to walk barefoot. She was immediately assigned to the chief of a tribe, and was delivered of a child soon after her arrival amongst them. Batke and another chief named Bunjaleena fought for her some time after, when the latter was victorious, and she passed from her former tyrant to him, with whom she still continued. She was a tall woman, and had had five children, three of whom were dead. Warrington further recollected having often spoken to the white woman, and played with the children; and one day she was discovered by the blacks reading a large book, which they immediately snapped out of her hands and threw it in the fire,saying that it belonged to the white fellows. She was in the habit of cutting letters on trees with shells, and when noticed the symbols were erased by the blacks with their tomahawks. Being shown an alphabet, and requested to point out the characters he saw marked by her, he invariably fixed upon C. G. and W. Those facts appear rather singular, and some may deem them incredible, but singular as they may seem some of them could be substantiated by coincident circumstances. For instance, a few years before the station of Dr. Jamieson, at Western Port, was robbed by a tribe of Gippsland blacks, and several books and newspapers abstracted, one of the latter being evidently picked up by the celebrated traveller, Count Strezlecki, in his overland journey from Gippsland to Melbourne.' Amongst the books purloined was a large edition of the Bible, which was in all probability found by this unfortunate woman in some of the blacks' encampments, for some leaves of a corresponding size, with the typography almost completely obliterated, were picked up at one of her supposed haunts. Mr. M'Millan also testified to the boy's accuracy in a rather remarkable manner. He stated that some time before the blacks and the white woman happened to be "quambying" in a scrub close by the beach; the boy was there, and saw two boats with some white men therein. The white woman beheld the boats, and was moving slowly towards the water, when a half-suppressed cry escaped her lips, and Bunjaleena started up, poised his spear ready to throw it, when she, fearful of her existence, ran towards him and cast herself at his feet.
After the party returned from Mr. M'Millan's station, the men went back to their quarters, where they remained for eight or nine days, during which time Mr. Walsh arrived with his black police. It was therefore resolved to make another effort to recover the white woman, as it appeared that the old man had practised a deception. Accordingly the boats were got under weigh and a supply of provisions put on board. The party proceeded to make a circuit of some of the lakes, thence to the back waters towards the coast, and about the middle of the second night sighted some Aboriginal fires. At day dawn they beheld a number of natives moving rapidly across the main land between the coast and the islands. The party then considered it prudent to "lay to" until the following night, keeping a vigilant look-out upon the movements of the blacks, at the same time guarding against the chances of being discovered. They then ran up the back waters for about four miles, where they landed and encamped. In the morning they saw a number of canoes on an adjoining lake, and having given chase they succeeded in capturing one woman and a child, whom they secured in one of the boats. After some further exertions they overhauled two males, and these they handcuffed. From one of
